The City Council has unanimously approved a new overnight permit parking zone on a residential cul-de-sac in response to a man the city manager said had been repeatedly driving onto the street at night to intimidate residents.
The council voted June 23 to establish Preferential Parking Zone AAA on Larkin Place, prohibiting parking from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily except for vehicles displaying a valid resident permit. Larkin Place is a short cul-de-sac north of San Vicente Boulevard, roughly between 9th and 11th streets.
City Manager Oliver Chi told the council that staff had spent the previous two months working with residents to address what he described as a recurring harassment situation. An individual had been driving onto the street a couple of nights a week, putting on a mask and attempting to intimidate the people who live there, Chi said.
"As we've assessed all the different options, it does appear the issues are being concentrated in the evening hours," Chi said, noting there was "no technical law enforcement violation for law enforcement to engage."
Chi said the man did not appear to be homeless and was driving a Toyota Prius. The situation, he said, appeared to be connected to mental health issues. Of the options staff reviewed, an overnight permit zone "seemed like the best and most sort of practical response to the circumstance," he said.
The measure carried unanimous neighborhood support. According to Chi, every resident on Larkin Place signed a petition asking the city to convert the street to overnight permit parking. Under the city's preferential parking ordinance, residents may petition for a zone once signatures represent two-thirds of the dwelling units on a block, after which staff evaluates conditions and the council exercises its discretion to approve or deny.
Residents had cited overnight parking of vehicles for extended periods, late-night noise, nuisance activity, conflicts with vehicle occupants, a reduced sense of safety and sanitation concerns. Staff concluded that relying on existing parking and municipal code enforcement would have a limited practical effect absent clearly observable and independently enforceable violations.
Council Member Lana Negrete, who seconded the motion, said, "I hope the residents of Larkin feel that we're responsive". She noted that the cul-de-sac is unusual, a small street where "you're only parking there if you live there."
Several council members urged the city to address the man's apparent mental health needs and to watch for the problem migrating elsewhere.
"What happens if he goes to next street?" asked Council Member Barry Snell, who said he supported the measure but wanted law enforcement to keep watch. He added that there "might be some issues from a mental health standpoint" that the city could examine.
Council Member Natalya Zernitskaya said the issue came to the council's attention through residents who reached out during office hours, and she encouraged others to do the same. "If we don't know there's an issue going on, we can't address it," she said, asking residents to be patient while the city meets legal requirements.
The approval also reopened a broader debate over preferential parking. Council Member Ellis Raskin, who made the motion, said he is generally not in favor of such zones, citing a warning from a former mayor. "Once you grant one, you can't really stop granting them," Raskin said.
Jesse Zwick, who presided over the discussion, said he agreed there are fundamental problems with many of the city's permit zones but disagreed that nothing could be done. He pointed to residential streets near Ocean Park Boulevard businesses that sit "effectively empty from nine to five" while employees and customers cannot park nearby.
Chi said a suite of mobility and Vision Zero proposals will return to the council in late summer or early fall, including options to build more flexibility into existing permit zones as the city installs bike lanes and other roadway improvements.
The new restrictions are exempt from environmental review under state guidelines, the staff report said. Implementation — including signage, resident notification and a grace period before enforcement — is expected within roughly eight to 10 weeks. Costs for signage, permit administration and enforcement are expected to be absorbed within existing department budgets.