Kenilworth council tables proposal to expand allowable RV size after safety and neighborhood concerns

The Kenilworth Borough Council voted to table an ordinance that would have increased the municipality's allowable recreational-vehicle (RV) size to 38 feet long by 15 feet high and clarified that RVs must be parked wholly within a homeowner's permitted parking space and not extend into sidewalks or the street.

The ordinance sponsor told the council the current limits (noted in the code as roughly 18 feet by 10 feet) no longer reflect common vehicle sizes and sought a revision so residents would not inadvertently violate the law when buying modern RVs or large van conversions. "We were trying to have the ordinance match what average RVs actually are," the sponsor said, arguing the change would avoid routine violations.

Council members and several speakers pressed practical concerns. One council member noted that a 38-foot vehicle would not fit on many local driveways and would create sight-line and safety problems for neighbors on blocks that lack sidewalks. "If you have a 20-foot driveway and you've purchased a 38-foot RV, you have to find a place to park that," a council member said. Staff and the borough attorney explained that other sections of the municipal code (right-of-way and off-street parking rules) also apply and that planing/zoning and variance processes could affect individual cases.

The exchange covered enforcement, aesthetics and zoning procedures: speakers asked whether large vehicles parked to the curb on properties without sidewalks would be lawful under the new language and whether owners would need to seek variances from the zoning/planning board. The borough attorney described the variance process, noting that certain relief would require going before the zoning board and that combined planning/zoning arrangements could affect which board hears a request.

After extended discussion the council moved to table the ordinance and directed staff to rework the language. The motion to table passed, and the council asked for revised draft language that would address where an RV may be parked (side/back of a property vs. front) and clarify how the rule interacts with existing right-of-way and parking code sections. Council members said they would review existing local examples of large vehicles in town and consult offline before the next meeting.

What happens next: Council members requested staff and counsel revise the ordinance and circulate a redraft for feedback; the sponsor suggested returning the item to the council in approximately two weeks and noted that, where needed, individual property owners can pursue variances through the zoning/planning process.

No formal vote on adopting the ordinance occurred; the official action recorded was a motion to table the ordinance for further drafting and review.