Jill Schramm/MDN A trailer sits temporarily parked on a Minot street last month. Minot city ordinance allows up to 48 hours of street parking by heavy vehicles.

An ordinance to restrict motorhomes, camping trailers and other heavy vehicles to daytime hours failed to get Minot City Council support Monday.

The council had considered restricting parking on city streets between midnight and 5 a.m.

Currently, city ordinance allows up to 48 hours for street parking of heavy vehicles that are legally parked in the closest possible proximity to the owner’s or operator’s property. The exception is a vehicle exceeding 8,500 pounds that is required to be registered with the state. Such vehicles are prohibited from parking overnight on streets. A trailer or semitrailer also must be attached to a truck tractor or other prime mover.

The revised ordinance would essentially require RVs and other large vehicles to be in driveways or in storage lots at night, Assistant City Manager Tom Joyce explained.

Council member Scott Samuelson questioned requiring this change of residents.

“I don’t know what the solution is, but I think this is going too far,” he said.

Council member Paul Pitner added not everyone has the ability to park a large vehicle in a driveway or a storage lot. Residents who go camping aren’t always able to unload right away and restock for the next weekend before putting a camper in storage, he said.

“Now, we’re going to be putting another burden on top of those people,” Pitner said.

The council voted 3-4 on the proposed ordinance, with Mayor Tom Ross and council member Mike Blessum joining Pitner and Samuelson in opposition.

City staff brought the matter to the council for consideration after being contacted by a city resident concerned about the parking and neighborhood aesthetics.