Gurnee discusses RV law updates

Some complaints received by Gurnee village board members and a desire to update local laws led to a discussion Wednesday night on whether tighter regulations should be placed on recreational vehicle parking in residential neighborhoods.

Gurnee's advisory plan commission and zoning board of appeals hosted the informal session at village hall. By a show of hands, the crowd of 35 or so was made up of mostly RV owners who weren't keen on the idea of having more rules to follow.

RVs include campers, boats, snowmobiles, haul trailers and personal watercraft. Gurnee's current regulations for residential property allow RVs to be parked or stored on a hard surface pad without the wheels removed.

In addition, recreational vehicles cannot be used for living purposes, except for guests visiting for not more than 30 days in a calendar year.

But residents learned at Wednesday night's gathering that Vernon Hills, Buffalo Grove, Grayslake and Hainesville are among the Lake County towns with stricter rules than Gurnee. Many who spoke to the plan commission and zoning board of appeals members said they don't want Gurnee to mimic the others.

"I think the ordinance is fine the way it is," resident Larry Mitchell said. "I'm a firm believer in government that governs the least governs best."

Zoning board member Tom Hood told the crowd Gurnee has been updating village ordinances and that RVs became a part of the mix. RV parking on driveways in residential areas also landed on the radar after some village board members recently received complaints.

"Our point tonight is really to gather information," Hood told the crowd. "It is not to make a decision."

If officials decide to work toward enacting more stringent RV parking regulations, the zoning board of appeals and plan commission would host a formal public hearing as part of the process. Members of both advisory bodies then would issue a recommendation to the village board, which gets the final say on issues.

RV parking in residential neighborhoods is an issue that arises periodically in the suburbs.

In 2005, more than 350 residents crammed into Wauconda village board meeting to discuss an ordinance designed to govern when and where RVs could be stored on property. The issue lingered for a little more than two years, but the village board approved a set of RV parking regulations.

Streamwood approved restrictions on recreational and commercial vehicle parking and changed overnight parking regulations as part of three controversial ordinances in 2004.

RV: Meeting was to gather information