Key Part of RV Package Vetoed

Mayor blocks RV plan that could push more RVs to industrial zones; Council could override

An RV parked for more than 72 hours on South Willow Street in Georgetown.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson on Monday vetoed City Council legislation that would have created a census and permit program for people living in recreational vehicles. The vetoed proposal also could have pushed more RVs to industrial zones that surround Georgetown.

Wilson vetoed the proposed permit program citing concerns including the challenges with conducting a census capturing all residents living in RVs at one-time, the cost and administrative requirements and the risk of increasing more unsheltered homelessness.

She did sign related legislation creating a care team to work with RV inhabitants and allowing the city to lease storage lots for RV parking and storage. The mayor also said she would issue an executive order to fund more outreach to those living in RVs and fund homeless shelters, according to the Seattle Times.

RV parking, combined with the trash it can create and weak enforcement of city rules, has been an issue for years in many neighborhoods including Georgetown. Thousands of cement eco-blocks line many streets to prevent RV parking.

In August and September, the City Council discussed a package of legislation that

focused on RVs. The package consisted of six pieces of legislation with one being a resolution. The various pieces focused on outreach, resources and budget. Most passed. A couple had minor amendments. The one exception was Council Bill 121283. This was the bill that would have established a new RV permit program and changed how and where RVs could park in the city.

That bill passed council with a 6-3 vote. Councilmembers Foster, Lin and Rinck

opposed. The council could override the mayor's veto if it acts within 30 days.

Currently, vehicles, such as RVs (anything wider than 80”) are prohibited from parking on city streets and alleys between midnight and 6 a.m. They can only park in industrial zones like SoDo overnight and remain in one place for 72 hours.

The vetoed bill would have essentially created a one-time census for those living in RVs. RV owners would have needed to register during this one-time only inventory count. Then, only

registered RVs would have been allowed to park in industrial zones for 72 hours. Those without a permit would have been ticketed and possibly towed. Everywhere else in the city, RVs would have only been allowed to park for two hours with no overnight parking.

Close to 80 percent of Seattle's industrial zones are in or near Georgetown.