By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
It is time, once again, for those who have travel
trailers to park them on their own property.
City police have been directed to enforce city
ordinances which prevent travel trailers from being parked
on city streets or along city rights of way during the
winter (or for more than two weeks during the summer).
Those who do not remove their trailers from the sides
of streets will be fined.
"When snow removal becomes an issue, the trailers must
be off the sides of city streets and should not be on city
rights of way," said Chad Bowles, police chief.
All through the summer, officers of the police
department have been watching for illegal parking, for
broken down vehicles left along the street, and for parking
violations.
In addition to snow removal, said Bowles, safety
concerns are addressed in the city ordinance.
The ordinance, for example, makes it illegal, at any
season of the year, for vehicles to be parked in a manner
that cuts vision around corners or to be parked too close to
stop signs.
"Vehicles cannot be parked right up to the corner
which makes seeing around the corner a hazard for
motorists."
Even when parking recreational vehicles inside fences,
owners should still take care. In some instances, vehicles
are parked inside a fence but so close to the property line
that travelers can't see whether traffic is approaching.
Sometimes recreational vehicles parked along curbs are
a hazard to pedestrians, children, and drivers of other
vehicles as well as preventing snow removal. Cars cannot
pass one another without one yielding.
"It is a hazard for kids. If one would dart out from
behind a trailer, the kid could be killed," said Bowles.
"Those who do not obey the ordinance will be fined,"
said Bowles. "The police department, at the request of the
city council, has been enforcing this ordinance for several
years."
Some areas of town, such as Nebo Heights Subdivision
with narrow residential streets create an additional hazard.
If a recreational vehicle is left on the city right of way
in that area, snow removal is impossible.
Fire equipment would also needs a clear right of way
to get to fire hydrants and to homes.
"There isn't anyplace in town that I've observed where
the property owner couldn't park the RV along side his home
on his own property," said Bowles.
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