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There’s a new ordinance in the Town of Victoria, and if you own a commercial vehicle, you can no longer park it in a residential area – but there are a few exceptions.

According to the ordinance which town council passed unanimously during its February meeting the restrictions are needed to reduce and prevent congestion and hazardous traffic conditions in residential areas; to protect those areas from polluted air, excessive noise and other adverse environmental impacts of commercial vehicle commuting.

According to town documents, a commercial vehicle is denied as a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, a combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more if the vehicle(s) being towed weights more than 10,000 pounds and Any size vehicle that transports hazardous materials and that requires federal placarding.

According to the new ordinance, No person shall park any commercial vehicle on or alongside any road, highway, street, or alley within or adjacent to any residential district within the town.

However, this rule does not apply to motor vehicles, semitrailers, or trailers that are Being actively loaded or unloaded, used by persons issued permits from the chief of police for limited periods, or used by persons to whom the town has extended permission to perform work on and around streets. In addition, motor vehicles or trailers that are parked along a primarily residential or mixed residential-commercial block while the owner, operator, or driver is engaged in the actual performance of contractual work at a nearby property and buses or vans operated by school systems and used to transport school-age children to and from school activities are also exempt.

According to the ordinance, there was no mention of fines that would occur if it should be broken by citizens or how the ordinance would be enforced.