CAPE CORAL, Fla. - Next month, Cape Coral city leaders are expected to discuss a long-standing ordinance that prevents you from parking a work vehicle in your driveway.

The commercial vehicle ordinance states that if your car has any vinyl lettering, decal or signage--you have to cover it at night if it is parked in the driveway.

"A lot of people take their company vehicles home. I have smaller size pickup trucks, or vans that the guys take home and they're the same size as a family vehicle," said local home builder, Matt Sinclair.

Sinclair and hundreds of other business owners in the city use their fleet vehicles as mobile advertising. They say being asked to cover it up while parked at home defeats the purpose.

"It looks more unsightly with a magnet on there or a car cover. It doesn't make sense! And it's night time, who cares,” Sinclair said.

Danielle Schmelzer of Modern Pullman RV Repairs said it's just another hassle to have to cover the work vehicles up.

"It would make us happier to not have to cover it up all the time," Schmelzer said.

The city has a total of 2,102 violations of the ordinance. Thirty-nine of those went to the magistrate and the rest of the violators eventually complied.

The city's ordinance is aimed to prevent unsightly displays of commercial trucks and equipment in residential areas.

As the city’s population grows, businesses say the rules have to accommodate more working-class families and the cars they drive.

"This isn't a gated community, this is basically a growing city. It hurts, it hurts a lot of people because everyone is trying to make a living and they're driving back and forth to work," Sinclair said.

Cape Coral leaders are expected to re-open a discussion on the ordinance in a few weeks at November’s Committee of the Whole meeting. A formal agenda has not been submitted yet for that meeting.
