Victoria residents upset by 'de facto' RV park on scenic Dallas Road - Action News
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British Columbia

Victoria residents upset by 'de facto' RV park on scenic Dallas Road

Over 180 people have signed a petition asking for city bylaw officers to take action against people sleeping in recreational vehicles, citing garbage and safety as growing concerns.

Over 180 people have signed a petition asking city bylaw officers to take action

Residents in the Dallas Road area of Victoria say they have concerns about cleanliness and safety due to upwards of a dozen recreational vehicles parking regularly overnight along the road. (change.org/Limit Abuse of Dallas Road Parking)

A popular road for enjoying postcard-worthy ocean views in Victoria, B.C,. has become a hot spot for people living in recreational vehicles to park overnight, much to the chagrin of locals who say the city should be doing more to move them along.

Area resident JaniceWilliams says on any given day there are more than a dozen large vehicles parked on Dallas Road and she has started a petition asking the City of Victoria to enforce a bylaw that prohibits people sleeping overnight in vehicles parked on the street.

As of Friday, Williams' petition had more than 180 signatures.

"It's really disturbing to see a de facto RV park develop along Dallas Road here because there aren't any facilities," said Williams. "People are leaving their garbage and it is becoming a general disaster."

Williams said she spoke with a neighbourwho foundfeces among the garbage and people are concerned about their pets eating humanwaste.

In the comments' section of thepetition, residents also raise concerns about their children being afraid to playing outsideand increases in property crime.

A view of the ocean from Dallas Road. The waterfront green space along the road is a popular recreational spot for locals and tourists. (Jean Paetkau)

Coun.Geoff Young said most of the campers are respectful and it is hard to attribute a perceived increase of theft in the area to any particular reason, but he is concerned the camp could grow.

"I've always been inclined toward saying if we don't enforce the bylaws more and more people will start to ignore them,"said Young in an interview on On The Island Friday.

"Unfortunately, it is like the tent camps.When they begin, they work well [and] there is not overuse, but as more and more people start to take advantage the impact of overuse starts to make itself felt,"he added.

Young said city staff understands the camp is a likely consequence of a lack of affordable housing and "wereenforcing bylaws with a great deal of understanding and sympathy for the circumstances of the people they are enforcing against."

According to Young, city staff have decided the best way to manage the problem is to put a three hour parking limit on the area.

But Youngwould also like to see more city resources dedicated to overnight sheltering so people don't have to sleep in the street or in parks.

"I'd like to be able to say to people there is a place to go," said Young.

With files from On The Island