City’s Oversized Vehicles Ordinance Goes Down

CITY’S OVERSIZED VEHICLE ORDINANCE GOES DOWN
Santa Cruz, JUL 15, 2022

ACLU and Santa Cruz Cares won their appeal against the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance! They plan to continue the struggle in future.

As a result, the Coastal Commission has taken control of the permit process for OVO in the Coastal Zone. Now, the OVO is unenforceable on Delaware Ave, Shaffer Rd, or Natural Bridges unless the Coastal Commission decides that they are allowed to get a permit. In 2016, when the city pitched a previous version of the OVO, HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom) appealed the prior ordinance to the Coastal Commission, the Commissioners found a substantial issue.

So the city gave up on implementing the ordinance entirely. They revisited the idea recently, building public support for a revised version for its misguided plans to destabilize vehicle dwellers’ homes.

If a Coastal Commission "de novo" hearing happens later, it will be anywhere from 3-9 months from now. Santa Cruz Cares has promised to keep us informed in future.

This is a monumental victory for the rights of people living in their vehicle. Pass it on!

###

The SC Sentinel put out a more detailed story on the weekend. -LL