NEW YORK — Residents of Red Hook, Brooklyn say parts of their streets have been permanently occupied by RVs and recreational vehicles for more than a year, raising safety and sanitation concerns.
“If I ran a generator 24/7, I would get a ticket. If I parked my car on the street and didn’t have any inspection stickers, if I had a trailer with no inspection sticker or license plate, I would get towed. I would get a ticket get,” said Frank Falcinelli, who contacted CBS News New York to highlight the issue.
Falcinelli walked through the neighborhood with reporter Hannah Kliger, showing the campers just steps from Red Hook Park, where children play soccer almost every day.
Off camera, one of the men who lives in an RV told Kliger that this is one of the few places they can park without getting a ticket, and he actually moves the RV every two days.
Falcinelli said that’s not true.
“This guy has been here all summer, hasn’t moved. He’s bumped his extended cab into traffic, has the audacity to drop a cone, has a bicycle and, to make matters worse, has he has a ‘no trespassing’ sign on his front door,” Falcinelli said.
New York City law does not allow RVs to park in the same spot for more than 24 hours.
So what is being done about it?
Queens Councilman Robert Holden introduced a bill to tighten these restrictions after noticing the problems in his district.
“That’s why we’re writing a new law that will essentially treat the camper as a commercial vehicle, that they can’t park on any street for more than three hours and that they can’t park overnight,” Holden explains.
The NYPD says the 76th Precinct is aware of the problem. It has so far issued 388 parking violations and 80 citations for missing license plates in the area.
Last month, officers conducted a joint operation to remove some mobile homes and connect people with the resources they may need.
“You don’t see this in Manhattan. You really don’t see it anywhere in New York. But you know, if you go for a walk here, it’s just strange,” said John Chasteen, who works nearby.
The Sanitation Ministry said it is leading an abandoned and wrong-way vehicle task force and plans to conduct an operation in the area in the coming weeks.
Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
