Marion council sidesteps limits on RV parking

MARION - Owners of recreational vehicles, boats and vans showed up at the Marion City Council meeting Thursday evening to protest possible parking restrictions for recreational vehicles.

The council ended up tabling the issue after discussing having a three-member council committee give the matter further study.

The city currently has no restrictions on where such vehicles can be parked on a resident's property, as long as they are parked on a hard surface and not blocking a sidewalk.

The council studied the issue in 2013 before rejecting any change.

But complaints from frustrated neighbors continued to come in - about one per month, according to one planning department employee - and the council decided to again consider limiting the parking of large recreational vehicles to backyards and side yards, basically where they're not in front of a house.

John Butler of Marion suggested any restrictions come with a 'grandfather clause” for recreational vehicle owners who have owned RVs for many years.

Butler, who owns a camper, said he has spoken to his neighbors and none of them, he said, see his camper as an eyesore.

'If your neighbors are OK, you're all right,” he said. 'Talk to your neighbors. I hope we can come to an agreement with the city that you're OK if you maintain it (the vehicle).”

Kevin Kuch of Marion said he has a van filled with antiques parked in his driveway during the winter months. In the summers, he said, he sells the antiques at trade shows.

When the vehicle is parked on his property, Kuch said he feels secure that his belongings won't be stolen. But he would be concerned, he said, if he had to store the van elsewhere.

Others said if the city restricts the parking of RVs and other large vehicles, there wouldn't be enough storage units in Marion and neighboring cities to handle the vehicles.

'If I was to park in an RV storage lot, basically it's unprotected,” Kuch said. 'There's a significant investment. A lot of these RV owners keep theirs in the drive because they're terrified of getting their investment taken from them. This is my livelihood.”

In other action, the City Council:

l Asked city staff to draft a letter for proposals from individuals or developers who might be interested in the current Marion Public Library building, 1095 Sixth Ave. The library board is currently working with developer Ryan Companies to build a larger library that would be coupled with commercial and residential space.

l Awarded $5,000 in hotel/motel to Artisan's Sanctuary, which intends to renovate a building at 1070 Seventh Ave. for studio space and art classes.

l Comments: (319) 368-8516; makayla.tendall@thegazette.com