Truck on residential lots

Last fall, with prompting from residents, deputy mayor of Summerland Erin Trainer put forward a motion for district staff to review the number of commercial vehicles allowed on residential properties.

But staff chose instead to kick the matter into 2026, saying they’re too busy working on the district’s official community plan. Why wouldn’t a zoning decision about residential parking be part of the official community plan? Isn’t the way we want our neighbourhoods to grow in line with community values and future development?

The district said it wants the town to grow and develop, while preserving the natural environment. If that’s the case, it needs to make it a desirable place to live as well.

Those of us who complained to the district have concerns about residential lots crammed with 30-foot trailers that should be stored in a commercial lot. Any other municipality has bylaws that prohibit commercial vehicles (and restrict the number of RVs) on residential lots, for obvious reasons. They are unsightly within the context of well-kept lawns and gardens. They are noisy when they are backed up and moved around.

They are also dangerous because the driver in a tall cab may not see a child running into the street or an eldely person in an electric scooter zipping past when they’re backing their tractor-trailer out of a driveway.

I’ve seen this dangerous scenario many times. Many streets in Summerland do not have sidewalks, so pedestrians must share the streets with cars. For that reason alone, large trucks should be restricted to truck routes. The district was notified of the risks and it should be held liable.

Vernon, Armstrong, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland, and Penticton (albeit weak) all have zoning bylaws that either prohibit or restrict the exterior parking of commercial and/or recreational vehicles. The general idea is trucks are reserved for truck routes, not for residential streets.

Summerland has a “good neighbour” bylaw that doesn’t allow noise or unsightly residential yards. However, for reasons that are unclear, the staff do not apply this broad bylaw to the unsightliness and noise of commercial vehicles.

If the district of Summerland doesn’t want another gravel pit in its midst, then perhaps it should start by instilling some pride and beautification in its residential neighbourhoods.

Robert Gold