Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • June 4, 2014 Franklin Lakes Borough revising regulations for overnight parking by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Borough Council has introduced an ordinance that would, if adopted at the council’s June 17 public meeting, amend the regulations for the over- night parking of vehicles in residential driveways. The ordinance, which would amend the “regula- tions governing certain accessory structures and uses” portion of the land use and development section of the code, would amend Section 300-121 C(4) of the code to limit the number of recreational vehicles to one and to limit trailers to one non-commercial utility trailer not exceeding 15 feet. The existing language in the code was also reworded to state, “In addition to the vehicles permitted herein, the following vehicles may be parked outside overnight in a residential district, provided that they are owned or operated by an occupant of the principal residential dwelling, and that such vehicle is parked on a driveway or, if not on a driveway, then not closer to the property line than the building setback lines: passenger motor vehicles, one recreational vehicle, one non-commercial light utility trailer not exceeding 15 feet in length, and one commercial vehicle as limited in size pursuant to the regulations herein.” According to the current code, commercial vehicles that may be parked outside overnight must be limited to pickup trucks, dump trucks, panel trucks, vans, stake- body trucks or station wagons, and light utility trailers of the type used to transport lawn care equipment and of a length not exceeding 15 feet. None of these vehicles can exceed the nominal one-ton capacity, and none can be designed or registered for a gross vehicle weight in excess of 10,000 pounds. In addition, no commercial vehicle or construction equipment can be parked out- side overnight in any residential district or upon any municipally-owned lands except when such commercial vehicle or construction equipment is in daily use on the lot or lots where it is stored to perform work authorized on the lot or lots by valid and current building, subdivi- sion, soil mining, or driveway permits, provided that in no event shall such vehicles be stored after the work to be performed has been completed. The amended ordinance was proposed as a result of a complaint by Windswept Lane resident Marianne Dill, who told the council at a work session in April that a large vehicle was parked next to her home. She claimed that Franklin Lakes is one of the most desirable towns to live in and she told the council that large vehicles are not expected to be parked overnight in residential driveways. According to a borough official, Dill has a tenant who rents her house, so she never noticed the large vehi- cle parked next door to her house. She now wants to sell her house and she feels the oversized vehicle will be a detriment to doing so. Mayor Frank Bivona and the borough council agreed to consider her complaint and to see if the large vehicle parked in a driveway next to her house is in compliance with the borough ordinance since Bivona was concerned that the owner of the large vehicle may be conducting a business in it. The borough council asked Franklin Lakes Borough Administrator Gregory Hart to reach out to other towns in northwest Bergen County to review their ordinances concerning the overnight parking of vehicles on resi- dential properties, and that research led to the proposed ordinance. New friends Senator Cory Booker and five year-old Lily from Franklin Lakes share a laugh at Woodland Park’s 100th Anniversary celebration.