Buffalo Grove approves new rules for parking recreational vehicles
Thanks to a procedural error, Buffalo Grove trustees had a chance this week to reshape an ordinance regulating the parking of recreational vehicles in residential areas.
But despite the changes, some vehicle owners continue to voice reservations.
The measure passed in a 3-2 vote last month, but Village Attorney William Raysa said four affirmative votes are needed for an ordinance to be valid. Trustee Lester Ottenheimer III was absent for the first vote and Village President Beverly Sussman did not cast a vote.
On Monday, trustees passed an amended version of the ordinance, with changes that include reducing the maximum size of a vehicle allowed parked outside from 35 feet to 30 feet.
Other changes include pushing the effective date back to Aug. 1 and allowing outside storage from the middle of May to the middle of September, as well as for up to 15 days outside that period for loading and unloading.
The ordinance covers motor homes, travel trailers, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, as well as boats and personal watercraft. Anyone with a vehicle or need falling outside the regulations can apply to the village's planning and zoning commission for a variance.
Trustee Joanne Johnson called the amended ordinance an effective compromise.
"We should get rid of the eyesores in our village and we should also be able to accommodate our residents who do have recreational vehicles," she said.
But some RV owners remain unhappy with the new rules, including resident Ken Zuber, who called the 30-foot maximum length arbitrary.
"Before we bought an RV, we did all our homework. We found out what was the best model for us," he said. "Honestly, we paid a ton of money for this thing. It's 31 feet.
"I didn't change anything. You guys changed the rules on me," he added.
"If I might be so brazen as to say, this gentleman is the poster child for a very quick variation granted by the planning and zoning commission," Trustee Jeffrey Berman responded.
"But now I have to spend 50 dollars for a variance when I did nothing wrong," Zuber replied.