Don't park on the street for more than three days

The public may not know that it is not permitted to leave vehicles parked in the right of way continuously for more than 72 hours in Moraga. Cars and other vehicles have to be in garages or driveways, not sitting on the street. Until now, however, there were no ordinances in the municipal code allowing the police department to enforce the rule.

Chief of police Jon King says parking all types of vehicles in the public right of way has been a recurrent issue in Moraga, and can be a hazard when people leave large trailers or recreational vehicles on the street for days on end. Neighbors complain, and owners merely move the contentious vehicle a few inches when the police ask them to remove it.

The new proposal, which was introduced on Sept. 13 and approved at the Sept. 27 Moraga Town Council meeting, is to allow for 72-hour parking with the possibility of asking for an additional 72-hour permit from the police department; after that time, the vehicle will have to be moved on private grounds or at least 200 feet away. Commercial vehicles are prohibited from being parked in residential neighborhoods, but owners can also ask for a 72-hour permit.

Some of the council members were surprised to learn that they could have been unintentionally infringing on the law by parking their vehicles on the street for more than three days. King said that the practice is not for his officers to be on the lookout for these types of infractions. The normal procedure is when someone complains, the officers go on site, check the license plate to locate the owner, and go talk to that person before taking action.

King noted after the meeting that his department has had to tow vehicles, but it is usually an abandoned car not belonging to anyone in Moraga.

A Sanders Drive area resident came to the Sept. 13 meeting to express support of the new rule: in that neighborhood a resident has consistently parked a large trailer that is both unsightly and a safety hazard. King confirmed he was aware of the situation and had been unable to intervene so far.

A majority of the council members agreed that 72 hours was enough and that the rule should be to move vehicles at least 200 feet after that time has elapsed. The council approved a final version of the text including exception for ADA vehicles on Sept. 27.



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