Chapter 9.18
UNLAWFUL CAMPING AND STORAGE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
Sections:
9.18.025 Unlawful camping on sidewalks.
9.18.030 Storage of personal property in public places.
9.18.040 Erecting camping facilities or camping paraphernalia on public parks or property.
9.18.050 Camping in parks prohibited.
9.18.060 Camping on public property prohibited.
9.18.070 Parked recreational vehicles.
9.18.080 Conditions for remaining in camping areas.
9.18.010 Definitions.
A. “Camping” or “camp” means to pitch or occupy camp facilities, and/or to use camping paraphernalia.
B. “Camping facilities” includes, but is not limited to, tents, huts, or temporary shelters made of any material.
C. “Camping paraphernalia” includes, but is not limited to, tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, and/or outdoor cooking facilities such as camp stoves.
D. “City” means the city of Walla Walla.
E. “Planting strip” means the area between a sidewalk or trail and a street.
F. “Public property” means all property owned, operated, or controlled by the city.
G. “Recreational vehicle” means a travel trailer, motor home, truck camper, or camping trailer that is primarily designed and used as temporary living quarters, is either self-propelled or mounted on or drawn by another vehicle, and is transient.
H. “Store” means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed, to put for safekeeping, to place or leave in a location unattended.
I. “Street” means any highway, lane, road, street, right-of-way, boulevard, alley and every way or place in the city open to the public for vehicular travel.
J. “Trail” means any pathway or trail in the city, owned, operated or maintained by the city, that is open to the public for walking, biking or other nonvehicular travel. (Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.020 Unlawful camping in streets, roadways, parking lots, planting strips, medians, traffic islands, parks and other areas.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia at any time in the following areas:
1. Any street, roadway, alley, or public right-of-way that is used or designed for use by motor vehicles;
2. Any multi-use path or trail;
3. Any parking lot or other public property, improved or unimproved, that is used or designed for use by motor vehicles;
4. Any planting strip, street median, street median strip, street median island, traffic island, roundabout island, pedestrian refuge island or median, or other area or device that is used or designed to separate streets or roadways from sidewalks, control intersections, or otherwise calm or direct the travel of motor vehicles;
5. Any park, except in camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050; and
6. Any public property, except in camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.060.
B. In addition to other remedies provided by law, including, but not limited to, the penalty provisions of this chapter, any violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The city may abate any such nuisance as provided in Chapter 8.05. (Ord. 2019-05 § 4, 2019: Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.025 Unlawful camping on sidewalks.
A. April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.
1. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours seven a.m. and nine p.m. each day during the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours nine p.m. and seven a.m. of the following day during the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, and October when space is available for the person to camp at an area designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050 or 9.18.060 or shelter accommodations or other housing are otherwise available to the person.
B. March and November.
1. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours nine a.m. and five p.m. each day during the months of March and November.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours five p.m. and nine a.m. of the following day during the months of March and November when space is available for the person to camp at an area designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050 or 9.18.060 or shelter accommodations or other housing are otherwise available to the person.
C. December, January, and February.
1. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours nine a.m. and four p.m. each day during the months of December, January, and February.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any sidewalk between the hours four p.m. and nine a.m. of the following day during the months of December, January, and February when space is available for the person to camp at an area designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050 or 9.18.060 or shelter accommodations or other housing are otherwise available to the person.
D. Space and accommodations shall be considered available under this section unless they are actually unavailable for reason(s) other than choice or misconduct of the person who is found camping, occupying camp facilities, or using camp paraphernalia.
E. It is unlawful for camp facilities and camp paraphernalia to unreasonably obstruct or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic at any time.
F. In addition to other remedies provided by law, including, but not limited to, the penalty provisions of this chapter, any violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The city may abate any such nuisance as provided in Chapter 8.05. (Ord. 2024-16 § 4, 2024; Ord. 2019-05 § 5, 2019).
9.18.030 Storage of personal property in public places.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to store personal property, including, but not limited to, camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, in the following areas:
1. Any street, roadway, alley, or public right-of-way that is used or designed for use by motor vehicles;
2. Any multi-use path or trail;
3. Any parking lot or other public property, improved or unimproved;
4. Any planting strip, street median, street median strip, street median island, traffic island, roundabout island, pedestrian refuge island or median, or other area or device that is used or designed to separate streets or roadways from sidewalks, control intersections, or otherwise calm or direct the travel of motor vehicles;
5. Any park, except in camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050; and
6. Any public property, except in camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.060.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person to store personal property, including, but not limited to, camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, on a sidewalk area when storage space is available at a camping area designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050 or 9.18.060 or reasonably available at some other location.
1. Storage space shall be considered available under this subsection unless it is actually unavailable for reason(s) other than choice or misconduct of the person whose property is found stored on a sidewalk.
C. It is unlawful for personal property to unreasonably obstruct or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic at any time.
D. In addition to other remedies provided by law, including, but not limited to, the penalty provisions of this chapter, any violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The city may abate any such nuisance as provided in Chapter 8.05. (Ord. 2019-05 § 6, 2019: Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.040 Erecting camping facilities or camping paraphernalia on public parks or property.
A. It shall be unlawful to erect, install, place, leave, or set up any type of permanent or temporary camping paraphernalia or camping facilities or structure of any material(s) intended for camping in or upon any public park or property without a permit or other express authorization from the city.
B. In addition to other remedies provided by law, including, but not limited to, the penalty provision of this chapter, any violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The city may abate any such nuisance as provided in Chapter 8.05.
C. The provisions of this section do not apply to camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050 or 9.18.060. (Ord. 2019-05 § 7, 2019: Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.050 Camping in parks prohibited.
Camping in public parks is prohibited except in areas expressly designated by the city manager as camping areas and during times designated by the city manager. The city manager is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the use of designated camping areas. (Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.060 Camping on public property prohibited.
Camping on public property is prohibited except in areas expressly designated by the city manager as camping areas and during times designated by the city manager. The city manager is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the use of designated camping areas. (Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.070 Parked recreational vehicles.
A. All recreational vehicles parked on city streets shall abide by the parking rules and regulations of the city, including, but not limited to, Chapter 10.13.
B. Recreational vehicles shall not be used for residential purposes in any parking lot or other public property, improved or unimproved, except as provided in subsection C of this section.
C. The city manager is authorized to designate areas on public property where recreational vehicles may be used for temporary residential purposes; provided, that such areas have adequate facilities to accommodate such vehicles. The city manager is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the use of areas designated for temporary residential use by recreational vehicles.
D. In addition to other remedies provided by law, including, but not limited to, the penalty provision of this chapter, use of a recreational vehicle in violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. The city may abate any such nuisance as provided in Chapter 8.05. (Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).
9.18.080 Conditions for remaining in camping areas.
In addition to the general conditions for entering and remaining in city-owned buildings and on city-owned property established by Section 9.22.020, it is a condition for entering and remaining in camping areas designated in accordance with Section 9.18.050, 9.18.060 or 9.18.070 that persons comply with rules and regulations promulgated by the Walla Walla city manager. (Ord. 2017-14 § 1, 2017).
9.18.100 Penalty.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction of such violation, be found guilty of a misdemeanor punishable in accordance with Chapter 1.24. (Ord. 2017-04 § 2 (part), 2017).