Residents urge Bellflower to reverse overnight ban at downtown parking structure; council to study options

Several Bellflower residents used the public-comment period at the March 24 council meeting to urge the council to rescind a newly posted overnight-parking restriction at the downtown parking structure or to provide alternative overnight parking options.

Pauline, a resident of the Edgewood apartment complex, said the structure's no-overnight-parking rule makes it harder for nearby residents and their guests to find parking overnight. "We understand that's probably due to people's cars being broken in, and it just provides, like, not a safe environment," she told councilmembers, but added she was concerned that residents who live nearby now have fewer places to park overnight.

Martin Anderson, who lives on the 9600 block of Main Street, asked the council to either rescind the restriction or allow parking there on Wednesday nights, which he said are the neighborhood's street-sweeping days. "So I would I would plead that you rescind that overnight parking restriction on the parking structure. If nothing else, allow it on when on Wednesday nights for the what I call a poor, street sweeping schedule," Anderson said. He also raised related concerns about lost curb spaces near a local church and suggested the city examine curb paint and zone placement.

Councilmembers and staff explained the parking structure's original purpose and constraints. Mayor Pro Tem Sonny Santinez and other councilmembers said the structure was built primarily to support the nearby main-event center and retail activity on Belpar Boulevard, not to serve as long-term resident storage. "The parking structure was not designed for them at all," a councilmember said, adding the Edgeway development was obligated to provide resident parking.

Councilmember Dan Coops said one of council's concerns in restricting overnight parking has been people sleeping in vehicles. "One of the reasons that we we're concerned about overnight parking is obviously the homeless going in there and sleeping in their cars," Coops said.

Staff and councilmembers suggested alternatives and next steps: public-safety staff offered to meet with residents who requested permit parking information; staff noted a formal process exists for block-by-block residential permit parking that requires neighborhood signatures and a city process; and councilmembers said they will review options including changes to street-sweeping schedules, permit parking studies and outreach to nearby property owners (including a request to contact a local church about curb usage). No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; councilmembers asked staff to follow up with residents and to consider the request during future council comments and budget discussions.