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Monterey County board adopts ordinance limiting oversized vehicle parking in Pajaro after debate over safe‑parking options
Summary
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 on March 10 to adopt an ordinance prohibiting oversized‑vehicle parking on Railroad Avenue and Allison Road in unincorporated Pajaro. Supervisors and staff acknowledged limited safe‑parking capacity for large RVs and directed staff and the CAO to pursue cross‑jurisdictional solutions and return with an update in 30 days.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on March 10 adding section 12.28.013 to the county code to prohibit oversized‑vehicle parking on Railroad Avenue and Allison Road in the unincorporated community of Pajaro.
Public Works Director Randall Ishii introduced the ordinance and said the measure defines oversized vehicles using criteria from the California Vehicle Code and authorizes tow‑away enforcement consistent with state procedures. Ishii said the item was returned after a first reading on Feb. 10 and noted the ordinance is one element of a broader county strategy that also includes pursuing a safe‑parking program and coordinating with service providers.
Roxanne Wilson, the county’s homeless services director, told the board that outreach shows most occupants in the affected area identify as residents of Watsonville or Santa Cruz County and that available safe‑parking programs have limited capacity for the large RVs currently parked there. She said local programs and shelters (including some prioritized for former Chinatown Navigation Center clients) could not immediately accommodate many of the vehicles observed.
Supervisors debated scope and timing. Several members said a narrow, two‑street prohibition risks displacing vehicles to other locations in Pajaro or across the county. Supervisor Glenn Church moved adoption and pushed for staff to pursue a Pajaro‑wide prohibition as a follow‑up; Supervisor Chris Lopez seconded. Board members directed the county administrative officer to pursue CAO‑to‑CAO and city‑manager discussions with Watsonville and Santa Cruz County and asked staff to return with an update at the board’s April 7 meeting. The board also instructed staff not to install signs (which trigger enforceability) until the April update.
The motion passed on a 4–1 roll call: Supervisors Lejold, Church, Lopez and Daniels voted yes; Chair Supervisor Wendy Root Askew voted no.
Supervisor Kate Daniels expressed concern about moving people without a place to go and asked staff to accelerate safe‑parking plans. Wilson said creating a site that accommodates large RVs is technically and financially complex and that timelines for a dedicated safe‑parking site could be “on the order of months.”
The board’s action implements the narrow prohibition immediately into the record but delays enforcement until signs are erected; staff said signage would be scheduled after the 30‑day period. The board also requested that public works, the CAO, homeless services and law enforcement return with a status report on interjurisdictional coordination and the safe‑parking search.
By the end of the session, the board had framed the ordinance as both a neighborhood‑protection measure and part of ongoing efforts to secure alternatives for displaced households. The board’s April 7 update is the next procedural step.
