Sunday, March 12, 2017

Fullerton's Overnight Parking Problem

The following will appear in the "City Council Notes" section of the upcoming issue of the Fullerton Observer Newspaper, our only local, independent paper.

Due to numerous residents’ complaints at various Fullerton City Council meetings regarding lack of adequate overnight street parking (particularly for renters), council voted 5-0 to rescind the overnight parking ban [no parking 2-5am] on certain streets around multi-family apartments in the neighborhood around Citrus Avenue, adding 15-20 new parking spaces.  Although the majority of property owners in the neighborhood opposed lifting the ban, council exercised their ability to lift it, in light of many renters’ complaints about current parking tickets and towing.

Members of the Transportation and Circulation Commission, such as Elizabeth Hansburg, spoke of how we need a more comprehensive parking plan, as this problem exists all over the city, rather than handling it piecemeal, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street. 

Donna Anderson, an apartment owner in the Citrus Avenue neighborhood, spoke in favor of rescinding the ban, stating, “They [renters] don’t have anywhere to park.  It’s awful.  I don’t even know why it’s taken this long.”

Janet Beretta, who lives in the neighborhood, tearfully explained how last Thanksgiving morning, fifteen cars were towed, saying, “Many people had travel plans and couldn’t even go see their families because their cars had been taken.  These are people who work hard.  They didn’t even have the money to take out their cars…It’s important that we work together to find a solution.”