Planning board forwards revised vehicle‑storage ordinance to trustees after mixed public reaction on enforcement and surfaces

Swansea planning staff presented a rewrite of a June ordinance that regulates parking and storage of recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles and utility trailers; the Planning & Zoning Board voted Jan. 6 to forward the amended text to the board of trustees after public comment and technical clarifications.

The staff presentation said the principal change is to expand acceptable parking surfaces beyond concrete and asphalt to include pavers, gravel, crushed stone and compacted mulch, provided the surface prevents rutting and erosion and remains free of grass and weeds. The draft also clarifies that driveways count as front yard for purposes of the code but that parking in front‑yard grass remains prohibited, and it adds language to prohibit long‑term vehicle storage on vacant lots in all zoning districts unless expressly permitted.

Some residents welcomed the broader surface options (they said rock or pavers allowed them to keep trailers on private property), while others said the change will undercut efforts to prevent neighborhood blight unless enforcement is consistent. "If we don't enforce it, our whole area is going to continue to deteriorate," one resident said. Staff acknowledged enforcement capacity is limited (one code‑enforcement officer) and said many current cases are in process; the board asked staff to clarify terms such as "active loading/unloading" and to add references to the code's hazardous‑materials definitions where relevant.

On a roll call the board voted to forward the amendment to trustees for the Jan. 20 hearing; staff said it would correct typos and refine language on explosives and commercial‑vehicle weight limits before the trustees vote.