CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Wednesday night, the Cheyenne City Council discussed an ordinance aimed at prohibiting oversized vehicles from parking on public roadways.
The Cheyenne City Council discussed changes to city code regarding vehicles that are classified as “nuisance vehicles,” as well as other provisions set in place dictating where vehicles can be parked.
The majority of board members approved of the regulations. The ordinance will go before the council at its next regular reading Monday, Nov. 25 for a second reading.
The ordinance
The city of Cheyenne currently classifies a “nuisance” vehicle as any of the following:
- A vehicle with any tires missing or deflated for more than seven days
- A vehicle entirely or partially suspended from the ground via jacks, blocks or other devices for more than seven days, except for vehicles undergoing active repair
- A vehicle that doesn’t display a current license plate, tag or valid permit for more than seven days, excepting licensed dealers
- A vehicle that has components removed rendering it inoperable for more than seven days
The new ordinance adds regulations that effectively ban oversized vehicles from parking on public streets. The new rules state: “No oversized vehicle shall be parked along any public roadway of the city of Cheyenne, and any oversized vehicle found parked along a public roadway shall constitute a nuisance and be subject to abatement as provided in this chapter.”
However, the city will allow oversized vehicles to be parked on public roadways under two conditions. First, the vehicle may remain on a street for 120 hours for the “purpose of loading, unloading, winterizing or de-winterizing the vehicle.” Second, an oversized vehicle that serves as a mobile food truck — and one that complies with city code — can park on a public street.
The city’s proposed regulations would also prohibit oversized vehicles classified as recreational vehicles from parking on public streets. The city defines a recreational vehicle as “any vehicular-type unit that is primarily designed as a temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or seasonal use; has its own motive power or is mounted on or towed by another vehicle; and is regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a vehicle or vehicle equipment.” Additionally, any oversized camp trailers, tent trailers or house trailers are prohibited.
Comments from councilmembers
All but one councilmember approved of the new regulations at Wednesday’s meeting, though many acknowledged that the ordinance requires more work before being ratified into city law.
Councilmembers Michelle Aldrich is one of the ordinance’s co-sponsors. She said a common complaint she has heard over the years from residents is that oversized vehicles are parked in neighborhoods for long stretches of time. Recently, several accidents have occurred that involved oversized vehicles parked on public streets. They cause trouble for city workers attempting to sweep streets or take care of snow removal, she said. Finally, these vehicles can damage pavement if left unattended for long periods of time.
Aldrich’s ordinance initially allowed residents only 72 hours to park oversized vehicles for loading and unloading purposes. Councilmembers agreed to extend this to 120 hours following concerns voiced during the public comment period.
Pete Laybourn was the sole councilmember opposed to the ordinance. He said he doesn’t believe Cheyenne police nor the city’s compliance team have the capacity to adequately address these vehicles.
“This is certainly an issue, it’s certainly a problem, but I don’t believe that this particular ordinance is realistic in the ability to deal with the magnitude of the problem,” Laybourn said.
Councilmember Tom Segrave said he agrees with the ordinance overall, as most of his constituents have told him oversized vehicles are an issue. However, he is concerned how the rules will come into play during Cheyenne Frontier Days. RVs, he said, may be parked outside of homes for 10 days at a time. He said the City Council will have to consider these accommodations in the weeks to come as they review the ordinance.
“Most people want something,” Segrave said. “It’s just, what is it that we’re going to finally piece together?”
Jeff White agreed with Segrave. He acknowledged that oversized vehicles can be an impediment to emergency responders during situations where seconds count. He also spoke to Laybrourn’s point on compliance and expressed concern about how the city will realistically enforce the new rules.
Richard Johnson said enforcement won’t be an issue because the majority of residents with oversized vehicles will comply with the law once it’s put into place.
A copy of the draft ordinance and video of the full meeting can be viewed below.
