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� M t Safety and Aesthetics Commercial vehicle parking is restricted in residential areas mainly for two reasons: safety and aesthetics. Commercial vehicles parked near residential roadways, --when viewed as a whole, are a safety concern from the general standpoint of potential traffic hazard and sight -line obstruction. Also, commercial vehicles generally have more driver "blind spots" than vehicles typical to residential areas, which is a concern in areas frequented by playing children. In addition, these vehicles are in use.everyday and are maneuvered into and out of residential driveways more frequently than other large vehicles such as RVs. The other main reason for commercial vehicle restrictions in residential areas is aesthetics. Most people will agree that they do not want -to see large commercial vehicles, such as semi -tractor rigs and trailers regularly parked in their neighborhood. Again, this issue becomes less clear for vehicles that fall between the size extremes of small pickup trucks and semi -tractors. In comparing the parking and storage of commercial vehicles in residential areas to boats and other recreational vehicles, an argument can be made that, aesthetically, people find boats and recreational vehicles less objectional in a residential setting. This is because boats and recreational vehicles are customarily associated with and. expected at residences. In this vein, the design of a commercial vehicle - whether it is a pickup, panel truck, box van, or tow truck - may be more of a concern then its weight or hauling capacity. Comparison with Other Counties/Municipalities Attached is a table summarizing how other counties and municipalities regulate commercial vehicle parking in residential areas (see attachment #6). A number of local governments - St. Lucie County, Martin County, and Port St. Lucie - use gross vehicle weight as a size reference. Sebastian, Port St. Lucie, and Martin County make specific reference to vehicle style/design in determining which types of vehicles are allowed or not allowed in .residential areas. Sebastian and Port St. Lucie .have certain allowances if a commercial vehicle is stored/parked within an enclosed wall structure. Staff's recommendation regarding the proposed LDR amendment has evolved based on discussions at meetings of the PSAC and the Planning and Zoning Commission. It has become apparent. from these discussions that restriction of commercial vehicles in residential areas based primarily on vehicle weight is not effective since vehicle weight alone does not adequately relate to actual vehicle size and bulk. In addition, vehicle weight measurements are confusing, particularly when comparing different weight references. Common weight references are "net vehicle weight"; "gross vehicle weight", and "ton rated capacity" (also referred to as "payload"). For the reasons described herein, staff is proposing commercial vehicle restrictions in residential areas with emphasis on vehicle type and design, rather than basing restrictions primarily on vehicle weight. Such an approach is similar to the approach used in Port St. Lucie's commercial vehicle regulations (see attachment #6). Staff's revised recommendation allows in residential areas trucks and vans commonly used for personal transportation, and also allows commercial vehicles under 10,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight, but only if such commercial vehicles are stored in an enclosed walled structure (out of sight). In staff's opinion, this approach continues to address the safety and aesthetic concerns previously described, and allows some flexibility. Under this recommendation, Mr Silva's cutaway box van would be allowed at his premises, but only if parked in a garage or other enclosed walled structure. Tow Trucks on Emergency Call Rotation In addition to concerns raised by Mr. Silva, staff has become aware that it is in the public interest, in certain circumstances, to accommodate emergency service tow trucks in residential areas. Specifically, the County Sheriff's Department and City Police Department maintain rotation lists of emergency tow truck operators. Because time can be of essence in emergencies, allowance Of tow trucks on emergency call warrants consideration. Staff is aware that, countywide, there are approximately 6 tow trnck operators on an emergency service list. *PSAC recommendation: by a 3-2 vote the PSAC recommended that the Board adopt an LDR amendment to allow 1 ton commercial vehicles of any type (including box vans such as Mr. Silva's) in residential areas, and to allow "on-call" tow trucks: In contrast, staff recommends the LDR amendment attached to this report which allows 1 ton commercial vehicles but prohibits commercial box vans in residential areas, and to allow "on-call" tow trucks. Please refer to pages 1 and 2 of attachment #5 regarding the pSAC meeting discussion on this issue. 9 FEBRUARY 13, 1996 Boa 97 PA,E 307