To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
Through: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
From: Jack Cauley, Police Chief
Matt Gohl, Assistant Town Manager
Title
Discussion/Direction: Castle Rock Right of Way Parking Regulations
Body
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Discussion
As requested by Town Council at the June 18 meeting, following is an overview of residential parking regulations in Castle Rock.
Town Council approved updates to the Town’s Municipal Code (Chapters 10.16 and 10.20) in June 2023 related to large vehicle parking and abandoned vehicles in Castle Rock. Current parking regulations for different vehicle types are summarized in the table below.
|
Vehicle Type |
Code Provisions |
|
Large Vehicle GVW ≥10,000 lbs. Trailer, Utility trailer, Semitrailer, Truck tractor, Farm tractor |
No parking in public ROW in residential areas. |
|
Recreational Vehicle Includes any motor home, camper coach, camper trailer, trailer coach, watercraft, snowmobile, off-highway vehicle, and other similar recreational equipment |
No parking in public ROW in residential area for longer than 72 hours in a week. Vehicle must be moved outside of a 1,000-foot radius from its original location to avoid violation. |
|
Abandoned Vehicle ANY vehicle type that is left standing in public right of way or public parking lot Expanded definition available in Municipal Code Chapter 10.20.010 |
No parking in public ROW or public parking lot for longer than 72 hours. Vehicle must be moved outside of a 1,000-foot radius from its original location to avoid violation. |
Note that the restrictions shown above do not apply for vehicles who are actively loading/unloading or providing services in the area. It is also worth noting that it is unlawful to leave wrecked, junked or abandoned vehicles may not be left on any street, highway, public easement or way within the municipal limits of the Town.
Castle Rock Police have reported mixed effectiveness of the ROW parking regulations established in the June 2023 updates. Certain residents continue to work around current regulations by moving vehicles 1,000 feet every 72 hours, by moving vehicles into their driveway briefly before re-parking on the ROW and modifying trailers to change its type. Should Council wish to make further updates to these parking regulations, changes could include:
• Modifying the time limit allowed to park in the ROW
• Modifying the distance required to move after meeting the time limit
• Update definitions of vehicle types to improve CRPD’s ability to enforce regulations
• Shift policing priorities for CRPD to focus more on vehicle parking in the ROW
When a potential violation is reported, Castle Rock Police will contact the vehicle owner and notify them of the potential violation while also educating them about Town parking requirements. If the vehicle owner does not comply with stated regulations, they are subject to a citation and may have their vehicle towed as allowed by Town Code. These issues are handled when an officer is available to respond but may be delayed if handling other higher-priority calls.
Castle Rock residents can report violations of these parking requirements by calling the Castle Rock Police non-emergency line at 303-663-6100 or by using the “Report a Concern” feature at CRgov.com.
At this time, staff recommends updating definitions of vehicle types in the Town’s parking regulations to aide enforcement activities and can also include other changes as directed by Town Council.
Potential Motion
“I move to direct staff to prepare an Ordinance to revise ROW parking regulations to include _______.”