Vista's proposed ban on parking vehicles for sale on city streets took a step closer to becoming law on Wednesday.

The Vista Traffic Commission voted 5-1 to recommend the City Council approve the ordinance next month.

If approved, vehicles with "For Sale" signs displayed in their windows that are parked along certain streets, which would be posted with signs, could be cited and owners charged a $38 fine. Owners would then have 24 hours to move the vehicle.

Vehicles could be towed if they remain parked in the same spot or along any other prohibited street during the next 30 days.

The ordinance includes most or parts of 43 city streets, including busy thoroughfares like Escondido Avenue, North and South Santa Fe Avenues, Vista Village Drive and Vista Way.

Parking for-sale cars and trucks on city streets has long been a problem, city officials said.

Over the years, the city has tried a number of things to curb the practice, from setting up no-parking zones in some sections to placing a two-hour limit on parking, said Sam Hasenin, city traffic engineer. Those attempts merely moved the parked cars to other locations, he said.

Hasenin said vehicles displayed for sale create traffic hazards, take up valuable parking spaces and are unattractive.

Director of Engineering Larry Pierce said this week that the city's existing 72-hour parking limit on all city streets isn't working. Pierce said vehicles only need to move one-tenth of a mile to be in compliance under that ordinance.

"It's not doing the job," he said. "This will give us a little more means to effect change."

Hasenin said the city would not target vehicles for sale that are the main mode of transportation for owners. He said the proposed ordinance would be used to deter vehicles parked along streets for the "primary purpose" of attracting buyers.

"Those are the key words," he said. "This is not intended to penalize cars used as daily vehicles that happen to have a sign on them. We're concerned with clumps of a large number of cars left in the same place for a long time."

Cliff Kaiser, chairman of the Vista Chamber of Commerce's executive committee, said the proposed ban is too restrictive.

"If we already have a 72-hour limit why not just enforce the ordinance," he said. "The idea that we're creating traffic hazards, where are the statistics to support that? As a chamber, we like to see commerce in the city."

Traffic Committee Chairman Terry Newman cast the dissenting vote against the ordinance. He said the ordinance would be difficult to enforce.

"I've been guilty in the past of having a car I want to sell ... and a sign sits in the window for a couple of weeks while I drive it," Newman said. "How will you determine if the car is parked with the sole purpose of being sold?"

But many committee members said it's about time the ordinance was written.

"This is long overdue," Member Dianne Buran said. "Every time the city tries to do something the cars just move somewhere else. What's the harm in trying?"

The City Council is expected to vote on the proposed ban at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at City Hall, 600 Eucalyptus Ave.

Contact staff writer Cigi Ross at 760-901-4067.