Community Groups To Protest Proposed Venice Beach Parking Ban
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Opponents of a Los Angeles proposal that would enact a midnight curfew and increase parking restrictions in Venice Beach Thursday were expected to attend a meeting about the issue.
A coalition of residents, along with leading community groups such as Venice Action Alliance and other activists, will be carpooling to Long Beach as the California Coastal Commission considers a range of actions that critics say will hurt tourism and keep locals away from beaches.
If approved by commissioners, the agreement would permanently close Venice Beach at midnight, force residents to buy parking permits, and require tourists to begin paying new parking fees in Venice.
Residents would also be fined $68 for failure to display a parking permit in their vehicle.
Venice Action Alliance's David Ewing told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO the motivation behind the proposed Overnight Parking District (OPD) stems from what officials say is a fast-growing homeless population in the city.
Venice Action Alliance's David Ewing
"There was a population of people living in vehicles and campers and so forth, and the city passed an over-sized vehicle ordinance to deal with that," Ewing said.
The L.A. City Council overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance in November 2010.
The proposed plan is being brought to the commission as part of a lawsuit settlement agreement with the city of Los Angeles and a developer-backed group.
The hearing is being held in the Long Beach City Council Chambers at 333 W. Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach.
