The Sunnyvale Sun
News
City tinkering with vehicle repair rules
By Stephen Baxter
A Lakewood neighborhood debate over appropriate car repairs in driveways has throttled its way to the city council.
Some residents have complained that amateur mechanics spend more time drinking beer and chatting in their driveways than working under the hood, and they have asked that repair rules be tightened. About 10 car hobbyists shot back, saying at a city meeting in October that repairs should not be treated differently than other home activities that might cause a nuisance.
On March 12, the Planning Commission recommended more detailed definitions of rules on major and minor repairs. The law now prohibits commercial repairs and "major" repairs, such as axle installation, bodywork, engine overhaul and painting, but does not address such minor work as oil changes and spark plug replacements. The new law would limit the duration and scope of minor fixes.
"The trick is to allow people to engage in their hobby without being a nuisance," said Commissioner Brandon Sulser.
For Sunnyvale resident Mike West, 32, the new rules probably wouldn't have allowed him to rebuild a1939 Ford Coupe or work on a 1931 Buick. Skilled amateur mechanics can install axles and do body work in fewer than 72 hours, and he said he doubted neighbors would have enough space in a garage for those kinds of projects with the new law.
"I'm pretty much going to do my thing with a strong consideration for my neighborhood. ... I don't see working on cars as a big issue," West said last week.
Other neighbors sent the city e-mails asking about the rules on drinking and not driving.
"Are there any rules about consuming alcohol on your property?" asked one resident. "My neighbors work on their cars, and then sit around drinking beer in their driveway. I find this behavior rather distasteful, visually and physically. I also do not feel safe coming into the driveway alone when they are sitting around drinking."
A city staff report listed potential problems with home car projects. It said dismantled or inoperable cars in neighborhoods drag down land values and that noise, odor, health and safety hazards also come into play.
The new law would allow larger projects indoors, and it generally follows the city of Sacramento's definitions of minor and major repair. Fremont and San Jose also have laws that limit work to cars owned by the home's residents.
"What I'm doing at my house should not be of anyone's concern unless I'm infringing on their right for a clean neighborhood," West said.
