On April 22, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners adopted an ordinance regarding the regulation of traffic and parking.
It passed with a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner George Teal voting no.
“Recreational vehicle parking should be at the owner’s (discretion) in unincorporated Douglas County,” said Commissioner Teal, explaining his no vote.
At the board’s April 8 business meeting, Cmdr. Alan Stanton of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office recommended that the board adopt the ordinance in order to “promote the general public welfare and safety by imposing and enforcing reasonable and necessary traffic and parking restrictions in the county.” Stanton cited safety concerns from parking commercial and recreational vehicles in highly urbanized areas as the primary driver behind this new ordinance.
The sheriff’s office identified nine urban and suburban areas in which commercial vehicles will not be allowed to park, and three in which recreational vehicles will not be allowed to park. These three locations are Highlands Ranch, the Chatfield Urban Area and the Parker Municipal Planning Area including Stonegate.
Drivers of commercial vehicles will automatically receive fines in these areas, and those of recreational vehicles will be allowed 72 hours of parking within a 7-day period before receiving fines.
In addition to these new restrictions, the ordinance establishes several new permitted parking areas, many near schools. It also limits parking of commercial and recreational vehicles in several private lots, including recreation centers.
The proposed policy change follows 2022’s Colorado House Bill 22-1139, which forbids homeowner’s associations from prohibiting the use of public rights-of-way. Stanton says that since the passage of this bill, the county sheriff’s office has received a number of complaints about oversized vehicles parked in residential areas.