Don't let city lift RV parking restrictions

At the May 22 Elgin City Council meeting, five council members voted for an ordinance revision that was senseless and unsupported by Elgin city staff, by Planning and Zoning commissioners, Elgin's older established neighborhood associations, and our common-sense mayor and two like-minded council members, Martinez and Gavin.

The current ordinance allows no RV parking in our neighborhoods. This change will allow motorized RVs less than 25 feet long to be parked for five summer months, 24/7, in driveways. Why would five council members vote for this revision? Only one reason comes to mind: personal gain.

Many RV owners who requested this revision do not own RVs that would comply. However, in their supporting speeches to the Planning and Zoning Commission, they spoke in favor of it because it would open the door to future changes, allowing a wider variety of RVs to become acceptable.

About 40 years ago, there was a proliferation of commercial vehicles and various RVs parked throughout our neighborhoods. Many citizens complained and the city cracked down by writing a stringent and comprehensive parking ordinance. For the sake of transparency, two council persons who voted for this recent revision live in developments with RV parking restrictions.

The final ordinance vote will not take place until June 12. If there is enough public input against this senseless revision, it could affect the outcome. If you don't support this revision, email or phone Mayor Kaptain and City Manager Kozal with your concerns.

Carl and Chris Missele

Elgin