The City of Vernon is receiving complaints about commercial vehicles or other large vehicles parking or travelling through residential areas.
Some of these concerns include fumes, noise from early morning startups or late evening arrivals, monopolizing parking, concerns over the safety of children, lengthy periods of idling or even just the esthetics of having a large truck next door.
“While we do not restrict large vehicles travelling through residential areas, unless the route is marked as no heavy trucks due to engineering concerns, regulations are in place to deal with more ongoing concerns,” said Tanya Laing Gahr, communications co-ordinator.
The traffic bylaw restricts on-street parking in residential zoned areas between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for all commercial vehicles more than seven metres in length, for all commercial vehicles more than 1,134 kilograms or for all vehicles designed to burn diesel fuel that are not passenger cars or pickup trucks.
The city’s zoning bylaw provides further restriction on private property.
“It does not allow a commercial vehicle in excess of 4,100 kilograms licensed gross vehicle weight on a lot in a residential zone unless parked or stored in a fully enclosed permanent building,” said Laing Gahr.
Short-term parking during daylight hours for the purposes of delivery, service or construction on the property is permitted. Large pickup trucks, used primarily as family passenger vehicles, are exempt from these provisions.
“These regulations work in combination to ensure that reasonable access to property is maintained, and restrict the conflicts that can occur with other residential uses or with the residents themselves,” said Laing Gahr.
