A semi-truck in your neighbor’s driveway? A ruling by the Palm Beach County Commission could allow just that — in the more rural parts of the county.
On Jan. 25, the Palm Beach County Commissioners will again discuss a proposal to allow for commercial vehicles — even semi-trucks and tractor trailers, in some cases — on private properties in parts of the Indian Trail Improvement District and The Acreage Neighborhood Planning Area.
According to county staff documents, the topic of commercial vehicle parking in residential areas has been discussed with the commission on various occasions since 2019.
The county’s planning, zoning and building department is conducting research on and presenting the topic as a result of concerns from residents living in areas zoned Agricultural Residential, which are areas dedicated to protecting and enhancing “the rural lifestyle and quality of life,” according to the county’s unified land development code.
But that code — essentially a single document containing all development and zoning regulations for the county — contains restrictions on how long and heavy vehicles can be.
The county may decide to modify the code, though, to give residents more leeway on what vehicles they can harbor on their property, namely the possible allowance of up to two vehicles with a weight limit of 16,000 pounds (think large pickup trucks, such as a Ford F-450) in most rural areas.
Properties within The Acreage Neighborhood Plan would then receive an exemption for even larger vehicles, such as a semi.
These vehicles are often used by people operating home-based businesses, and the code change would be to prevent those residents from continuing to incur fines imposed by having such vehicles on their property despite the code forbidding it.
During a County Commission meeting last November, county staff members told commissioners they had identified nearly 200 commercial vehicle code violations in the last few years, and at the time of the meeting, at least 60 were still active.
County staff is trying to find a way for homeowners with businesses requiring such large vehicles to be accommodated, said Lori Vinikoor, a member of the county’s land development regulation advisory board, which voted not to recommend the change largely because the board did not feel it had enough information, she said.
“There’s still going to probably be code issues, but they’re (the commission) trying to make it for the property owners that own homes there and have businesses, that they can be more accommodated,” she said.
But through the course of a few meetings, people have come forward to oppose this potential change, citing concerns with potential road and sidewalk damage, disrupting the rural livelihood, skewing property values and setting a slippery precedent where other areas may want to request a similar exemption in the future.
“What about the people who are there already? They’re living in the house that have absolutely no intention of having a business with tractor-trailers or anything. They just want live there,” Vinikoor said. “They’ve got to live with all these trucks. That’s the socioeconomic issue there.”
Officials from the Indian Trail Improvement District, which includes The Acreage, were especially concerned with maintaining roads driven over by such heavy vehicles, and they presented those concerns to the commission at the November meeting.
“Our roadways are not built for this type of use,” said Burgess Hanson, the district’s executive director. “It will be very expensive for us to either maintain it or to improve it.”
But Commissioner Sara Baxter, who represents the district this would affect, questioned how the allowance of larger vehicles would be any different than delivery or garbage trucks making their way through the area.
“We’re trying to find a balanced approach to be able to peacefully allow for semi-trucks and peace of neighbors,” she said.
Teresa Perez, a Loxahatchee resident, told the commissioners certain practices, such as lodging large vehicles, are integral parts of the community that, for decades, have not caused any significant issues.
“For years, we have run small businesses, kept animals and released and relished the freedom from the park to our vehicles and to our home. These activities are more than conveniences,” she said. “These are the fabric of our daily lives, a reflection of our heritage and a source of immense pride for us all.”
The first reading will be discussed by the county on Thursday with the second reading on Feb. 22.
