Hermosa Beach council narrows path to fourth residential parking permit, keeps fees at $60

Hermosa Beach — The City Council on Nov. 17 approved a new process for awarding a fourth residential parking permit, opting for a sworn affidavit system that officials say balances fairness to families with program integrity.

Mayor Seaman moved the proposal known as “Option D,” under which applicants for a fourth permit must sign an affidavit, under penalty of perjury, listing the number of licensed drivers living at the address and the number of legal on-site parking spaces. “If the number of drivers exceeds the number of on‑site spaces, you qualify for a fourth permit,” Seaman said when he introduced the measure. The council approved the motion (4 yes, 0 no, 1 abstain).

Why it matters: The debate grew out of a 2023 policy that limited the number of residential permits in an effort to preserve beach access, and a current two‑step application that first requires vehicles to be registered to unique drivers before staff assesses on-site parking. Residents and council members said the rule disproportionately affected family households whose vehicles are commonly registered to a single parent.

Paul Avilla, the city’s revenue services supervisor, told the council staff has documented roughly 2,900 residential addresses with permits this year: about 70% have one or two permits, 27% have three and only one household currently had four. He walked the council through three options staff had prepared (status quo; allow a fourth permit with the same documentation used for other permits; or remove the unique‑driver rule and base eligibility on household parking need) and a set of verification alternatives, from a signed statement to on‑site inspection.

During public comment, longtime residents described the change as burdensome for families whose children drive but whose vehicles remain registered to a parent; one caller read a resident letter arguing that a crossing guard was needed at 5th Street and Pacific Coast Highway to protect local children. Tony Higgins, a frequent commenter, urged a simple, site‑specific affidavit approach: “The number of parking permits issued to a given home should be the number of drivers using that home as their primary residence,” he said.

Council action and next steps: In addition to approving the affidavit-based fourth-permit qualification, the council voted to give the city manager authority to approve additional permits beyond the fourth in “special circumstances” with the understanding that staff will develop administrative procedures and return with codified language. That motion passed 3–2.

Councilmembers also rejected a separate proposal to decouple the guest permit from the three‑permit cap (the motion failed 2–3), and they voted to keep residential permit fees unchanged at $60 for the coming year, with a pledge to revisit fees after the city rolls out license‑plate reader enforcement and evaluates administrative costs.

On enforcement and eligibility, the council directed staff to develop a policy to withhold residential parking permits from individuals or addresses with outstanding city debts and to return with an ordinance or resolution detailing debt verification, appeals, and implementation; that directive passed (three votes in favor, one opposed, one abstention).

What staff will bring back: Officials said they will return with draft codifying language and implementation steps — how affidavits are collected and stored, how on‑site spaces are defined, timelines for random audits, and an appeals process for disputed or contested debts. Staff also noted that the permit sales season opens Feb. 2, 2026, and current permits expire Feb. 28, 2026.

The council’s changes take immediate policy effect as staff prepares the written rules and return to council with an ordinance/resolution that will capture verification steps, notice periods and appeals.