Signs prohibiting Mountain View’s oversized vehicles from parking on public roads are installed in the city’s latest neighborhood, leaving residents living in vehicles wondering where they will go once the law goes into effect.

The process of installing the signs began in August as the city took steps to begin enforcing its controversial ban on oversized vehicles on city streets 40ft wide or less – which prohibits motorhomes from parking on 444 of the city’s 525 streets.

The city contractor began the process of installing signs in the San Antonio/Rengstorff/Del Medio neighborhood on Jan. 31, according to Lenka Wright, public information officer for the City of Mountain View.

“We anticipate that they will complete this area by mid-February 2022 and will have completed the project facilities by then,” Wright said in an email.

Although the city said it would not begin enforcing the parking ban until April 5, it continued to move forward with the installation of the large red and white “No Parking” signs. which apply to any vehicle over 7 feet or more. over 22 feet.

Monday afternoon, Crisanto Avenue, a popular area for people who reside in vehicles and RVs to park, was quiet with few people walking around, but a few were willing to chat with the Voice.

Joaquin Arellano, who lives in an SUV parked on Crisanto Avenue, said the signs had been in place for about a week. At that time, a city officer came to speak to people on the street and were told that they would not be getting tickets until April 5.

He said he’s been living parked on the street for about six years and plans to stay there because his vehicle is small enough not to fall under the oversized vehicle ban. But his neighbors are not so lucky, he added.

“I feel for people who have to move,” he said. “We are neighbors, we take care of each other.”

Estefani Morena and his family are among those living in motorhomes who will have to find a new place to park their vehicles once the new law takes effect. In Spanish, she explained that she, her husband and their children had moved into an RV during the pandemic when they lost their apartment. She said she was aware of the April 5 application date, but they did not yet have a plan for where they would be moving.

“We don’t know where we’re going to go,” she said.

City officials said there will be in-person outreach to people living in vehicles in the area on how to access the city’s secure parking sites, which have been at or near capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Arellano said he has yet to hear from representatives of secure parking sites.

“I hope they find a place for us,” he said.

The lawsuit stays the action

The city’s delay in enforcing the oversized vehicle ban stems from a 90-day stay in litigation, following a lawsuit filed by the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, which alleges parking restrictions attempt to prevent homeless residents of Mountain View from seeking shelter in vehicles. A U.S. federal court judge declined to dismiss the case, but also decided not to issue an injunction to stop the laws from taking effect while the lawsuit progresses through the courts. At present, the trial on the case has been pushed back until March 2023.

“It is cruel and unusual punishment under the Constitution to criminalize sleeping outdoors or in a vehicle when, as in Mountain View, a city has no shelter beds available,” said said Michael Trujillo, attorney at the Law Foundation, in a 2019. Press statement. “Measures such as the proposed parking ban that intentionally make life more difficult for people who are homeless or insecure about housing offend fundamental notions of fairness and equality and send the message that the City of Mountain View n is not really open to everyone.”

Motorhomes in Mountain View

A recent survey conducted by volunteers in November 2021 revealed that there are over 200 manned RVs parked along public roads in Mountain View.

In northern Santa Clara County, an estimated 25% of homeless residents rely on cars and RVs for shelter. Many vehicles violate the city’s 72-hour parking limits, have nowhere to dump litter, and have frustrated nearby residents seeking to enforce the limits.

Mountain View operates three secure parking sites that provide RV residents with a place to move their vehicles off city streets, receive case management services, and a path to permanent housing. Across the city, there is room for 68 oversized vehicles thanks to the secure parking program, which had a waiting list, as of December last year.

Community organizations, the Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable Planning and the Mountain View Housing Justice Coalition, also recently asked the city to release a map showing where oversized vehicles are still allowed to park, rather than maps showing only where. where parking is prohibited. are being installed. They also asked the city to consider removing parking bans between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on wide roads where recreational vehicles are still permitted.

On November 8 of last year, Judge Nathaneal Cousins ​​concluded that the city’s parking restrictions on oversized vehicles do not appear likely to cause immediate and irreparable harm to people who live in recreational vehicles. However, he also denied Mountain View’s motion to dismiss the case entirely, arguing that the multiple allegations in the lawsuit had enough merit to go to a jury.