Arizona Town Cracks Down on Project Cars With Single ‘Inoperable’ Vehicle Limit
Car enthusiasts and collectors are having a rough go. There have been the right-to-repair battles in Maine and Massachusetts that eventually led to the feds getting involved. Kei cars have been banned and then (hopefully) unbanned in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (again?). But now the Southwest wants in on the anti-auto action by limiting “inoperable” vehicles to just one, even on private property.
Welcome to Gilbert, Arizona. Located about 30 minutes southeast of Phoenix and with a population of nearly 300,000, the city is ranked among one of the fastest-growing in the country. Because of that, there’s no shortage of planned neighborhoods among the older homes and communities that date back to its 1920s hay day (Gilbert was once the Hay Capital of the World).
To maintain its modern prestige, Gilbert has rules against blight and appearance. All cities do. However, some recent proposals to the city’s Community Preservation Ordinance specifically target non-moving cars located on a person’s home property. And the backyard, which is generally hidden from public view, is fair game.
