To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers

From: Trudi Ryan, Planning Officer

Through: Robert S. LaSala, City Manager

Date: July 12, 2002

Re: Regulations Pertaining To Recreational Vehicle, Trailers and Boat Parking

At the April 30, 2002 Council meeting, a request was made for information on Sunnyvale regulations regarding the parking of Recreational Vehicles. Sunnyvale does not have any regulations specific to RVs, however there are regulations in both the Sunnyvale Municipal Code and the State Vehicle Code regarding the parking of vehicles.

The California Vehicle Code prohibits the "stopping, parking, or standing of vehicles, including, but not limited to, vehicles that are six feet or more in height (including any load thereon) within 100 feet of any intersection, on certain streets or highways, or portions thereof, during all or certain hours of the day." Section 22507, Vehicle Code. This section can pertain to RVs, as they are typically greater than 6 ft. in height. The Vehicle code also prohibits the parking of vehicles that block or partially block the sidewalk or a neighbor’s driveway (Section 22500 (E) and (F))

City regulations require that vehicles parked on the street must be licensed and operable, and cannot be left in one location for more than 72 hours. (SMC 10.16.030)

The City of Sunnyvale has two sections that deal specifically with parking on private property.

• Inoperable vehicles parked on private property cannot be left for longer than 72 consecutive hours (SMC 9.24.180).
• All vehicles must be parked on a permanent paved surface such as asphalt, Portland Cement or other approved stabilized permanent surface. The entire vehicle must be parked on a permanent paved surface, not just the tires. (SMC 19.48.260)
• Boats must be licensed and stored on a trailer that is operable and registered. Boats must also be covered. (SMC 9.26.030 (19))

As long as the RV, trailer or boat is parked such that it is located on a paved surface and does not block visibility at a neighboring driveway, it is in compliance with City regulations.

Sunnyvale does regulate:

• How long an RV may be parked on the street
• Where it may be parked on the street (not within 100 ft. of any intersection)
• The surface an RV or boat is parked on
• That a boat must be licensed and covered while stored on a trailer

Sunnyvale does not regulate:

• That RVs or boats be screened from the public right-of-way