Amended Ashland law on storing trailers, boats gets pushback from residents

ASHLAND — Got a boat? 

On Tuesday, City Council amended an ambiguous ordinance to make it clear: Keep boats off your front and side yards for extended periods of time.

Before Tuesday, the ordinance covered rules on where and for how long “trailers” could be parked in yards. The change now encompasses new language that includes “watercraft.”

The agenda item drew around 30 people to council chambers Tuesday night for an hour-long debate. Officials were forced to bring more chairs to the room to accommodate the crowd. At times, the discussion became heated.

Typically, residents who show up to discuss agenda items are allotted time to speak at the end of council meetings at a provided podium. In fact, 22 of them registered to speak, according to a sheet at chambers. 

Instead, the group launched into charged questions and comments as soon as council introduced the agenda item — raising hands or standing from their seats.

Several residents voiced opposition to the ordinance (a copy of which is below) saying the new rule was unnecessarily prohibitive and restrictive against people who own boats, RVs and other trailers and camper-type setups. 

However, city officials emphasized the ordinance had been in existence since the 1960s and that nothing was really changing, other than now including language that included boats in the existing rule.

Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said the issue came to the city recently after Bill Schlosser received a citation for the long-term storage of a covered pontoon in his driveway.

“For years, the city was issuing those citations based on the fact that trailers were not allowed in the front yard,” Miller said. He said the term “trailers” was understood to include anything on a trailer, including boats. 

When Schlosser pointed out the city’s ordinance from the 1960s did not explicitly say “boat” and didn’t define what a trailer was, Miller said the city’s law director suggested they “tighten up the language.” 

It’s in that tightening of the language in which residents took umbrage.

‘Are we supposed to trespass?’

One resident said he didn’t want the city to tell him and other residents what he can and can’t do with his property.

Another said it shouldn’t matter what his neighbors think of his yard.

Yet another complained that not everyone has access to their backyards to store boats and various other RVs and trailers. 

“Are we supposed to trespass … to end up getting access?” he said.

One man sarcastically asked if the city would pave him a driveway to get to his backyard.

City officials pushed back by insisting the changed ordinance is meant to prevent “boat graveyards,” in which residents store boats and other large recreational vehicles in yards — creating safety and aesthetic concerns. 

“The (1960s) law was not designed to create pain for our citizens, that they couldn’t have a boat or a camper or some recreational vehicle,” said Steve Workman, the council’s president.

“It was designed to protect our citizens from someone starting a junkyard or a boat graveyard. And we have them. I’ve seen it.” 

Ultimately, council unanimously approved the amended ordinance.

“I remain unconvinced that there needs to be change. This is the way it should be written … it clarifies the policy that already existed,” said Dan Lawson, an at-large councilman.

Schlosser, in attendance on Tuesday, was disappointed. 

“This ordinance will continue to be one that’s very subjective. It’ll only be enforced when there’s a complaint. An ordinance should be an ordinance. Somebody should be driving around (writing tickets). It should be none or all. You can’t just rely on people complaining,” he said, addressing council.