I am concerned about the Battle Ground City Council deciding to enforce an outdated RV ordinance.
We purchased an RV because we have pets and humans sensitive to the noise from fireworks. Yes, there is a fireworks ordinance, but the police and fire departments do nothing about it and you get fireworks from June until September every year.
So we bought an RV to get away on weekends instead of drugging family members every weekend for months. So we store it outside city limits, but we bring it into our driveway before trips to load and unload.
But now the city council has decided to act like a homeowners association and "crack" down on this activity. Unfortunately, I can't store the RV at my home because the council approved my home lot without a way to store an RV here and follow the law.
Why do they let homes be built that can't accommodate the laws on the books? Who knows. Why doesn't the city enforce its fireworks ordinance? Who knows. Why can't I park an RV in my driveway if it doesn't interfere with the public right of way? Not sure. Why does the city look away at other code enforcement issues? Can't quite say.
I'd wager my neighbor who has had "project" cars in their driveway for years is just as unsightly as a functional RV. This just seems like random enforcement of one law as they actively ignore others.
I get the council wants to be like a homeowners association but they need to get their own house in order.
For years, they've done nothing to enforce their own laws on themselves. Ever walk down Southwest 20th Avenue in the spring? Better bring clippers to cut the blackberries out of your way.
The Remy parcel and others with no sidewalks or streetlights that they require from everyone else seems fine. I got a notice on my RV but my neighbors who have had the sidewalks blocked with basketball hoops were just ignored. I think the Battle Ground City Council HOA needs to live up to its own standards before cracking down on others. The main reason I bought a house without an HOA is I didn't want to deal with that random garbage, but now we seem to have one.
Alex Reinhold
Battle Ground
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