SACRAMENTO—Some homeowners in Sacramento’s College-Glen neighborhood believe they have been targeted by the city after a code enforcement officer issued ticket after ticket along the streets.
Cathy Hicks received a violation notice from the city for parking a camper trailer in her front yard.
“Because you have to have a 25-foot setback from the sidewalk and in this neighborhood, it’s not going to happen,” Hicks told me.
Three homes in a row on Cliffwood Way received code violations, as did a few more a block distant.
“First, one of the neighbors down the street got a notice, and then we got a notice in the mail,” said Cooper Bacon, who also received a violation notice.
Hicks stated that she had no idea keeping a camper in her own yard was not legal.
“There were trailers everywhere around, boats everywhere around, so we figured it was OK,” Hicks told me.
Sacramento City Code states that “no trailer coach shall be parked within the setback area of a dwelling” and “no trailer coach shall be parked on residential property within five feet of the adjoining property line.”
Those who do not comply will risk sanctions.
“It would have been $1,000,” Hicks explained.
Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra is now requesting a moratorium on these types of tickets.
“He has been very helpful, and his staff have been very helpful trying to help us,” Hicks told me.
He is calling for a halt in enforcement while a committee investigates ways to offer exemptions for trailers that do not cause an obstacle.
“It’s a great idea and I’m sure a lot of people in this neighborhood would definitely go for that,” replied Bacon.
Hicks stated that her camper was intended to be a fun family activity, but it has since become a financial burden.
“We’re trying to have a motorhome so we can take our grandkids places and make memories, and now it’s an added expense,” Hicks told me.
The ticket moratorium will be debated at next Tuesday’s Law and Legislation Committee hearing at Sacramento City Hall.
