PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. (WTMJ) — A Pleasant Prairie resident says complying with the Village’s recreational vehicle ordinance cost him over $2,000 — and now, he wants to see the rules changed.
Dennis Koch, who has lived in Pleasant Prairie for 50 years, reached out to TMJ4 after seeing a recent story about another resident, Karl Krienke, who was pushing the Village to reconsider its rules on boats, trailers and other recreational vehicles.
Watch the video report below:
Koch says he received a notice telling him he needed to move his trailer from the front yard to the backyard.
After moving it, he says he received another notice requiring him to screen the trailer from view.
“I ended up putting a fence up that cost me $2,500 plus a $50 fence permit,” Koch said.
Koch says the trailer was already surrounded by pine trees that are about 20-feet high, but he was still required to install the fence.
“The trailers are actually blocked by pine trees all the way around them that are probably 20 feet high and they said no, you still have to put a fence up,” Koch said.
Under the village’s current zoning rules, recreational vehicles, including boats and trailers, cannot be parked in residential driveways. They can be stored in certain side or rear yards if they meet specific requirements.
Those requirements include being at least 5 feet from the lot line and being screened from adjacent properties and public view by a 6-foot-high solid-panel fence.
Koch says he believes the rules are too restrictive for residents who use their boats and trailers recreationally.
“I lived out here 50 years and we’ve gone through changes, but you know, we’re still residential area now where we were agriculture,” Koch said. “We shouldn’t have an ordinance like this for RVs and recreational things.”
Watch Glenda Valdes' previous video report below:
The issue has gained attention after Krienke started a petition calling for changes to the ordinance. He previously told TMJ4 he had been threatened with a $701-a-day citation if he did not move his boat from his driveway.
The Pleasant Prairie Village Board has now begun the process of reviewing possible changes to the recreational vehicle ordinance.
Koch says he hopes the board listens to residents.
“I heard there was over 400 signatures on the petition and I hope the board will listen,” he said. “Strength in numbers, and I think that’s the only way you’re gonna get it done.”
For residents like Koch, the question now is whether the village’s review could eventually lead to changes that make the rules easier for homeowners to follow.
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