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NCCo rejects boat, RV parking changes

Civic groups surprised by council's vote

By ANGIE BASIOUNY, The News Journal
Posted Wednesday, October 25, 2006

WILMINGTON -- Civic association leaders walked away from the New Castle County Council meeting Tuesday night with exactly what they asked for -- a no vote on controversial legislation that would have eased parking restrictions on boats, trailers and recreational vehicles in residential areas.

Council members voted down the ordinance 9-4, saying they believe a greater compromise still can be found between boat and RV owners who want to keep their vehicles on their property and homeowners who want to protect the look of their neighborhoods.

The vote was a welcome surprise to civic group members who said they expected Councilman George Smiley's ordinance to be approved, especially after a lengthy public hearing last month in which a win seemed all but assured.

"Two weeks ago, I didn't think we had a chance. I'm just amazed," said Chuck Landry of the Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred, an umbrella group of 120 civic associations. "Now, we're going to do what we said we were going to do -- find a good solution. Something that is equitable and fair for everyone."

The failure of the ordinance means the county currently has no real regulations on the size and placement of boats, RVs and trailers on residential lots.

"What we have now is pre-2005," Smiley said, "which was no prohibitions."

The county first began regulating the vehicles in June 2005, when council approved changes to the property maintenance code that required boats, RVs and trailers be parked on asphalt or another hard surface in side or rear yards, if the lot was less than two acres. The vehicles also had to be hidden from view by a row of evergreen trees.

In November 2005, council voted to suspend enforcement after boat and RV owners voiced complaints the law was unfair.

That suspension is still in effect.

Smiley, who struggled for nearly a year to get consensus in the public and craft a draft ordinance that would appeal to the majority, said Tuesday that he was finished with it.

"I'm washing my hands as being the lead sponsor on this," he said. "I've done all that I can do. I think that what I brought forward was fair and reasonable. Was it politically popular? Not by a shot."

Smiley's proposal would have rolled back most of the 2005 restrictions, allowing parking of boats, RVs, trailers and personal watercraft in driveways. Homeowners would have been limited to two such vehicles per property, with only one in the driveway.

His ordinance also would have eliminated the minimum lot size and tree-screening requirement from the 2005 law. And it would have banned oversized commercial vehicles from neighborhoods.

Resident Gary McGinnis urged council to vote yes and said Smiley's measure was a good compromise.

"I believe this is the most, the very most, that many of the boat and RV owners are willing to accept," he said.

Smiley's ordinance appeared to have broad support in the weeks leading up to the vote, with several council members saying they would approve it.

When it became evident Tuesday night the legislation would not pass, Smiley criticized some of his fellow council members for not asking more questions or sharing their concerns with him months ago.

It is unclear who among council will take the lead in reshaping the debate.

As Councilman John Cartier warned before the vote: "If you think that if we don't vote on this tonight the process will get any easier, you're wrong. Because there's a lot of interests out there chewing on this."

Contact Angie Basiouny at 324-2796 or abasiouny@delawareonline.com.

THE VOTE
YES: George Smiley, John Cartier, Paul Clark, Karen Venezky

NO: Joseph Reda, Timothy Sheldon, Jea P. Street, David Tackett, William Tansey, Robert Weiner, Bill Bell, Penrose Hollins, Patty Powell