Attachment - Appendix C (Part 1 of 2)Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
8 June 2015
To; Honorable Mayor Knight and City Council Members
City of Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Honorable Mayor and City Council Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to address parking and traffic issues that the Ciel Cerro
community is experiencing as a result of the increasing number of visitors to the Palos
Verdes Nature Preserve — and the Portuguese Bend Reserve ("preserve") in particular.
Discussed below are Del Cerro residents' responses to the recommendations that City
staff has made to mitigate the parking and traffic conditions that our residents are
experiencing. (The responses address staff recommendations included in the staff
report to the City Council on April 21, 2015 and in the staff report to the Traffic Safety
Committee on April 27, 2015.)
As you may be aware, representatives from the Del Cerro Homeowners Association
have also been working closely with City staff to design a permit parking program
acceptable to the Del Cerro residents that will reduce the number of preserve visitors
parking in the Del Cerro community. Del Cerro HOA has submitted a petition for a
permit parking program under a separate cover letter for your review. The Traffic Safety
Committee strongly supported implementation of such a program in Del Cerro at its
April 27, 2015 meeting.
City staff and the Del Cerro HOA recognize that a restricted parking program needs to
be implemented before any measures are taken to improve conditions Crenshaw in a
manner that would reduce parking availability there. Otherwise, Ciel Cerro will
experience further parking spillover until restricted parking is Implemented in the
neighborhood.
Background Information
Del Cerro is a community of 120 properties located at the southern end of Crenshaw
Blvd. — adjacent to the Portuguese Bend Reserve. The community has a single
entrance into/exit from the neighborhood which is at the intersection of Crenshaw Blvd.
and Seacrest Drive, across Crenshaw from Del Cerro Park, and a few hundred feet
from the main entrance into the preserve.
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Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Currently visitors to the preserve begin arriving shortly after dawn on weekends and
holidays and continue arriving all day. By around 10.00 am, vehicles are parked on both
sides of Crenshaw from the end of Crenshaw (at Seacrest) up almost to Crest Rd. This
situation continues until well into the afternoon. We have even Noticed over the last few
months that on weekday mornings, over 100 preserve visitors' cars are frequently
parked near the adjacent trailhead - on the Crenshaw Extension, on Park Place, and on
Crenshaw Blvd. This number will undoubtedly increase as summer approaches and the
school year ends.
Visitors open their vehicle doors without looking for passing cars often letting their
children and off -leash pets out of the cars without proper control.Street-side doors are
often left open while visitors change their clothes and shoes, take equipment out of their
cars, chat with companions, use their cell phones, etc. — apparently oblivious to the
passing traffic in a 40 -mph speed zone. Many visitors treat the end of Crenshaw as a
parking lot, walking in the middle of the street while cars are trying to pass instead of
using the sidewalks on either side of the street. The result is that cars entering or exiting
Del Cerro must often drive down the middle of the street (crossing the yellow line into
the lane for opposing traffic). Often 2 cars going in opposite directions cannot pass at
the same time.
The current speed limit on the segment of Crenshaw south of Crest Rd, is posted at 40
mph. However, travelers cannot possibly pass through that area safely at that speed on
weekends.
Drivers frequently make U-turns at the end of Crenshaw to exit the area or to find a
parking place on the other side of the street, restricting traffic flow into/out of Del Cerro,
the Crenshaw Extension (including Burrell Lane) and Park Place. At least two accidents
have occurred when a driver decided to make a U-turn, apparently without realizing
there were other cars behind him, and the 2"d driver (traveling behind the 1 St driver)
didn't realize that the 1 st driver- was making the U-turn and hit the 1$c driver's door. In
one of the accidents, the driver making the U-turn was taken away in an ambulance.
Some drivers follow the curve of the street and continue onto Seacrest, then make U-
turns at the intersection of Seacrest and Oceanaire, Clogging traffic flows there.
Other drivers make U-turns from parking spots on Crenshaw or from the traffic lane in
the middle of the block to find a parking place on the other side of the street or to exit
the area.
All of these actions interrupt traffic flow and create very unsafe driving conditions for
residents entering and exiting Del Cerro and for the visitors to the preserve.
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Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Del Cerro Recommendations to Mitigate Parking and Traffic Conditions on
Crenshaw
Below is a list of the actions that the Del Cerro community recommends that the City
take to improve parking and traffic conditions on Crenshaw as well as the rationale for
each. The recommendations were developed by conducting a survey to obtain resident
responses to City staff recommendations contained in staff reports to the City Council
on April 21't and to the Traffic Safety Committee on April 27th. Ninety-one responses
were received — representing 76% of the 120 Del Cerro properties. The results indicated
strong support for the recommended actions listed below — varying from a minimum of
86% support up to 98% support. A summary showing the level of support for each
recommendation is attached to this letter.
I. Establish a "No Parking Anytime" zone on the Ciel Cerro side of Crenshaw Blvd,
from Seacrest Dr, to Valley View lid.
Del Cerro supports the City staffs recommendation to prohibit parking on the Del Cerro
side of Crenshaw Blvd. from Seacrest to Valley View, That action will provide wider
traffic lanes for vehicles to enter and exit the neighborhood. Since parking will only be
available on the ocean side of Crenshaw, visitors will be more likely to walls on the
existing sidewalk rather than walking in the street to and from the preserve.
The Traffic Safety Committee also concurred with this recommendation -
2. Establish the Crenshaw Extension as a 'No Barking Anytime" zone.
Del Cerro supports the City staffs recommendation to eliminate parking on the Burrell
Lane side of the Crenshaw Extension. (Parking is already prohibited on the Del Cerro
side of the Extension.) This action will improve the ability of Burrell Lane residents to
enter their street safely and for first responders to access homes on their street. It will
also improve the ability of first responders to enter the preserve to protect our homes
from fres or to rescue an injured preserve visitor.
The Traffic Safety Committee also concurred with this recommendation.
3. Extend the red -striping next to the Crenshaw -Park Place intersection
approximately 2-3 car lengths to improve visibility for cars exiting Park Mace.
The current red -striped No Parking zone is not long enough to provide sufficient visibility
of on -coming traffic to assure a safe exit from Park Place to Crenshaw — especially
when the first or second vehicle is a high-profile one such as an SUV, Extending the
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Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
red -striping an additional 50 ft. or so will help to smooth the flow of traffic at the end of
Crenshaw.
4. Conduct a speed zone survey during peek weekend usage time.
Del Cerro supports this action. At the end of Crenshaw, the current 40 mph speed limit
is far higher than drivers can safely travel when vehicles are parked on the street and
visitors walk in the street toward the preserve_
The Traffic Safety Committee also supported this action, recommending an immediate
speed zone survey to assess conditions now as well as a second survey to be
conducted after all of the No Parking zones are implemented and the parking lanes are
modified.
5. Initiate a phased approach to parking on the ocean side of Crenshaw.,
fsr phase. Leave parallel parking on the ocean side of Crenshaw as is, while
implementing recommendations ## through #4 above.
Assess the impact on congestionttraffic conditions.
2nd phase: Re -consider adding angle parking where the street widens only if
parallel parking, recommended No Parking zones and speed limit
reductions (recommendations ##9 through ##4 above) do not sufficiently
mitigate existing traffic problems.
The majority of Del Cerro residents strongly prefer to maintain the existing parallel
parking arrangement on the ocean side of Crenshaw. It would provide better separation
between parking and traffic lanes, allowing traffic to flow safely while visitors enter and
exit their vehicles.
Del Cerra residents do not consider either front -in or back -in angle parking on
Crenshaw to be safe, as either option interrupts the flow of traffic while drivers exit or
enter their parking spaces.
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Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
8. Analyze possible options to eliminate U-turns at the end of Crenshaw without
causing vehicles to continue into Del Cerro and make U-turns at the Oceanaire-
eacrest intersection or in the lower Oceanaire cul-de-sac_ Review options and
recommendations with Del Cerro residents before seeking City approval and
implementation.
The large number of U-turns that occur at the end of Crenshaw causes unsafe traffic
conditions for Del Cerro residents trying to exit or enter the neighborhood. Residents
have witnessed 2 accidents due to U-turns being made.
Del Cerro requests that consideration of any potential solutions include an assessment
of the impact on Ciel Cerro's neighborhood entry and the Del Cerro Park, and that the
potential solutions be reviewed with Del Cerra residents before approval and
implementation.
7_ Add a decomposed granite walkway on tate ocean side of the Crenshaw
Extension from Park Place to Burrell Lane — as long as the pine frees don't have
to be removed.
Del Cerro supports the addition of a decomposed granite walkway on the ocean side of
the Crenshaw Extension from Park Place to the preserve entry point, as it would act as
an extension to the existing sidewalk north of Park Place providing an off-street
walkway for visitors to enter the preserve and would blend in with the natural bucolic
beauty of the area. An important aspect of the plan would be to maintain the pine trees
that line the edge of Del Cerro Park at the end of Crenshaw.
8. Do not establish a pay -to -park zone on Crenshaw.
Del Cerro does not support the installation of pay stations or parking meters and
associated signage on Crenshaw, as it would turn the ambience of a quiet, semi -rural
residential area into a commercial -looking zone. The pay stations and signage would
intrude into the view corridor of residents whose homes look out over Crenshaw to the
Alta Mira Canyon, Del Cerro Park and the nature preserve. No other residential area in
Rancho Palos Verdes has pay -to -park zones. Del Cerro shouldn't be the first.
Even though the City staff recommended establishing a pay -to -park zone on Crenshaw
to provide revenue to the City, the Traffic Safety Committee did not support doing so.
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Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
9. Do not construct a permanent ori -site parking lot in Del Cerro Park.
In the April 2151 staff report to the City Council, staff suggested constructing a
permanent parking lot in Del Cerro Park as a possible future option to accommodate
additional parking space for preserve visitors.
Del Cerro residents strongly oppose converting a portion of Del Cerro Park into a
parking lot for preserve visitors_ The park serves a very different purpose from the
preserve's purpose. It is the neighborhood's equivalent of a small town village square or
village green where neighbors gather to chat, take their children and grandchildren to
play, socialize their dogs; have picnics, and even host pancake breakfasts to thank our
first responders for their efforts in fighting the wildfires that have put our homes and
lives at risk.
Using a portion of this small neighborhood park to provide additional parking for the
preserve would be giving undue priority to the preserve's visitors over the neighborhood
residents. Turning part of the park into a parking lot would be degrading the quality of
life that the neighborhood has enjoyed since the park was established as a passive
recreation neighborhood park in 1932.
Demand for preserve parking in the area is virtually unlimited and will likely continue to
be so. Once part of the park is converted to a parking lot, over time there would likely be
continued pressure to convert larger and larger portions of the park into parking space
until the entire park is consumed.
The Traffic Safety Committee also did not support converting part of Del Cerro Park into
a parking lot.
Conclusion
A fundamental question that the City Council needs to decide is whether the City is
obligated to provide as much parking as possible for visitors to the preserve — even at
the expense of the adjacent neighborhoods' quality of life_
There appears to be a dichotomy in the City's approaches to parking at Gateway Park
and at the Crenshaw Blvd_ entrance into the Preserve. The City staff has repeatedly
stated in workshops held to obtain public comments on the Parks Master Flan that the
"City is not required or obligated to provide parking" at Gateway Park, even though
parking space at that park has been included in preserve -related plans since 2004
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Appendix C
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
Rancho Palos Verdes CA
(before the preserve was acquired) T including the NCCP (approved in 2004) and the
Coast Vision Plan (approved in 2008).
In contrast, the underlying premise in both the April 21 'It staff report to the City Council
and the April 271h staff report to the Traffic Safety Committee regarding traffic/parking
issues at the Crenshaw entrance to the preserve is that more parking space is needed
to accommodate preserve visitors.
Del Cerro residents do not believe that adding parking space to accommodate as many
vehicles as possible is appropriate, as that would draw more vehicles to the area and
increase traffic congestion at the southern end of Crenshaw. Quite the contrary,
If the City Council feels that more parking space must be made available to
accommodate increasing numbers of visitors to the preserve, we would recommend that
the City make parking space available at City Hall or other locations and provide shuttle
service from the parking area to all entrances into the preserve — not just the trailhead at
Crenshaw to improve the distribution of visitors throughout the preserve.
We greatly appreciate the City Council's willingness to take the steps needed to
improve the conditions that are compromising the quality of life of Del Cerro residents.
Thank you for your consideration of our recommendations.
Respectfully submitted,
Megan Moor
President
Del Cerro Homeowners Association
rA
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8 June 2015
Appendix C
Del Cerro Recommendations to Mitigate Crenshaw Traffic/Parking Problems
Following are the results of a survey of Del Cerro property owners/residents regarding City staff recommendations to
mitigate traffic/parking problems on Crenshaw Blvd. Please note that Del Cerro recommendations #5, #8, and #9
below differ from City staff recommendations presented in staff reports to the City Council on April 21, 2015 and to the
Traffic Safety Committee on April 27, 2015. Figures in red below indicate the number of respondents who agreed or
disagreed with each recommendation as Fisted. The percentages shown in red reflect the percentage of responses
that agreed with each recommendation.
Total Respondents as of 6/7/15; 91 Responses (76% of 120 Gel Cerro properties)
1. Establish "No Larking Anytime" zone on Del Cerro side of Crenshaw Blvd. Agree 87 98% Disagree __ 2
from Seacrest Dr. to Valley View Rd.
2. Establish the Crenshaw Extension as a "No Parking Anytime" zone. Agree rE, (mox,) Disagree _ 8-.--
3. Extend the red -striping next to the Crenshaw -Park Place intersection Agree 82(98%) Disagree ..._.
approximately 2-3 car lengths to improve visibility for cars exiting Park Place.
4. Conduct a speed zone survey during peak weekend usage time. Agree 78.(L2°/s) Disagree 7..�
5. Initiate a phased approach to parking on ocean side of Crenshaw:
Agree €34 (95%) Disagree 4_..
1 St phase: Leave parallel parking on the ocean side of Crenshaw as is, while implementing
recommendations #1 through #4 above.
Assess the impact on congestion/traffic conditions.
2nd phase: Re -consider adding angle parking where the street widens only if parallel parking, recommended No
Parking zones and speed limit reductions (recommendations #1 through #4 above) do not sufficiently
mitigate existing traffic problems.
6. Analyze possible options to eliminate U-turns at the end of Crenshaw without
causing vehicles to continue into Del Cerro and make U-turns at the
Oceanaire-Seacrest intersection or in the lower Oceanaire cul-de-sac. Review
recommendations with Del Cerro residents before seeking City approval and
implementation.
7. Add a decomposed granite walkway on the ocean side of the Crenshaw
Extension from Park Place to Burrell Lane – as long as the pine trees
don't have to be removed -
5. Do not establish a pay -to -park zone on Crenshaw.
9. Do not construct a permanent on-site parking lot in Del Cerro Park.
Agree 8i-J9G"l) Disagree 3
Agree /2 (m,%.) Disagree 1.2..._ --
Agree 77 ($7q). Disagree 12
Agree 84 98% Disagree —2--.,
Appendix C
.June 8, 2015
To- Nicole Jules
Deputy Director, Public Warks Dept.
City of Rancho Pales Verdes, CA
Nicole,
Attached is a set of photos that depict the parking and traffic issues in Ciel Cerro. The
photos are intended to support our petition for permit parking. Please include them with
the petition.
We will bring a set of photos addressing the parking and traffic issues on Crenshaw
Blvd. tomorrow.
Thank you very much.
Kathy Edgerton
we
Appendix C
8 June 2015
Photos Depicting Parking and Traffic Problems in Del Derry
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Appendix C
Nicole,
Mi1irWA11[47
Attached is a set of photos depicting traffic and parking Issues on Crenshaw Blvd.
Please attach the photos to the Del Cerro HOA letter submitted yesterday regarding
recommended actions to mitigate the traffic and parking issues the community is
experiencing.
Thank you very much.
Kathy Edgerton
74
Appendix C
Jure 2015
Photos Depicting Traffic and Parking Issue on Crenshaw Blvd.
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