Palo Alto explores potential parking lot for RV dwellers

As the population of Bay Area RV dwellers continues to grow, Palo Alto is joining the list of cities looking for a way to balance their needs while also addressing the concerns of residential neighborhoods where the vehicles have been parking.

For the last several years, the city has been fielding residents’ complaints that the vehicles cause safety and sanitation problems

In response, Palo Alto council members Lydia Kou and Tom DuBois are asking fellow council members to support launching a safe parking program for vehicle and RV dwellers within the city limits — similar to programs recently proposed and implemented in East Palo Alto and Mountain View.

In a memo based on nearly six months of looking into the issue, the two council members have proposed starting a pilot program on city-owned land at 1237 San Antonio Road, formerly the site of the Los Altos Water Treatment Plant. They also identified a possible alternative site on the city’s property at 2000 Geng Road.

The proposed program could include building a permanent bathroom or providing a portable bathroom and showers at the site, the memo states.

“The City of Palo Alto must address this matter from a health and safety standpoint,” the memo states. “The ultimate goal is to provide assistance to people to get them back on the path to stable housing.”

In a 2017 census of the region’s homeless population, Santa Clara County estimated that 8 percent of its 7,400 homeless residents were living in vehicles.

From 2015 to 2017, Palo Alto’s homeless population grew by 26 percent, according to the 2017 census. It is unclear how many of the city’s nearly 300 homeless residents live in vehicles.

“As more of our ordinances and policies have been loosened to encourage building new housing, I find that we’re not really addressing those who are living here — especially those who are homeless or living in RVs,” Councilwoman Kou said in an interview Monday.

As part of the council members’ proposal, staff would gather information on how many residents are living in vehicles and what their specific needs are. While the RVs tend to be concentrated along El Camino Real, Kou said she also sees them scattered across various neighborhoods throughout the city.

The council members have proposed partnering with a nonprofit such as Project WeHOPE, Samaritan House, Life Moves or Abode Services to manage the program and exploring funding assistance from Santa Clara County.

At its June 10 meeting, council members are scheduled to discuss the proposal and, if they support it, direct staff to come up with a pilot program within the city.

“Everything is dependent on whether the whole council advances it or not,” Kou said. “But I’m really hopeful that we can because it is a form of housing that we should be looking into.”

Palo Alto municipal code prohibits an individual from leaving a vehicle parked on a city street, alley or public parking lot for 72 consecutive hours or more. The city has not banned overnight street parking of RVs, as some Bay Area cities have.

The latest proposal in Palo Alto follows on the heels of parking programs recently started or planned in East Palo Alto and Mountain View.

East Palo Alto opened its first safe parking site for RVs last month. The site — open 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. — accommodates 16 RVs with designated overnight parking space and provides residents with access to restrooms, portable showers and laundry services. Residents using the lot are required to work with social workers from Project WeHOPE to help them secure permanent housing.

Mountain View is working on a similar safe parking ordinance aimed at creating secure spots in church and city-owned parking lots for vehicle and RV dwellers to stay overnight. The council last month agreed to lease a former Valley Transit Authority parking lot for up to two years and use it as a safe parking spot for RVs.

Kou said she is looking forward to collaborating and learning from the two cities.

“It’s great to have other cities that have already moved forward with this,” she said. “I’m really encouraged by it.”

East Palo Alto banned overnight street parking of oversized vehicles earlier this year and Mountain View directed staff to draft a similar ordinance in March. Mountain View is expected to discuss its proposed oversized vehicle ban and safe parking program at its June 11 meeting.