Despite raucous opposition, Berkeley city leaders Tuesday night gave final approval of a ban on overnight parking of recreational vehicles.
The City Council voted 6-3 on Feb. 28 to approve the ban and gave the final approval at Tuesday night's meeting. The RV ban took effect immediately.
The ban prohibits RV parking on city streets between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., but the city also agreed to create a permitting system that would give two-week exemptions to some RVs.
Many ban opponents at Tuesday night's meeting carried signs and chanted in protest. Among those were hundreds of homeless right sactivitst as well as Berkeley residents.
One proposal offered up was not allowing an eviction until city staff offers to help find alternative housing.
Berkeley city staff members wrote in a report before the Feb. 28 hearing that the city "is experiencing an increasing number of RVs parking for long periods of time, impacting public safety, health and the parking needs for Berkeley residents and businesses."
Staff members said the city has received more than 1,500 complaints from businesses and residents about people who live in RVs, including the loss of parking and the illegal dumping of trash, debris and human waste onto city streets, sidewalks and waterways.
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In a letter to Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Berkeley council members, Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan urged the city leaders not to give final approval to the ban and instead "refocus on identifying viable alternative sites for RVs."
