Salinas Oversized Vehicle Ordinance in effect

A new ordinance is in effect, cracking down on oversized vehicles in the city of Salinas.

It prohibits the parking of oversized vehicles on all city streets, applying to all vehicles, including boats and trailers, which are more than 20-feet in length and seven feet high.

Officials say the oversized vehicles can create public safety hazards. When they are parked on the street, it can hinder roadway visibility. There are also concerns that septic waste, wastewater, garbage and trash could enter the city’s storm sewers.

We were with police along Griffin Street in Salinas on Monday, an area that has become popular for homeless people living in their RV’s.

While most people left on their own, three vehicles had to be towed. They hadn’t been registered in years, weren’t running and were leaking fluids onto the road, right next to a water way.

“We try to work with people, everybody was super cooperative and we also provided them with some resources to look for housing and different types of resources available to them,” said Sgt. Kendall Gray.

Police also planned to go to other areas where there were a lot of complaints, like Chinatown. They also made a stop in one East Salinas neighborhood where residents were concerned about a particular vehicle they believed someone was dealing drugs out of.

Residents who are concerned about oversized vehicles in their neighborhoods should report it to the non-emergency dispatch line at (831) 758-7090 or the Salinas Connect App.

Once the RV’s are towed away, the Salinas Public Works Department is going to pick up all of the trash and clean up the affected areas.