Parking their complaints

The season of RV camping and boating is over, and Rathdrum residents are hurrying to put their utility vehicles away or be in violation of city code.

After a series of educational letters were sent to homeowners in April, Rathdrum residents became quickly aware that leaving their large playthings in the driveway would not be tolerated. In Wednesday night's City Council meeting, nine homeowners voiced opposition to the code, saying its standards are unachievable and unnecessary.

"The way the code is worded is if you live in a corner lot, and one of the sides of your yard faces the street, that counts as a front yard, which means you can't park your recreational vehicles there," Hannah Stagner said. "Which, to me, is completely unrealistic for the people who live in Rathdrum."

Per a city ordinance created in 1982, residents can have one boat and trailer stored in the side or rear of a property. Last year, Rathdrum revised the entire residential code, including the prohibition of parking recreational vehicles on the front, side, or rear yard, or on the public streets. The reasoning for the measure is mainly for safety purposes, said city administrator Leon Duce, as well as practicality.

"When trailers park on the road, it prohibits the view of drivers to see what's going on on the other side," Duce said. "Most times RVs and trailers are big, so if kids are laying in the front yard, cars wouldn't be able to see a kid running into the road to get a ball. It's also not clear as a driver to see if you can safely turn into oncoming traffic."

Until about a year and a half ago, Rathdrum didn't consistently enforce city code. While the regulations existed, Duce said, the city didn't have the staffing or financial ability to check routinely.

"About two years ago, we started getting complaints from some of the citizens asking why we even had codes if we weren't going to enforce them," Duce said. "So council approved the creation of a code enforcement office and hired one in November of last year."

What sparked the recent heat was residents' realization that continued violation of the code comes with an initial fine of $100 that could increase based on circumstance. However, the city has taken the position of education over a penalty, Duce said.

Rathdrum's front yard standards, including the recreational vehicle requirements, underwent an almost eight-month revision process with public hearings and city workshops in 2019. The final product was adopted last December, but community members have complained about the ordinance since then.

"I feel like the current code is an infringement of my property rights, and many people in town feel that also," Pete Wood said in the Wednesday meeting. "As I drive down here, I see reasonably parked RVs and trailers everywhere, and I can't imagine that once people find out about this that they will be happy about it either."

In response, Rathdrum administrators are collecting comments to send to the city's planning and zoning department, where the code will be revisited in workshops. Duce anticipates planning and zoning will start looking into the residential standards in November or December.