The Battle Ground City Council approved changes to a 1995 city code regulating where residents can park recreational vehicles and trailers, removing some longstanding restrictions while adding new clarifications aimed at easing restrictions during its Monday, April 6 meeting.
The ordinance amends section 17.135.150 of the Battle Ground Municipal Code, which governs the storage of recreational vehicles and trailers in residential districts. Among the most notable changes is the removal of the requirement that such vehicles must be parked behind the front building line of a home.
Despite the ultimate goal of reforming the code language, Battle Ground citizens took to the public hearing to express their concerns about government overreach. Citizens said implementing restrictions on trailer parking would be like an “HOA” and “massive overreach.”
“A lot of people are here talking about their own situation, I’m here to focus on the overreach as a whole,” Battle Ground resident Matthew Luster told the council. “Ordinance 2026-04 is an overreach of private property. We all pay our mortgages, our property taxes, sales tax, all the taxes we pay and you guys are trying to dictate where we can park trailers on our private property.”
The council meeting agenda stated that the city council would hear public testimony and consider adopting Ordinance 2026-04, which would amend regulations governing the storage of recreational vehicles and trailers in residential districts. The prior code language was adopted in 2004, with the section originally added in 1995.
After the public hearing appeared to confuse the actual purpose of a hearing and a motion, Mayor Eric Overholser provided clarification to the rather small crowd, compared to other attendance numbers, on trailer speak.
“I will clarify, the ordinance that we are looking at adopting is to amend and relax the existing ordinance that has been in place for many years,” Overholser said following the public hearing. “And so, just to clarify, and I am not sure if it needs clarification or not, but I feel like it might. … So, the idea is that we are trying to make it more relaxed.”
In short, following lengthy council discussion that created a few amendments, language part “A” that states, “No more than three recreational vehicles or trailers may be parked outside on a single-family lot,” was axed through an amendment by councilor Troy McCoy, but then amended by councilor Jeanie Kuypers to be reviewed in a year’s time. Following that, an amendment by councilor Victoria Ferrer was added that changes the term “one” to “any” and pluralizes vehicle(s) and trailer(s) in language part “B.”
Following votes to approve an amendment to the motion, another amendment to the amended motion, and the original motion under the amended code language, residents can now park their trailers, RVs and boats in a legally established driveway in front of the building line. Prior to this vote, parking was restricted to behind the building line.
While parking in front yards remains restricted, the city now allows these vehicles to be parked on a “legally established” driveway. City code defines such a driveway as one constructed with a “permanent surface.”
The new language also explicitly prohibits recreational vehicles and trailers from extending into the public right-of-way or obstructing sight visibility, addressing concerns related to traffic safety and walkability on sidewalks in front of driveways.
The updated code is scheduled to take effect May 7, 30 days after the ordinance’s approval. Until then, the city’s existing moratorium on code enforcement related to these regulations will remain in place, the city stated in an email to The Reflector.
The city's update also stated that anyone with an active code case on this matter will receive a letter from the Battle Ground Police Department's Community Service Officer division with information on the status of their case.
The city also plans to roll out an education and outreach campaign to inform residents about the changes, City Communications Manager Alisha Smith stated. Information will be shared through the city’s website, social media platforms and direct contact with city staff, particularly Community Service Officers.
Through Kuyper’s amendment, the council has directed staff to return with a follow-up report one year after the new rules take effect, including updates on how the changes have impacted code enforcement and compliance.
