Avalon Council Restricts Boat & Trailer Parking on Streets

AVALON — Skunks and trailers conger images of a town much different than this posh resort destination.
Yet, skunks and trailers were the order of the day for council Nov. 24 as it established laws for street parking of watercraft trailers and heard an update on the recent skunk relocation project (see related story.)
Borough Council unanimously voted in favor of an ordinance to prohibit boat and watercraft trailer parking on streets between June 1 and Sept. 30 and restrict it between Oct. 1 and May 31.
No members of the public spoke against the ordinance during the meeting.
New regulations prohibit parking of boat and watercraft trailers on residential streets from June 1 through Sept. 30, regardless of whether such trailer is licensed and/or registered.
Also, the ordinance makes no distinction between attached or detached trailers.
It requires anyone parking a boat or watercraft trailer on the street between Oct. 1 and May 31 to do so “directly in front of, and immediately adjacent to, the curb or property line of any property owned by the trailer owner, or occupied by the trailer owner as a tenant under a written lease, with the owner of the property.”
Final action on this traffic ordinance ends a long process spanning years that included Martin Pagliughi’s first and only veto to date in his 17-plus years as mayor.
Council passed an ordinance to regulate boats, trailers and large vehicles in May 2008, but was overhauled because the mayor felt it created a hardship for construction workers.
Residents have complained during council meetings about the number of parking spaces occupied by boat and watercraft trailers during summer months and potential visibility hazards in backing out of a driveway where a boat trailer is parked nearby.
Councilman Joseph Tipping led the effort to resolve the borough’s boat and trailer parking issue. A committee of council members, contractors, property owners and enforcement officials met to pool feedback and discuss regulations last year.
Public Information Officer Scott Wahl said the borough would post signs at Avalon entrance points and kick off a public awareness campaign prior to the 2010 summer season to make certain locals and visitors are aware of the new laws.