Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parking topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Fernando council backs plan to let neighborhoods petition for residential parking permits
Summary
After a months-long study, the City Council directed staff to draft an ordinance that would let contiguous neighborhoods petition to form residential parking permit (RPP) zones, with a proposed petition threshold of 51% and at least four contiguous blocks required to qualify.
The San Fernando City Council on Tuesday gave staff direction to prepare an ordinance to rework the city's residential parking permit program and create a clear petition process for neighborhoods.
The move follows a consultant-led study and public meetings that identified high occupancy on neighborhood streets and steady concerns about overnight spillover parking from nearby commercial areas and adjacent jurisdictions. Julie Dixon of Dixon Resources Unlimited presented the data and recommended changes to modernization, enforcement, and permit qualification rules.
Under the direction given by council, neighborhoods would petition to form new RPP zones using a threshold of at least 51% support from residents on four contiguous blocks. The council asked staff to requalify the two existing RPP zones under the new rules before opening the program citywide. The ordinance will also include provisions for low-income reduced-fee permits, limits on oversized and commercial vehicle permits, and an initial cap on guest passes with the opportunity to revisit those numbers after program data is collected.
Dixon said the city’s data collection showed weekend and evening parking peaks and that “when you hit 85% occupancy on street consistently, it basically means you're near or at capacity.” She also told the council that 60% of survey respondents across the city supported an RPP program.
Council members and staff discussed enforcement tools, including license-plate–based permit recognition and expanded use of parking meter and pay-station technology. The consultant and staff advised that enforcement consistency would be essential for results.
Councilmember Victoria Garcia pressed for clarity on fees and accessibility, saying fees must be clearly disclosed and asking for safeguards so low-income residents would not be excluded. Council consensus asked staff to return with draft municipal-code language and an implementation plan; staff said the first reading of the implementing ordinance is tentatively scheduled for the June 2 meeting.
The council did not take a formal binding vote on an ordinance at the meeting; instead it provided direction to draft municipal-code changes and return them for formal consideration.
