MEETING PLANNED ON RV PARKING.

Byline: Laurence Darmiento Daily News Staff Writer

Unable to find a simple solution to the contentious issue of recreational-vehicle parking on local streets, city officials have decided to turn to the public for some answers.

A meeting has been scheduled for later this month in City Hall during which traffic engineers hope that some consensus can be reached over the issue that has divided some neighbors.

"Nothing has been set. We would like to hear what the public thinks and come up with a solution," said Rabie Rahmani, a city traffic engineer. "We want a citywide solution, but we have no idea which way it will go."

The meeting was prompted by complaints the city and deputy sheriffs have received over recreational and commercial vehicles that are essentially being stored on city streets, officials said.

Parking laws prohibit any vehicle from being parked in a spot for more than 72 hours, but recreational-vehicle owners, seeking to avoid the cost of private storage, can skirt the law simply by moving their vehicles a few feet.

Many complaints have focused on parking on main roads and so-called "collector" roads where residents park outside their neighborhoods. Such streets include Del Monte Drive, Golden Triangle Road and Valley Street, Rahmani said.

City engineers, who have discussed the issue with other cities but have found no ready solution, are currently weighing several options, he said.

One class of the laws would prohibit the parking of vehicles based on their height, width or weight, while another approach might be to ban overnight parking on main and collector streets, Rahmani said.

None of the laws is aimed at neighborhood streets, where Rahmani said recreational-vehicle owners often must park their vehicles in preparation for trips.

The meeting is planned for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 28 in the council chambers at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard.

Traffic engineers hope to make a recommendation to the City Council on the issue after hearing from the public. The council ordered traffic engineers to come up with a solution to the problem last month.

Notices for the meeting have been mailed to anyone who has complained about recreational vehicles and similar parking problems, Rahmani said.

In addition, today and Monday city workers will slip meeting notices under the windshield wipers of recreation and other vehicles parked in problem areas.

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Photo Santa Clarita officials hope to end the "storing" of recreational vehicles on public roads. Proposals do not target parking on residential streets. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News