RV owners react to new Salinas parking ordinance

Recreational vehicle owners who park on city streets in Salinas have less than 30 days to figure out where they’ll go next after the City Council passed an ordinance this week banning their parking.

For many who park their RVs on Griffin Street in Salinas, the RV and everything in it is all they have.

One mother named Maria says her family got kicked out of their home. They live on in an RV now and she does not understand why the city is pushing them out too.

“Why are they kicking us out from the streets. We’re not animals. We’re humans. We look for options, but there are no other options,” said Maria’s son, who translated what she said from Spanish.

Some of the residents there say they have fallen on hard times. And rent on the Central Coast is just too expensive.

“Most of these people try to make it, some of these people have kids and all that stuff,” said Anthony De Pellegrini, an RV owner who parks on Griffin Street. “They’re not here on their own will. They’re here because they can’t afford rent.”

The parking ban will bar any trailer, boat or commercial vehicle more than 20 feet long or seven feet high from parking on city streets. Cities like Monterey, Seaside and Marina have already passed a similar restriction.

Some of the reasons the Salinas passed the ordinance is because of the general waste and garbage that RVs tend to produce. In a staff report, Salinas Councilmember Steve McShane said there are some residents concerned about RVs blocking line-of-sight at intersections.

The city says the new rule will improve public health and safety. But some RV owners say they do not leave any trash behind. Maria’s son says his dad helps throw away the trash for them, but others do it the wrong way.

“Some people just come and throw stuff to the river,” he said. “They just come, and they throw stuff and they leave.”

The people KION spoke to argue the city is punishing them for the bad habits of a few.

The ordinance passed by a 4-3 margin in the Salinas City Council. The city says they will look for parking alternatives for those affected. Salinas Police say after the new ban goes into effect, there will be a grace period before they start really cracking down.