Wauconda RV rules need more work
A two-year effort to develop new rules governing storage of recreational vehicles and boats on private property in Wauconda did not come to an end Tuesday night.
The village is considering its first such ordinance, which stemmed from complaints by a number of residents about how RVs and boats were being stored on private yards and driveways.
The village board's committee of the whole agreed Tuesday to move forward on several of the proposed restrictions, but the biggest sticking point for about a dozen residents at the meeting was the size allowance.
The village is considering allowing no more than two recreational vehicles to be stored on a property, each a maximum 30 feet long.
That would include recreational vehicles such as campers, travel trailers, motor homes, utility trailers, off-road vehicles, ATVs, racing cars or cycles, snowmobiles, truck campers and recreational watercraft.
Residents Phil and Barbara Steinmetz say that rule is unfair to anyone who owns a recreational vehicle even slightly above 30 feet. The couple owns a 37-foot motor home that is currently parked on a concrete slab on a side of their property.
"We actually bought a house that we knew would fit an RV on the side without complicating things for a neighbor," Barbara Steinmetz said. "We have a problem with the 30 feet and 30 feet. It's a 60-foot max period no matter what you're putting in there."
Wauconda is not alone in trying to regulate storage of recreational vehicles.
The issue has sparked controversy in many suburban towns, such as Mundelein, Lindenhurst, Lake Villa, and Elk Grove Village.
In the 1990s, Mundelein attempted to curtail the placement of boats, campers and RVs on private property. But after years of debate, the village adopted a watered-down version of its original proposal allowing residents to park one large RV and two smaller non-motorized watercraft, like canoes, in their back yards.
In Wauconda, roughly 300 residents attended a January 2006 building and zoning committee meeting in protest of the proposed regulations.
Village officials agreed Tuesday individual cases like the Steinmetzes' need to be given consideration, but they were convinced there also must be a set size limit for such recreational vehicles.
"We are trying to be reasonable here," Mayor Sal Saccomanno said. "I believe two vehicles at 30 feet is reasonable. You have to draw the line somewhere."
Saccomanno said the board had to think of the town's 12,614 residents and not just those who have individual needs.
"We have to make a decision based on the good of the entire community," he said. "We are trying to do the best we can for the most people."
Village officials said many of the town's residents won't be affected by the new rules once adopted because most newer subdivisions are already regulated by their homeowner's associations.
The committee agreed after more than an hour of back-and-forth heated discussion with residents that the size issue was going nowhere. No vote was taken on the rules the committee did come to a consensus on. A final vote is still likely months away.
Rules the committee came to a consensus on:
• The RV must be operational and state-licensed in the name of the property owner or tenant
• Village enforcement staff may have access to property at reasonable hours of the day to verify licensing requirements
• Must be on wheels or a trailer; the committee is still discussing pontoons
• Maximum weight of 6 tons.
Exceptions:
• Owners or renters of property contiguous to Bangs Lake or to a channel leading to Bangs Lake may bring recreational watercraft and/or snowmobiles onto the rear of their property directly from the waterway without the use of a trailer throughout the year
• Multiple recreational vehicles may be placed on a single trailer, commensurate with the manufacturer's recommended loading and use criteria, as long as the trailer complies with all other applicable requirements.