Traffic & Safety Committee – August 2013 Update

Golf Cart Rules: We have recently received quite a few inquiries from residents regarding parking issues and the operation of golf or electric carts. I would start by cautioning everyone that virtually all California Vehicle Code and our municipal code sections pertaining to the operation and parking of vehicles apply here. To insure= for an aesthetic and even safer environment, our Rules and Regulations both clarify and place additional restrictions on parking and clarify who, where and when golf and electric carts can be driven.

A brief synopsis of Section 6421 of our Rules and Regulations which pertains to golf and electric carts, reflects that they can only be driven by a licensed driver on the roadway. They are not off-road vehicles and can’t be driven on greenbelt areas, down slopes, and on our cement pedestrian pathways. All passengers must be safely seated and no one can be towed.

Overnight Parking: The most confusion seemingly arises over Section 6405 of our Rules and Regulation that generally prohibits overnight parking (between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.) in the common areas or roadway. The Rule requires that each resident park their vehicles in their garage and, when the residence has one that can’t accommodate extra vehicles, the driveway. Clearly the Rule discourages using the garage for storage and pushing cars out to the street.

The good news is that Rule 6405 is reasonable in that it allows for exceptions to the overnight parking prohibition for a variety of reasons such as additional vehicles arriving at the household and temporary projects around the house. It also sets forth a simple procedure to obtain waivers for overnight guests and projects, and a slightly more involved process for obtaining Vehicle Gate Access

Bar Codes. These Bar Codes allow both quick access to the community and authorize overnight parking on the street for those extra cars and long term guests and care givers.

One last thing: Lock your cars!

—God Bless, Tim Murphy

Comment: