Council adopts ‘tree section’ residential permit parking program after petition from Oak Avenue residents

The Manhattan Beach City Council on Dec. 2 adopted a resolution to establish a residential permit parking program for the neighborhood west of Sepulva Boulevard, authorizing administrative posting of two‑hour restrictions 'except by permit' for street blocks that later show recurrent heavy non‑resident parking.

The program responds to a petition circulated by Oak Avenue residents — signed by 30 of 33 homes on one block — and months of neighborhood outreach. Eric Zample, the city's traffic engineer, told the council staff's intent is proactive: establish the permit program now so the city can 'pull the trigger' quickly when construction, overflow commercial parking, or other changes create repeated parking pressure. Zample said staff will verify recurrent demand before posting signs and that households can petition to opt out later.

Residents who spoke at length at the meeting described streets blocked by daylong employee parking, construction vehicles and tournament visitors, in some places preventing access for trash trucks and emergency vehicles. 'If a fire engine could not get down the street, I would be the first to sue the city,' said resident Ed Duffy, describing regular Monday blockages. Several neighbors asked for immediate relief on narrow streets such as 30th Street; staff said those blocks remain eligible for petition‑driven action and that the program was designed to be phased in where needed.

Under the program described by Zample, households on posted blocks may receive up to three permits (with flexibility for guest permits); permits are issued for two years. The proposed fee structure matches the city's existing downtown program: $15 for a first permit and $5 for each additional permit. Contractor vehicles are not eligible for resident permits; construction staging and extended contractor parking can be handled through separate street‑use or construction management permits, Zample said.

Council members stressed the program is opt‑in for street segments and that staff would study each petitioned block before posting signs. Council member Sherillian, who serves as the council's liaison to the petitioning neighborhood, described the petitioners' request as proactively protecting residents from spillover parking tied to new higher‑density projects on Sepulva Boulevard.

The resolution passed in a 4–0 vote with one recusal recorded in the transcript. Staff said the city will continue outreach to petitioning residents, pursue targeted parking studies at key times of day, and return with details of implementation and signage plans.

The city manager and traffic staff recommended residents who received citations but were later told those citations were dismissed follow the city's appeal process and contact the parking office for case specifics. The police chief and traffic lieutenant also confirmed officers will receive additional training to reduce erroneous citations.

What happens next: residents who supported the petition may request posting once staff documents recurrent heavy parking demand; staff said the city can then post two‑hour restrictions and begin permit issuance administratively without further council action. The council directed staff to prepare outreach materials explaining petition thresholds, permit eligibility, and the appeals process.

Quote: 'We establish the program so that we can pull the trigger and not have to wait three months,' traffic engineer Eric Zample told council during the presentation.

The council also discussed contractor parking limits and construction parking plans; staff said construction management plans can limit where workers park and are an enforcement tool separate from the resident permitting system.

The city clerk will post final language of the adopted resolution and staff will publish a timeline and FAQ for affected blocks.