Sebastopols' "no RV" policy ruined my life

It's been five years.... 2011 I took my family to Sebastopol in hopes to settle and build a life... we played music at Ace in the Hole, Hopmonk and busked around town. We were young "hippies" living a freelance style, much like some of you were back in the day. I was an artist, making fiber weavings and jewelry to sell. I thought I had come back home.

See, I grew up at my Grandmas, up on Bloomfield road. My Brothers graduated from Analy High. We used to go there for the fourth of July celebration when I was small. How excited I was to go to community events like the 60's dance and see other likeminded and chill neighbors.

Unfortunately Sebastopol policy is no living in RVs or school busses... and we were happy in our school bus. We had two children, they lived with us too. A cozy tiny house on wheels. A little wood stove, a little kitchen, and cozy beds.

Too bad that the police were hassling us all the time, and never we could get rest at night. Banging on the doors, illegal camping tickets, no parking here, there or anywhere. We couldn't really afford the expense of a campground park, never hooked up with anyone who would let us park on their property for work trade or such... so getting fed up with the hassle, and not wanting to move out of our cozy bus for a more conventional lifestyle... we were forced to move on.... and move on, and on, and on. Further away from the chill attitudes of hip people, and the music which sustained us... until we had to leave california completely.

I would have liked to never leave Sebtown... I grew up there. The gentrification was too great. Sad to say, our bus broke down, we lost it, and the state of Washington took out children away. No home, no children... and the pain and tragedy all started when we encountered the ruthless rules of no RV (or bus) living (just about everywhere!). If we lived in the bushes, that was ok, but to have a vehicle was not? I ask the community to reconsider, to have a little mercy for travelers and folks in vehicles, a little comfort for the road. Xenophobia is dangerous, it tears families apart.

It's been five years.... since i've been able to even see my children. I may not be perfect, but I didn't deserve the mistreatment and condemnation of a criminal, just for following the love of my gypsy heart. People who live in busses are people too. Peace.

So sad to read of your multiple misfortunes. Our local (city and county) governments are slow in response to our many houseless although change is in progress...just not soon enough for you and your family.
I wish you and your family all the best in turning life around to positive changes. Perhaps new local leadership can make the changes we so direly need.

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Posted in reply to the post by Sunshinehartfulofluv:

It's been five years.... 2...

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What a heartbreaking story -- a true testament to the fact over the past couple decades, being poor in America had been criminalized. As we slip deeper and deeper into the sea of corporate fascism, freedom equals wealth and the pursuit of wealth is slavery! If Sebastopol is to lead the way to a sustainable kind loving future -- then we need to start shifting the paradigm all the time as time is running out. To accomplish this heroic work, we need out artistic free-spirited youth to be able to afford to live here more than ever.

Hey Sunshine, I hope you find a way to get your kids back.

Hey Sebastopol, I hope we find a way to get our kids back.

~ Mamazon

Ironic that years ago Jay Shafer parked his first Tumbleweed tiny home outside of Whole Foods in Sebastopol and was invited by a good hearted citizen to park in her apple orchard. And thus, a movement was born. Same town, same alternative housing… why the difference, why the heartbreak?

Based on what I read of the original post, the heartbreak came from these folks choosing not to reach out to connect with a more permanent place with sanitation and clean water sources. Since I know lots of folks with RVs making this choice and living comfortably and economically, it is hard to understand how "Sebastopol ruined my life" in the words of the poster.
And while I feel Sebastopol has MUCH to accomplish in the realm of fair and affordable housing for all,
I highly doubt that the Sebastopol ordinances led to the loss of her children and the choice of Washington state to block access.
My 2 cents

While I agree that Sebastopol ahs much to do to make housing affordable and accessible, I know many people who live in RV's on private land for nominal rent and with access to sanitation and clean water, which a curbside campout cannot provide, and which is why Sebastopol as a town cannot allow curb living.
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As for losing your children and being denied access, that is very serious and is usually because of parental behavior. Maybe it's time to consider your choices and let go of blaming others.
I wish you all the best.

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Posted in reply to the post by Sunshinehartfulofluv:

It's been five years.... 2011 I took my family to Sebastopol in hopes to settle and build a life...

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Oddly enough, until just the last couple years RV camping was allowed pretty much universally on all city streets in Palo Alto, of all places. With the recent influx of tech people however, many of these newcomers were uncomfortable with people living out of their vehicles in front of their houses and began pushing back against it. The old residents didn't have a problem with campers, but aren't enough of a voice in the community there any longer.

Camping there, last I heard, wasn't universally allowed any longer but is still permitted along many of the streets and can still be readily seen along El Camino Real and many side streets. It's pretty surprising that Hippyful Sebastopol can't have the same allowances and compassion for its residents that Silicon Valley has =O

Last I heard sebtown still chases itinerant vehicle livers off the streets, just like other soco official cities and towns. The county however, has lightened up, is helping to create safe places, and is feeling the heat. Living in a vehicle is economically viable and has a relatively low environmental footprint (streets are festering dead zones which we jealously fight over for getting from here to there). Our shit is mostly a problem when we mix it with water and flush it.

One problem is fearful neighbors. If you are going to live like this maintain the lowest possible profile and keep moving your vehicle. I raised my son on dirt (not gastronomically) and he is about to graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo because of his perseverance. Had problems with the county only because of neighbor problems, basically the county is so behind in services they don't go out looking for violators. This is a wonderful
place to live and we have to make sacrifices just to maintain our head above water. Blessings on us all!

Having lived in Palo Alto from the late 60's until 2011, I wanted to reply to this post. I know the poster was trying to be helpful but I hope no one will waste their time and money driving down there and then be disappointed. If such things ever happen it would be extremely rare and not acceptable to most residents. Maybe it happened back in the 60's and early 70's when there was a hippy scene.

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Posted in reply to the post by Endendros:

Oddly enough, until just the last couple years RV camping was allowed pretty much universally on all city streets in Palo Alto, of all places. ...

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Sonoma County now has several places they allow car campers and RV's to park at night for free...and they have port-o-lets and hand wash sinks (and rumor has it are working on showers. The ones I'm most familiar with are the South Permit and Resource Management Parking lot from 5:00pm-7:00am, and the Sonoma County Fair Grounds. Please call PRMD to find out more (707-565-1900).

That you lived there so long and failed to notice the folks living out of their cars, vans, and RVs is a testament to how low-key and unnoticeable this activity can be. A lot of these folks are just regular people whose only "alternative" lifestyle is that they don't have a physical address. Friends who grew up in PA remember as kids in the 90's seeing people living out of their vans at the Mitchell Park Library and their mother telling them that the folks were "gypsies." I know several people who camp out of their RVs and vans in PA, and in fact I've been one of them myself! hahaha

I'm not saying that the city of PA is crammed curb to curb with campers, just that it is allowed, and a quite common occurrence with many people effectively car-abiding residents of the city, and not just passers through. Having grown up in the Desert in Southern California, living out of a vehicle was totally unknown to me outside of RV parks for snow birds, and of course Slab City, so the example of PA is rather striking. Many of these folks have jobs in various silicon valley this-and-thatery, including many folks affiliated with Stanford. For some it's a lifestyle choice, and for others it's a transition period through tough times, but they all at least have the peace to be unmolested and sleep through the night and not return to their home ticketed or impounded.

It's been several years since I was up-to-date on this situation, and I was wrong on some of the details to the camping ban-mainly the fact that a year later it was repealed by the PA city council: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/...ar-camping-ban
Again, that Palo Alto can be more progressive and compassionate towards its residents than Sebastopol, regardless of any county-sanctioned camping reserves (granted not something to shake a stick at given their facilities), is a little startling.

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Posted in reply to the post by JanetLee:

Having lived in Palo Alto from the late 60's until 2011...

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