How many vehicles parked on your property is too many?

That was the question before the North Syracuse Village Board at its Jan. 22 meeting. It turns out the village can’t limit homeowners to a certain number of cars, trailers and the like, but the village may be able to restrict where they are parked.

At the meeting, Trustee Gary Butterfield said a resident had complained to him about a neighbor who has eight vehicles, including trailers, a motorhome and a boat, parked outside their home. The person wanted to know if the village could limit the number of vehicles parked in a residential area.

“There’s a problem with seeking to limit the number of licensed, registered, insured vehicles,” said village attorney Scott Chatfield.

According to Chatfield, as long as a person’s vehicles are properly registered, there’s nothing the village can say about the number. The problem is not the quantity, but the location.

“Those sorts of location issues, you can address in statutes,” Chatfield said, suggesting that the village amend its code to say vehicles can only be parked in the “designated parking area,” such as a driveway, garage or fenced-in back yard.

Mayor Mark Atkinson said he understood the resident’s complaint, but wouldn’t want the village’s statutes to punish people who have weekend visitors or parties, where a larger-than-usual number of vehicles may be parked outside a home.

“I can understand a homeowner every morning sitting out front having a cup of coffee having to look at a bunch of junk, even if it’s registered,” Atkinson said. “But it’s kind of hard to get your hands around, really.”

Atkinson said he would address the issue further in a staff meeting to find a possible solution. He encouraged the trustees to brainstorm legislation as well.