State

Reno cracks down on overnighting in parking lots

Friday, September 19, 2008 12:09 AM CDT

RENO, Nev. (AP) - The city of Reno is cracking down on recreational vehicles that park overnight in casino parking lots, prompting a backlash from RVers who say they'll boycott the city.

City officials said an ordinance on the books since 1996 outlaws RV camping anywhere in the city except in designated parks with water and sewage hookups.

The concerns are health-related, said Alex Woodley, Reno city code enforcement manager.

‘‘I've observed people stepping out of their RV and (urinating) outside the door,'' Woodley told the Reno Gazette-Journal. ‘‘We've had individuals use a Wal-Mart lot and instead of being a good citizen, at 2 a.m. they'll dump their gray water and take off, leaving a hazardous situation.''

This week the city has received about two dozen e-mails from RV owners who wrote of the convenience of overnighting in casino parking lots and patronizing the casino and restaurants as well as other retail establishments.

One letter from Idaho read, “We spend a lot of money there each year. I just cannot believe that you would take this away from us, and your own merchants!

‘‘You should know that there is a campaign that has started via the Internet to boycott Reno as a result of this,'' it warned.

Mayor Bob Cashell acknowledged that only a fraction of the RVers cause problems but added, ‘‘There's always that one-half percent that screws it up for everybody.”

Laughlin went through the same issue during the 2005-06 snowbird season when Clark County Health Department officials cracked down on “dry camping” in casino parking lots. Accommodations were eventually made for RV visitors.