Fremont leaders approve ban on long-term RV parking
City leaders in Fremont have unanimously approved a ban on long-term RV parking, as part of their latest effort to curb encampments.
Eddie Benson, who has a business on Albrae Street near Interstate 880, counted 41 RVs lining the street in front of his dealership this month. Benson said this caravan has been growing for five years, but now the people living in them are creating dangerous conditions for his staff and customers.
Benson says his water bill reached upward of $300 before he protected his supply with locked cages. That wasn't enough to curb the activity near his dealership.
He showed CBS News Bay Area surveillance video of people breaking in, lighting fires on his property and even releasing RV sewage in his parking lot.
Benson said he has asked the city to intervene on multiple occasions, but he feels his complaints are falling on deaf ears.
"Society needs help, but they need to help them," Benson said. "They the laws of a society, apply to everybody, not just those that can afford to play by the rules."
On Tuesday, the Fremont City Council voted to impose a 72-hour parking limit on city streets. The ordinance includes a ban on RV parking in residential neighborhoods, along with areas near schools and churches.
Word of the ban has sparked anxiety for people living on Albrae Street.
One woman, who didn't want to be identified, told CBS News Bay Area that the ban is cruel and doesn't give people like her any options.
Alan Grant walks up and down Albrae often and has friends who live here. He said it would be difficult for people to move since most RVs aren't functional.
Grant said the ban would make more sense if the city provided a place for people to move.
"It's a nightmare, dude. It's not good," Grant said. "These people are living okay because they have the RVs, but once, once they lose them, it's just going to be bad."
Fremont has a safe parking program that offers five lots for cars to park, but it's been criticized for not having room for RVs. Back at the dealership, Benson said he has compassion for the people living in on the street but hopes that some measure will eventually stick.
"It should be personal to everybody, every member of this community," Benson said. "This is not just some isolated group of like people in the shadows or in the corners. This is everywhere."
The ban is scheduled to take effect on Dec. 12.