Ord. 20650 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ORDINANCE NO. 20650 AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING FOR THE TEMPORARY ESTABLISHMENT OF “SAFE PARKING” AND “SAFE TENT” SITES THAT ARE LARGER THAN ALLOWED UNDER SECTION 4.816 OF THE EUGENE CODE, 1971; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY; PROVIDING FOR AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE; AND PROVIDING A SUNSET DATE. The City Council of the City of Eugene finds as follows: A. Section 4.816 of the Eugene Code, 1971 (EC) sets forth various types of overnight sleeping arrangements that are permitted throughout the City when certain conditions are met. Some of the permitted overnight sleeping arrangements are permitted outright and others require the City Council to approve the location. Whether outrighted permitted or approved by the City Council, the permitted overnight sleeping authorized by EC 4.816 is capped at the number of allowed vehicles (which includes RVs, tents, and Conestoga huts) ranging from 1 to 20. B. The City is experiencing an increase in the number of individuals living in campers, trailers, cars, and tents in locations that are not intended for that purpose. This often results in unsanitary and unsafe conditions for unhoused residents and for the surrounding community, particularly the nearby businesses and residences. Additional options are needed for these individuals to lawfully park their vehicles or set up their tents. C. The City’s car camping and rest stop programs, which limit the number of allowed vehicles/huts to six and twenty, respectively, are proven successes and are essential options for the unhoused. However, to effectively address the large number of vehicles and tents that are an immediate health and safety concern, there is a need for temporary sites that can accommodate more vehicles and tents/huts than currently allowed by EC 4.816. The need for these larger sites where people can temporarily sleep overnight in parked vehicles and erected tents, is acute and immediate. D. Temporarily allowing for the establishment of sites that will accommodate a larger number of vehicles or tents than currently allowed by EC 4.816, should be immediately established and remain in effect until May 1, 2023. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY OF EUGENE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The following provisions are adopted to temporarily allow the establishment of Safe Parking sites and Safe Tent sites. Safe Parking Sites. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Eugene Code, 1971, a group of up to 60 vehicles being used for overnight sleeping may temporarily park on property authorized by motion of the City Council for that use. For purposes of this provision, the term “vehicle” includes a car, camper, or trailer. Depending on the size of the property, the City Council may authorize the co-location of multiple groups. In addition Ordinance - Page 1 of 3