Hold a work session to allow the City Council and the public to ask questions, have a discussion, offer comments, and provide direction on amending the Zoning Code's existing parking location requirements for recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats.

The purpose of this discussion item is to obtain comments and direction from the City Council as to whether or not to proceed with an amendment to the current Zoning Code to allow additional flexibility regarding the locations where recreation vehicles, trailers, and boats (hereafter the “Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s)”) may be parked on a lot with residential zoning.  Currently, the Zoning Code allows the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked in the interior side and rear yards of a lot.  Also, the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) may be parked on a driveway in the front of a garage or carport, or within 10 feet of the driveway for no more than five days of any month.

I. City Council Questions:
For your reference, below is the question that staff is seeking the City Council’s comments and direction:

• Does the City Council desire to amend the existing Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking regulations to allow Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked on a driveway and within 10 feet of the driveway in the front yard?

II. Background Summary:
The history of the current Zoning Code regulations pertaining to vehicle parking extends from the 1991 adoption of the City Land Development Code that allowed any them to be parked on a lot in the interior and rear yards.  In November 2002, the Land Development Code was amended to expressly state that Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking on a residential lot in the interior side and rear yards is allowed.  These provisions were carried over to the Zoning Code adopted in November 2011 when the Land Development Code was repealed.
 
In February 2016, the City Council adopted the current regulations (Attachment 1) as part of the Zoning Code.  These regulations maintained the allowance that the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) may be parked on a residential lot in the interior side and rear yards.  In addition, provisions were added that required the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be behind the front of a building. Furthermore, the adopted amendment allowed the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked on a driveway in the front of a garage or carport, or within 10 feet of the driveway for no more than five days of any month.  This modification was intended to allow owners to temporarily store, maintain, prepare, and unload a Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s).  It should be noted that the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) may be parked on the street for any length of time, except during the winter on-street parking limitations.
 
Shortly after the enactment of the February 2016 adoption, staff began to enforce the updated regulations.  Subsequently, in response to resident inquiries and comments regarding the newly enacted regulations, in November 2016, the City Council reviewed the Zoning Code requirements and took public comments.
 
In summary, the public comments include:

• Narrower and smaller lots do not have the area or width necessary to accommodate Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) being parked in the side yards or the ability to access the rear yards in locations that comply with the Zoning Code;
• Property owners have historically parked the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) on driveways, or on either side of a driveway;
• Property owners should be allowed to park Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) in the front yard on either side of the driveway;
• Property owners should be allowed to park Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) in the exterior (street) side yard;
• Repealing the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking regulations and allowing for personal property to be stored on lot; 
• That new Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking regulations caused some property owners to remove very old trees in order to park their Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) in a location that complies with the requirements.

In addition, a summary of the City Council comments include:

• Acknowledging that multiple properties throughout Flagstaff have Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parked in a manner inconsistent with the Zoning Code (e.g., on driveways, etc.);
• Consideration to allow the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked on, and adjacent to, driveways and in the side yard, but not necessarily in front of the plane of the home; and
• Allowing the existing regulations to be less restrictive to accommodate reasonable allowances on a lot for Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking.

III. Discussion:
As indicated above, the current Zoning Code regulations (Attachment 1) pertaining to the locations that the Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) may be parked was adopted in 2016.  Staff’s analysis and site visits confirm that numerous properties throughout Flagstaff have Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parked in a manner inconsistent with current regulations.  Furthermore, multiple properties have terrain, vegetation, and lot configuration conditions that make it challenging to comply with the requirements.  Also, many properties have buildings located at the minimum setbacks of the lot’s zone, limiting sufficient vehicular access to the side and rear yards and the ability to park in these areas.  

City Council Question:

• Does the City Council desire to amend the existing Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) parking regulations to allow Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked on a driveway and within 10 feet of the driveway in the front yard?

As illustrated in Attachment 2, if the City Council desires to amend the existing Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) regulations, the modifications would:

• Allow Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked on a driveway and within 10 feet of a driveway that is located in the front yard, while maintaining the preclusion from being parking in other areas of the front yard;
• Maintain the allowance for Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) to be parked in the rear and interior side yard; and
• Remove the five days or less per month limitation that a Vehicle(s) and Trailer(s) may be parked on a driveway or within 10 feet of a driveway in the front yard.