Letter to the Editor: Battle Ground code regarding boats, motorhomes should be changed

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I live in Battle Ground, and I received a courtesy letter from the City of Battle Ground in regard to Municipal Code violations.

The complaint was “single family residence has nine cars associated with it, plus two motorhomes. People staying in the motor homes. The one parked on the street (motorhome) doesn’t have a license plate.”

These complaints were erroneous. I have one small RV (23 feet)  that fits in my driveway and a couple cars that belong to my roommates.

There is no one living in a RV. There was a second RV parked for two days that my sister purchased and was waiting for the plates from the department of licensing but had already moved it to storage 15 days prior to me receiving this notice.

Nevertheless, I find issues with the municipal code and would like to get help from our residents to change the code BGMC 17.133.150. We should be allowed to store our small boats and RVs in our driveways as long as they fit in the driveway, are licensed, tagged and insured. I can even see covering them with a professional RV cover. But to not allow them at all needs to be changed.



In my neighborhood, every three to four houses has them in their driveway, and they are all covered except two. I find it unfair just because someone complained about me — most of the items were not even relevant — and yet my neighbors can have theirs because no one

has complained [which is] ridiculous and infuriating.

I am not advocating for us to be able to store non-operative vehicles. If you also feel the way I do, please help me contact the City Council and have this code adjusted.

Amber Martinell

Battle Ground