CC SR 20200317 01 - Preserve Del Cerro AccessCITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 03/17/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to review the effectiveness of public parking
measures at upper Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve, and Del Cerro Park.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a status update on the effectiveness of the City’s public parking
restriction measures at upper Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve, and
Del Cerro Park.
(2) Consider additional measures to minimize public parking impacts to the Pre serve
and Del Cerro Park, and direct Staff to explore these measures for future
consideration by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Katie Lozano, Senior Administrative Analyst/Open Space Manager
REVIEWED BY: Cory Linder, Director of Recreation and Parks
Elias Sassoon, Director of Public Works
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Maps of Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve, and Del Cerro Park
access and parking area (page A-1)
B. June 16, 2015 City Council staff report (page B-1)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Over the past 10 years, demand for public parking at upper Portuguese Bend Reserve
has increased substantially and had a negative impact on Rancho Palos Verdes
residents neighboring the Reserve. Over the past approximately eight years, the City
has worked with neighbors on several solutions to lessen adverse impacts. The several
actions taken have had a positive effect, but are still being evaluated and implemented.
Despite improved conditions, neighbors are still experiencing negative impacts due to
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the high volume of recreational visitors to this residential area. This report provides a
summary update of Preserve neighbor experiences, solutions implemented, current
condition assessment, and past solutions explored, but not pursued.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The City of Rancho Palos Verdes possesses one of few natural, open space areas
open to public recreational use in Los Angeles County. This natural open space is the
1,400-acre Palos Verdes Nature Preserve (Preserve), which is land containing a high
concentration of habitat that supports sensitive species protected by state and federal
endangered species lists. It is a crucial component of the City’s Natural Communities
Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) which preserves these
1,400 acres of land in perpetuity, helping preserve the City’s semi-rural character while
streamlining several vital City infrastructure projects.
The Preserve is divided into 12 subareas (called reserves) located throughout the City.
Some of these reserves are less well-known and are mostly used by neighbors and
Peninsula residents, and other reserves are very popular with locals as well as visitors
from greater Los Angeles County and beyond. The only other natural open space areas
in Los Angeles County that compare to the Preserve in size, beauty and recreational
opportunity are Griffith Park and open space areas in Malibu. Over the past 10 years,
the use of the City’s popular Reserves has increased substantially, largely due to
information spread through social media. This unexpected increase in use has had a
negative impact on many residents adjacent to the Preserve because amenities to
support this level of use were never anticipated or constructed.
Two heavily used reserves in the Preserve are the Portuguese Bend Reserve and
Filiorum Reserve. Staff uses trail counters at Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves
to estimate attendance, however, trail counter data is not completely accurate due to
minor fluctuations when groups enter and because there are other less popular entry
points to access these reserves. Annual attendance tracking for 2018-2019 is
estimated at 240,000 combined at the Burma Road and Rattlesnake trailheads. This
averages to 4,615 visitors entering Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves weekly
from these two entry points. These are averages, and it should be noted that use peaks
heavily on weekends and holidays. As a comparison, popular Abalone Cove Reserve
and beach averaged 88,100 visitors in 2019. While Abalone Cove Reserve has a
dedicated parking lot and staging area for paid parking with restroom facilities and is a
considerable distance from the nearest residences, Portuguese Bend and Filiorum
Reserves rely on street parking along Crenshaw Boulevard, and its parking and primary
entry point is located in a residential neighborhood impacting numerous residences.
There are four homeowners associations (HOAs) near the upper entry to the
Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves, and each HOA experiences impacts of the
heavy use of this area in slightly different ways largely dependent on their location
relative to the Preserve and parking areas. The HOAs are: Del Cerro HOA, Park Place
HOA, Rancho Crest HOA, and Island View HOA, and their locations are shown on the
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attached map (Attachment A). The main concerns reported by neighbors are listed
below. Some issues have been resolved, while others persist on a lesser level.
Unsafe and slowed traffic on Crenshaw Boulevard and Park Place as visitors
look for parking, stop in the road waiting for parking, or make u-turns
Tour busses parking on Crenshaw Boulevard to unload large groups
Noise from general use of trailhead and disturbance of peace
Disturbing noise in the early morning and nighttime activity
Neighbor concern for safety and potential break-ins that may result from large
numbers of visitors entering residential neighborhoods
Human waste, dog waste, tissue, and litter around trailhead
Concern that their singular neighborhood provides entire parking for Portuguese
Bend and Filiorum Reserves
The access issues near the Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve, and Del
Cerro Park are multifaceted and complex because of the popularity and high volume of
individuals funneling into a residential neighborhood. The City Council and Traffic Safety
Committee have considered issues and potential solutions over the course of over 20
public meetings within the past 10 years. Summarized below is a status update on
measures implemented by the City to minimize neighborhood impacts based on parking
restrictions.
1. Residential Parking Permits
Three HOAs near the entrance to the Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves were
negatively impacted by an increase in Preserve and park visitors using their residential
neighborhoods for public parking. This created traffic safety issues, noise, and
deteriorated quality of life for neighbors. On July 21, 2015, pursuant to Municipal Code
Chapter 10.20, the City Council adopted Resolution Nos. 15-64, 15-65, and 15-72
implementing neighborhood permit parking programs for the Del Cerro, Rancho Crest,
and Island View HOAs respectively. The program restricts parking on designated
streets to homeowners and their guests. Enforcement of residential permit parking
areas is provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Implementation of the program has resolved most of the issues associated with
Preserve and park visitors parking in residential neighborhoods. Occasionally a visitor
parks illegally on a street protected by the parking program, and there remains some
extra traffic from visitors unaware of the permit parking locations driving through
neighborhoods. However, overall, the residential parking program has significantly
resolved the issue of Preserve and park visitors parking in residential neighborhoods.
2. Parking Restrictions along Crenshaw Boulevard (between Crest Rd. and
Seacrest Drive)
Beginning around 2012, neighbors began expressing concerns with parking, traffic, and
safety conditions on Crenshaw Boulevard. At that time, there were no parking
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restrictions on Crenshaw Boulevard and Preserve use had substantially increased. All
of Crenshaw Boulevard (between Crest Road and Seacrest Drive) and the 17-space
parking lot on Park Place serving Del Cerro Park were used by Preserve and park
visitors. No parking lot was planned in this residential neighborhood to serve the
Preserve.
Neighborhood concerns included severe traffic peaking on weekends and holidays,
illegal, unsafe U-turns, cars stopped in the middle of the street waiting for parking
spaces (making it difficult for neighbors and their guests to leave/enter their property),
after-hours use, and noise from the amount of increased activity. Visitors also would use
Crenshaw Boulevard as a staging area and walkway (making vehicular passing unsafe
and difficult). Moreover, neighbors were concerned with large groups of people passing
through what had previously been a peaceful residential neighborhood , lowering quality
of life.
To help resolve these issues, the Public Works and Recreation and Parks Departments
in collaboration with surrounding neighbors considered several solutions. On July 21,
2015, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 15-67 to red curb the east side of
Crenshaw Boulevard from Seacrest Drive to Valley View Road, resulting in fewer
parking spaces adjacent to the backyards of homes and maintaining a wider
unobstructed portion of the street for vehicle and pedestrian safety. Emergency and
service vehicles retain the ability to park in red curbed areas. Forty parking spaces are
painted on the west side of Crenshaw Boulevard to make it clear where cars should
legally park. Signs were installed clarifying the no parking zone and that parking in the
designated spaces is allowed only between one hour before sunrise and one hour after
sunset, thus prohibiting nighttime parking.
These actions were successful in that they resulted in removing a large quantity of
parking spaces and activity out of the residential neighborhood, and locating it further
down along Crenshaw Boulevard into less residential areas. All four HOAs shared that
the parking restrictions implemented along Crenshaw Boulevard between Crest Road
and Sea Crest Drive have substantially improved unsafe traffic conditions and quality of
life issues. Despite these measures, on busy weekends and holidays, parking often
extends down Crenshaw Boulevard to Crestridge Road.
3. Red Curb between Seacrest Drive and Burma Road Entrance
There is a small segment of road between Park Place and Burrell Lane that terminates
at the Burma Road entry to the Portuguese Bend Reserve. Concerns were raised that
visitors would park along this narrow road and use it as a walkway to enter the
Preserve, making it very difficult and unsafe for Burrell Lane residents to leave and
enter their neighborhood. In light of this, Resolution No. 15-67 adopted by the City
Council on July 21, 2015 also directing the Public Works Department to red curb both
sides of the Crenshaw Boulevard extension, from Seacrest Drive to the Burma Road
entrance to the Portuguese Bend Reserve. This action completely prohi bits parking in
this area. Emergency and service vehicles are allowed to park in the red curbed areas.
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Additionally, large boulders were placed within the dirt turnouts along the road to
prevent cars and busses from parking or unloading in these turnout areas.
These action have been successful. They have resulted in a safer, wider road on which
Burrell Lane residents may access their homes. The boulder placement has also
prevented busses and cars from parking within the park along Crenshaw Boulevard.
4. Parking Restrictions on Park Place
Residents living on Park Place have been heavily impacted by Preserve and park use
with its growing popularity. Park Place is a public street and cul-de-sac on which there
are 17 parking stalls, and driveways to three residences. Neighbors expressed
concerns that the heavy traffic on Park Place make it unsafe and time consuming to
access their homes with cars parked on both sides of the street, cars stoppe d waited for
parking spots and blocking resident access, and rude and sometimes aggressive
Preserve/park visitors.
The Public Works and Recreation and Parks Departments worked with neighbors on
solutions. The solutions implemented to date include red curbing the north side of Park
Place to prohibit parking in 2012, and implementing the Recreation Permit Program on
Park Place by transforming the parking area into 16 Recreation Permit stalls with a
three-hour maximum parking duration during the hours of one hour before sunrise and
one hour after sunset. This prohibits nighttime parking. One Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) parking spot remains on Park Place. The Recreational Permit Program
allows only Rancho Palos Verdes residents to park in the Park Place stalls after having
received a parking permit from the Public Works Department. Additionally, City or Palos
Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC) staff or volunteers or Park Place guests
displaying a placard may use the parking spots. Staff also installed a temporary
illuminated message board along the roadway indicating that the area is part of the
Recreational Permit Program.
It should be noted that the Recreational Permit Parking Program was approved in 2015,
and 10 parking spaces designated for this program were originally placed on Crenshaw
Boulevard closest to Park Place. However, on January 15, 2019, the City Council chose
to move the Recreational Permit Parking Program to the 16 parking stalls on Park
Place, and the Recreational Permit Parking spaces on Crenshaw Boulevard were
returned to general public parking. This action relocated a great deal of traffic off this
small residential street onto Crenshaw Boulevard. It also has decreased nighttime
parking.
The parking solutions the City has implemented on Park Place seem to be partly
effective. While creating a Recreational Permit Program along Park Place has reduced
traffic and parking on Park Place, one Park Place resident has shared that persistent
traffic still exists on Park Place, including cars making u-turns, waiting for parking
places, or cars stopped and waiting for a parking place to open. Some of this traffic,
they believe, is due to visitors’ confusion and ignorance that Park Place is reserved for
Recreational Permit parking only. This traffic makes it difficult for Park Place residents
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to access their properties. The resident also reports aggressive and argumentative park
and Preserve visitors on Park Place.
5. Parking Restrictions on Crest Road
Parking for the Preserve and park that extended to the south side of Crest Road was
causing traffic safety issues. In the past, parking was allowed on both sides of the road
on the south side of Crest Road. This caused a bottleneck effect on Crest Road near
the intersection with Crenshaw Boulevard. There was even an incident of an
emergency responder unable to get th rough.
The City Council adopted a resolution to establish parking restrictions on the south side
of Crest Road to restrict parking between the St. John Fisher driveway and the Rolling
Hills gate to resolve this issue. Parking restrictions were implemented by red curbing the
west side of the street between the St. John Fisher driveway and the Rolling Hills gate,
and also restricting parking entirely on the east side of Crest Road. Additionally, a curb
was built on the east side to prevent unsafe parkin g on the side of the road. Public
parking remains on the west side of Crest Road between the church driveway and
Crenshaw Boulevard. These actions effectively resolved the traffic safety concern
along the south side of Crest Road.
6. Parking Enforcement
Increased enforcement of the parking restrictions is provided by the Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department’s Volunteers on Patrol. Additionally, the City transitioned
to Park Rangers for Preserve enforcement in 2020, resulting in doubling the Preserve
enforcement presence. Park Rangers have the ability to issue citations and will be
assisting enforcing parking restrictions in the area. Staff has reached out to the Los
Angeles County Sheriff Department for statistics on citations issued in this area that will
be provided at the meeting.
Update from HOAs
In February 2020, Staff sought feedback from the four HOAs in the immediate area on
the effectiveness of the City’s parking measures on their neighborhoods, and the
general condition of the current parking situation. Generally, all four HOAs indicated that
the measures the City has implemented in the area have greatly improved conditions.
Specifically, they feel that relocating the parking down Crenshaw Boulevard and out of
the residential neighborhood has had a very positive impact. However, they report that a
high volume of traffic and visitors are still entering the residential area resulting in
continued adverse impacts. Additionally, three of the HOAs expressed continued
support for a trailhead and parking elsewhere to alleviate pressure from their
neighborhood. Ridgecrest Rancho HOA indicated that their board has not taken an
official position on the creation of an additional trailhead/parking area. It should also be
reported that on occasion, the City has also received concerns regarding the parking
situation by the City residents visiting the area. Below is information expressed by each
of the surrounding HOAs.
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Del Cerro HOA
The Del Cerro HOA expressed that the changes the City implemented over the years
have tremendously improved parking conditions and have contributed to a more
peaceful environment. Specifically, the HOA shared that the red striping along
Crenshaw Boulevard has helped traffic safety and the prohibition of nighttime parking in
the area has helped deter nighttime activity. The HOA shared that traffic concerns
remain on Crenshaw Boulevard from individuals making U-turns, and cars idling in the
road waiting for parking spaces to open. Idling cars still block neighborhood traffic and
often cause drivers to drive in the wrong lane of traffic to pass them. The HOA shared
again that this neighborhood is burdened to provide the only parking location for the
most popular Reserve: Portuguese Bend Reserve, as well as the most popular access
to Filiorum Reserve. The HOA supports opening a trailhead with parking at another
location to lessen the burden on the Del Cerro neighborhood.
The HOA president also expressed support for gates at Burma Road and Rattlesnake
Trail to control access and after-hours use, and would like the City to consider making
the gate operation hours sunrise to sunset. Currently, Preserve hours begin at one hour
before sunrise, and end one hour after sunset. The neighborhood is adversely impacted
by visitors parking, slamming car doors, setting car alarms and entering the Reserve as
early at 4:30 a.m., waking and disturbing neighbors.
Palos Verdes Park Place HOA
The Palos Verdes Park Place HOA includes three homes along Park Place, and seven
homes along Burrell Lane. These two zones are impacted differently, because the
seven homes on Burrell Lane are protected from outside traffic by a mechanized gate
controlled by the homeowners. The homes off Park Place share a public street with 16
Recreational Parking Permit parking spaces and one ADA parking spot that serve Del
Cerro Park and the Preserve.
The HOA president shared that while the parking measures implemented by the City
have made a very positive impact on Burrell Lane neighbors, Park Place neighbors may
share a different experience. Staff reached out to a Park Place neighbor who shared
that Park Place homes continue to be heavily impacted by traffic and facility users who
disregard or do not understand the Recreational Permit parking restrictions on Park
Place, and so they enter, illegally park, make U-turns, or stop their cars and wait for
parking spaces to open up. These actions make it difficult for Park Place neighbors to
enter and exit their homes.
Park Place neighbors feel larger signage with larger font and increased enforcement
could improve the situation. The idea of larger signage and font was presented to the
Traffic Safety Committee on January 16, 2020. However, the Committee made the
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determination that the current signage utilizes county standards for sign and font size,
and the Committee preferred to use consistent signage. A Park Place neighbor shared
a concern of increased criminal activity in the area and nighttime parking and use. The
Park Place neighbor shared that the preferred solution would be a gate at the entrance
to Park Place.
The HOA president also shared that it would be nice to designate a pedestrian walkway
from Del Cerro Park to Burma Road to keep pedestrians out of the street for their safety
and vehicle safety. In 2016, Staff secured Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funding for an ADA-compliant pedestrian walkway on the Burrell Lane side of
the Crenshaw Boulevard extension to safely move pedestrians from parking areas to
Burma Road. However, the project was not approved due to lack of Park Place HOA
support due to its proximity to homes. Additionally, the City Council felt there were
better locations for ADA access. The funding was ultimately used for an ADA pathway
within Del Cerro Park. Finding a location for a pedestrian walkway to Burma Road is
difficult due to the proximity of homes and the space available for a walkway. Staff has
noted this as a continued concern and will continue to consider solutions.
Ridgecrest Rancho HOA
The Ridgecrest Rancho HOA president shared that of the 32 members of the HOA, it is
largely the few homes at the intersection of Valley View Road and Crenshaw Boulevard
that are impacted by Preserve access issues. He shared that the parking measures that
the City has implemented have greatly improved his neighbors’ experiences. He
provided feedback that the neighbors that border the intersection of Valley View Road
and Crenshaw Boulevard are most impacted by individuals who illegally park in the
neighborhood permit parking zones and those neighbors have concerns with
enforcement response to parking issues. He also shared that some of his neighbors are
concerned with the speed of Preserve visitors leaving the area, and some neighbors
feel reduced speed limits and a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Valley View
Road and Crenshaw Boulevard would improve safety.
It should be noted that at the Traffic Safety Committee’s November 25, 2019 meeting, at
the HOA’s request, the Committee considered the installation of flashing stop signs at
the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Crest Road, and the installation of a pedestrian
crosswalk across Crenshaw Boulevard and Valley View Drive. However, the Traffic
Safety Committee decided against recommending the installation of the flashing stop
signs and the pedestrian crosswalk. Additionally, the Public Works Department is
currently conducting a speed study on all arterial roads within the City, and this study
will determine appropriate speed for Crenshaw Boulevard. The current speed limit at
this location is 40 mph.
Island View HOA
The Island View HOA President shared that parking and access issue s have greatly
improved in the area, and have kept Preserve and park visitors from parking in the
Island View HOA neighborhood.
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However, a parking issue that persists is individuals illegally parking within Island View
HOA property to access a set of stairs on the HOAs property. The Los Angeles County
Department of Public Works holds an easement over the stairs to maintain storm drain
infrastructure at their base. However, the stairs are very popular with the public for
fitness. Individuals access the stairs by driving through and illegally parking on the
HOA’s private property or by walking over from Filiorum Reserve on spur trails. The
HOA will be installing a fence to prohibit access to the stairs from the HOAs property,
and Staff anticipates that this action will remove the temptation to illegally park with the
HOA to access the stairs. Additionally, the City and Island View HOA are working on
additional measures to prevent the public from trespassing on the stairs and using the
area at night. These solutions are detailed below under Additional Information.
Additional Parking Measures Previously Considered by the City Council
Below are some additional parking solutions that were analyzed and considered by the
City Council, but were ultimately not approved by the then-City Council that can still be
explored if directed by the current City Council.
1. Paid Parking on Crenshaw Boulevard
In 2018, staff explored paid parking along Crenshaw Boulevard as a way to disperse
Preserve visitors to other Preserve entry points, rather than over utilizing this popular
access point. Additionally, revenue generated could be used for park and Preserve
maintenance or enforcement costs. However, many neighbors disliked this approach
and the appearance of pay stations within their community. The City Council did not
approve this measure at the June 16, 2015 City Council meeting. The staff report is
included as Attachment B.
2. Gating Park Place
At the April 3, 2018 City Council meeting, the City Council approved a project to remove
the 16 public parking spaces from Park Place and installing a temporary gate to access
the homes on Park Place. This proposal was heavily supported by the Park Place
residents. However, after thoroughly vetting this measure including reviewing the
California Vehicle Code (CVC) and obtaining additional feedback from residents, law
enforcement, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACOFD) to better
understand the impacts associated with the proposed solution, the City Council
overturned this decision.
More specifically, CVC 21101.4 provides a mechanism for the City to temporarily close
streets to through flowing traffic if particular criteria are met. One criteria that could not
be met was obtaining the recommendation of the law enforcement due to the p resence
of serious and continual criminal activity or serious and continual illegal dumping. At the
time, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department (LASD) records did not support that there
was serious and continual criminal or gang activity at Park Place. Both then-Captain
Beringer and the City Attorney had the same opinion that the vehicle code, which allows
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for gating, was legislated to curb violent crime activity and continuous, around-the-clock
narcotic sales, which are not evident on Park Place. Additiona lly, LASD does not have
reports of serious or continual dumping at Park Place.
An additional CVC 21101.4 criterion that could not be met was that the closure would
not substantially adversely affect the operation of emergency vehicles. At the time, Staf f
reached out to the LACOFD to see if it would support a temporary gate at Park Place
and Crenshaw Boulevard. The Department was against having a temporary gate,
acknowledging the effects listed in the criterion above. As an alternative to gating Park
Place, on January 15, 2019, the City Council opted to move the Recreational Permit
Parking from Crenshaw Boulevard to Park Place, eliminating general parking on the
street. The City Council also restricted parking hours as explained earlier.
If a gate at Park Place is of interest to the City Council, as well as the residents, Staff
could explore whether conditions have changed and CVC criteria for temporarily closing
the street to through traffic are now met.
Staff can also explore again the possibility of how the public street could be vacated and
transferred (typically at a cost of transferring public land to private property) to the HOA
in order to support the installation of a gate. This option was explored but not
implemented in May 2017, because neighbors found it cost prohibitive. One-half of Park
Place could be vacated and privatized to allow for full control of the street via a gate.
The remaining half of the street could be used as an entrance drive to the parking
spaces at Del Cerro Park. To privatize a portion of Park Place, the City would have to
vacate a portion of the public right-of-way, and the adjacent property owners would own,
control and maintain a portion of the street. The cost to implement this option could be
shared by the City and the residents of Park Place. If the City Council considered
vacating a portion of the Park Place right-of-way, the residents of Park Place would
have to fund the cost of the vacation as outlined in Resolution No. 90-93, which is the
City’s adopted procedure for vacating public rights-of-way.
3. Identifying Alternative Parking Locations
When the 424-acre Portuguese Bend property was acquired in 2005, an approximately
25-acre area of the property, then-named Gateway Park, was excluded from the
NCCP/HCP Preserve and set aside for public access purposes. The area once referred
to as Gateway Park was intended to serve as a staging area and parking area for users
and visitors of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. It was determined that because this
site is located in an active geologic area, any proposed improvements were to be
temporary in nature and would be able to be relocated periodically, if necessary.
In September 2008, the City Council approved the Rancho Palos Verdes Coast Vision
Plan (Vision Plan) to assist the City in planning and funding future improvements to
open space properties, including improvements that supported public access and
parking. The Vision Plan is no longer considered a living City document. It included a
conceptual design for Gateway Park as a staging and parking area to support the core
Preserve properties, including Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves. Gateway Park
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was located within the boundaries of the City's landslide moratorium area in an area
located landward of Palos Verdes Drive South, and east of Klondike Canyon. While the
conceptual design did not designate a number of parking spaces, the Gateway Park
concept was further defined in 2014 to include approximately 40 parking spaces.
In April 2013, the City Council approved the Preserve Public Use Master Plan, which
establishes public use and amenities supporting public use (such as parking) for the
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. The PUMP indicates that for Portuguese Bend
Reserve, “on-street parking is available along Crenshaw Blvd. prior to the entry gate at
the Burma Road Trail. Construction of a public parking lot is planned at the Gateway
Park as part of the California Coastal Trail project and as part of the proposed future
improvements for Gateway Park as envisioned in the City Council-adopted Vision Plan.”
When the City Council considered and planned for access to the Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve, a secondary parking location had been planned for the Portuguese Bend
Reserve.
In April 2014, the City Council reconfigured and reduced the size of Gateway Park from
25 acres to 17 acres. Additionally, in 2014, the City conducted public workshops to
consider the realignment of Palos Verdes Drive South and the construction of a public
parking lot with approximately 46 parking stalls as part of Gateway Park In 2015, when
the City Council considered and approved the Parks Master Plan update, the City
Council incorporated elements of Vision Plan into the Parks Master Plan, with the
understanding that the Coast Vision Plan would be retired after the remaining
Connections Section was incorporated into the Updated Trails Network Plan.
The concept of Gateway Park was retired with the Vision Plan and was not incorporated
into the City’s Parks Master Plan primarily because of the following concerns:
Recreational safety, particularly considering a drowning death and numerous
rescues in July 2014
Access and traffic safety
Neighborhood impacts
Social media and rising attendance at the Preserve and beaches
Doubts regarding effectiveness in relieving Del Cerro congestion
Enforcement concerns
Concerns that people would not utilize Gateway Park to access the Preserve, but
would cross Palos Verdes Drive South to access nearby beaches
The City is currently engaged in the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project.
An element of this project is the creation of a detention pond within the former Gateway
Park area to collect and slowly drain surface water to the ocean following a rain. Should
this detention pond be built, there is still the opportunity to provide the public parking
within or adjacent to the detention pond that could support public trail access to the
Preserve. As many as 200 parking spaces could be designed to fit in the area if the
Council wishes Staff to explore this parking option.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Update on the Gate Installations at Rattlesnake Trail and Burma Road Trail
At the July 31, 2018 and January 15, 2019 City Council meetings, the City Council
approved gates and fences at the Portuguese Bend Reserve entry at Burma Road and
the Filiorum Reserve entry at Rattlesnake Trail, respectively. Gating these access
points would enable the City to control after-hours activity from these access points to a
great extent, and lessen after-hours impacts on neighbors. The three HOAs impacted
by after-hours use (Del Cerro HOA, Park Place HOA, and Island View HOA) each
strongly support gating the two access points.
The project has been delayed because the City received no bids on the project when it
was advertised in October 2019. Additionally, the City would be installing the gate and
fence at Rattlesnake Trail on the Island View HOA’s property, and the HOA and City are
working out issues pertaining to liability and maintenance. The gate and fence at
Rattlesnake Trail cannot be installed until both parties are satisfied with terms of liability
and maintenance. The City Attorney is working with both parties and the HOA’s legal
firm to try to resolve this matter. Both gates will be added to the Fiscal Year 2020-21
Capital Improvement Plan for the City Council’s consideration this budget cycle.
Preserve Permit Reservation System
At the July 31, 2018 City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to analyze the
feasibility of a Preserve permit reservation system , because reservation systems can be
an effective method to control access and limit usage levels. However, an effective
reservation system needs to have both a high level of enforcement in combination with
controlled access. Most of the reserves do not have controlled access and rely on street
parking. Additionally, research showed that allowing free or reduced rates for residents
compared to non-residents would not be possible because of restrictions placed on the
Preserve property by grant acquisition funding requirements. In early 2019 , residents in
the Del Cerro Park/Portuguese Bend Reserve access area informed Staff that current
mitigation measures have been effective in reducing parking and neighborhood impacts
from Preserve visitors, and they expressed support for continuing to gauge the
effectiveness of current measures before proceeding with more expensive and impactful
measures, such as a Preserve permit reservation system. In fact, 94% of respondents
to a December 2018 survey conducted by the Del Cerro HOA voted to defer
consideration of an online reservation system until mitigation measures already in place
were practiced and evaluated.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action is available for
the City Council’s consideration:
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1. Direct Staff to take alternative actions regarding traffic and access issues
in the Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve, and Del Cerro Park
area.
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Homeowner AssociaƟons directly impacted by parking for Filiorum Reserve, Portuguese Reserve, and Del Cerro Park. A-1
Parking RestricƟons and Parking Areas in Vicinity RED: red curbed/no parking at any Ɵme GREEN: parking permiƩed A-2
RecreaƟonal Permit Parking and Parking RestricƟons at Park Place A-3
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES
MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
REVIEWED:
HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
CORY LINDER, DIRECTOR OF RECREATION AND~
PARKS
~ MICHAEL THRONE, PE, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC l''ef
WORKS
JUNE 16, 2015
DEL CERRO PARK PARKING CAPACITY UPDATE
(SUPPORTS 2014 CITY COUNCIL GOAL NO. 2,
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NO. 3, CITIZEN
INVOLVEMENT AND PUBLIC OUTREACH)
DOUG WILLMORE, CITY MANAGER WW
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Direct staff to proceed with establishing Neighborhood Permit Parking with the Del
Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View HOA's and return with a Resolution
establishing the permit programs for Council approval;
2. Approve Parking Alternative 1a or Alternative 4 and direct staff to proceed with
striping modifications along Crenshaw Blvd after establishment of Neighborhood
Permit Parking programs in Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View
neighborhoods;
3. Direct staff to proceed with soliciting proposals for parking management and
operations services for pay stations or meters along Crenshaw Blvd and at Del
Cerro Park
1 B-1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Parking continues to be an issue on Crenshaw Blvd near Del Cerro Park and the entrance
to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve. In anticipation of the summer season and high
Preserve patronage, staff is recommending establishing Neighborhood Permit Parking
programs in the Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View neighborhoods and modify the
on-street parking configuration along Crenshaw Blvd to allow for striped, angled or
parallel parking stalls that are equipped with pay stations and/or meters. Staff believes
this combination of improvements will protect the surrounding neighborhoods from non-
resident parking, impose a parking fee for non-resident use of the City Park and Preserve,
while maintaining public parking for the enjoyment of the residents in the rest of the City.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
To be ready for what is expected to be another high-use summer at the park and nearby
Preserve, Recreation and Parks and the Public Works departments are working together
on an integrated plan to increase the parking capacity for Del Cerro Park and provide a
funding mechanism for parking enforcement while preserving adjacent neighborhood
parking.
Crenshaw Boulevard has been the source of traffic issues since 2012 primarily due to the
ever-increasing demand to enjoy the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve (Preserve) and Del
Cerro Park. The Preserve is accessed from a multi-use trailhead that is located at the end
of Crenshaw Blvd where Burma Road begins.
Since 2012, complaints regarding circulation, access, parking, safety, and speeding have
been received by the Public Works Department. The Traffic Safety Committee discussed
this matter on two occasions and have developed a list of phased improvements. City
Council has supported the phased approach and has approved the following
improvements:
• Established “No Parking Any Time” restrictions on Park Place (Completed 2012)
• Painted red-curbs near the intersection of Park Place at Crenshaw (Completed
2012)
• Established “No Parking Any Time” restrictions on the northeast side of the
Crenshaw Blvd Extension road.(Completed 2013)
The following improvements are scheduled to be completed after July 1, 2015:
• Construction of a Decomposed Granite (DG), ADA compliant sidewalk on the
southwest side of Crenshaw Blvd to connect the existing sidewalk north of Park
Place for a continuous walking path from the on-street parking on Crenshaw Blvd
to the entrance to the Preserve. These improvements will include 2 ADA access
ramps at the intersections of Crenshaw Blvd at Park Place and 1 ADA access ramp
at Crenshaw Extension at Burrell Lane. This is a safety-related improvement to
channel pedestrians to walk along the roadside, onto the sidewalk and out of the
street. This project was approved by City Council at the November 18, 2014
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meeting, however during the budget process this project was removed from the
Capital Improvement Program. Based on the safety needs of Crenshaw Blvd, staff
is requesting City Council’s reconsideration of this project.
As of late, the popularity of the Preserve and the recreational amenities in Rancho Palos
Verdes has sky-rocketed. Social Media has put Rancho Palos Verdes “on the map” and
on weekends/holidays and days with great weather, the trails, parks and beaches are
heavily populated. As a result, the public parking spaces are fully utilized, forcing visitors
to park anywhere and everywhere, including the nearby neighborhood streets.
Due to this increase on visitor activity and in response to community requests, staff is
requesting the City Council to consider the next stage of improvements to address the
issue. Del Cerro and the Nature Preserve are public facilities for all residents to enjoy.
We are seeking a solution that may not please some of the residents but will provide
maximum access and opportunity for the majority of residents. Some of the
recommended improvements are neighborhood-driven while others are staff driven.
However, it is important to note that the improvements listed below are sequenced and
coordinated for maximum effect:
City to consider parking zones for this area to designate visitor parking from
resident parking and formulate a plan to manage and enforce the parking
operations.
Reconfigure the existing parallel parking to a parking arrangement that maximizes
the number of spaces while provide for safe and efficient movement of vehicles.
This action could result in a change in the parking capacity, depending on which
configuration is selected.
Del Cerro HOA to consider establishing permit parking to protect their
neighborhood from parking impacts associated with Del Cerro Park and Preserve
use.
Rancho Crest HOA to consider establishing permit parking to protect their
neighborhood from parking impacts associated with Del Cerro Park and Preserve
use.
Island View HOA to consider establishing permit parking to protect their
neighborhood from parking impacts associated with Del Cerro Park and Preserve
use.
Consider initiating a new speed zone survey for Crenshaw Blvd between Crest Rd.
and Burma Road to reflect conditions on the weekends/Holidays and times of
greatest use.
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Consider traffic improvements at the intersection of Seacrest Drive and Crenshaw
Blvd to allow for safer U-turn and turn-around maneuvers.
On April 27, 2015 the Traffic Safety Committee held a public meeting to discuss the
proposed improvements. A draft copy of the meeting minutes are attached to provide
insight into the discussion. At that meeting the committee considered several parking
concepts to address the issues. Those concepts are outlined below:
Parking Zones
To address the parking issues on Crenshaw Blvd near Del Cerro park and the Preserve
entrance, the establishment of a combination of parking zones, when implemented
collectively, should result in a parking management plan that protects the neighborhoods,
provides parking for RPV residents and limits public parking by visitors from out of the
area. The concept includes:
• Neighborhood Permit Parking Zones in Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View
HOA neighborhoods.
• Completely restricted Parking Zone on the Crenshaw Blvd Extension Road
• RPV Resident Recreational Parking Pass
• Pay-To-Park Public Parking Zone (with Pay stations) on Crenshaw Blvd
The exhibit below depicts the conceptual parking zones.
B-4
Establish Neighborhood Permit Parking in Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View
HOA Neighborhoods
A critical component to the success of the parking concept is the creation of a
neighborhood permit parking program in the various neighborhood adjacent to Del Cerro
Park, the Preserve and easily accessed from Crenshaw Blvd to mitigate the potential
impacts of parking on Crenshaw Blvd. Staff has met with the HOA Board of Directors
from Del Cerro HOA, Rancho Crest HOA and Island View HOA and all three have
indicated that they may be interested in establishing a Neighborhood Permit Parking
Program. In fact, the Public Works Department is in receipt of petition from Del Cerro
HOA and Rancho Crest HOA. Both petitions satisfy the minimum requirement of 60%
support. Staff has verified the signatures on the petition and have included a copy as an
attachment to this report. Personal information has been redacted for the protection of
residents, however, the original petition is on file in the Public Works Department.
Parking on Crenshaw Blvd
To improve parking conditions and safety along Crenshaw Blvd, staff has engaged our
consulting traffic engineer to evaluate parking alternatives that will improve safety. The
consulting engineer analyzed the existing parallel parking configuration and looked at
reconfiguring the parking stalls to an angled configuration. The parking alternatives are
listed below.
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Existing Conditions – Parallel parking on both sides of Crenshaw Blvd.
Alternative 1a – A combination of front-in angled parking (60 degrees) and parallel parking
Alternative 1b – A combination of front-in angled parking (45 degrees) and parallel parking
Alternative 2a – A combination of back-in angled parking (60 degrees) and parallel parking
Alternative 2b – A combination of back-in angled parking (45 degrees) and parallel parking
Alternative 3 – Parallel Parking on one side of Crenshaw Blvd only.
Alternative 4 – Parallel parking on both sides of Crenshaw Blvd but with a removal of spaces
in the narrow widths of Crenshaw near Seacrest Drive.
The table below summarized the parking spaces associated for each alternative.
B-6
Scenario
Total Number of Spaces
West side
(Southbound)
East Side
(Northbound) Total
Existing Conditions
(parallel parking) 40 42 82
Alternative 1a
(front-in angled parking @ 60 degrees) 64 0 64
Alternative 1b
(front-in angled parking @ 45 degrees) 56 0 56
Alternative 2a
(back-in angled parking @ 60 degrees) 67 0 67
Alternative 2b
(back-in angled parking @ 45 degrees) 58 0 58
Alternative 3
(parallel parking on west-side only) 40 0 40
Alternative 4
(reduced parallel parking on both sides) 37 31 68
Pay-To-Park (Parking Pay Stations or Meters)
As a means to control and manage parking by non-residents, staff is considering the
concept of Pay stations or metered parking for the parking spaces on Crenshaw Blvd and
Del Cerro Park. The Recreation and Parks Department researched other communities’
experience with vendors that would be able to install, administer, and enforce on-street
parking program. It might be possible to take advantage of other recent local agency
procurement of similar services in order to expedite this project if so desired by the City
Council. Staff researched meter stations as opposed to single stall parking meters to be
installed along Crenshaw (approximately 3-4) and one in Del Cerro Park. It is possible to
limit the stay of Preserve users in order to maximize turnover. Revenue collected from
the stations would fund the cost of the enforcement and maintenance of the stations.
Additional revenue could possibly fund improvements within Del Cerro Park.
Public Opinion about the Concepts
Traffic Safety Committee
The parking concepts were presented at the April 27, 2015 TSC meeting where the public was
invited to participate. The committee deliberated and rendered the following recommendation
regarding the concepts:
Neighborhood Permit Parking – Supports the 3 surrounding HOA’s to establish a
Neighborhood Permit Parking Program
Crenshaw Blvd Parking Alterntives – Support Alternative 1a (Front-in angled parking @ 60
degrees) as the preferred alternative. The TSC
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wanted to support an alternative that resulted in the
least amount of lost parking spaces. They chose
front-in angled parking over back-in angled parking
because it was a new phenomenon that they felt
would not be supported by the community and could
result in accidents.
Pay to Park (Pay stations or meters) - Does not support pay stations or meters. Does not
want Crenshaw Blvd to be the first with this type of
parking management program.
Neighboring HOA’s
In addition to the public meeting with the TSC, staff met with board members of the
neighboring HOA’s (Del Cerro HOA, Park Place/Burrell Lane HOA, Rancho Crest HOA and
Island View HOA) to further discuss the parking concepts being considered and to ensure that
we fully engaged the community. In regards to the parking concepts, the following are the
opinions of the HOAs:
Neighborhood Permit Parking – The three HOA’s that are directly impacted by
Crenshaw Blvd support establishing a Neighborhood
Permit Parking program. To date, petitions have
been received from the Del Cerro HOA and the
Rancho Crest HOA. Copies of their petitions are
included as an attachment to this report. Personal
information has been redacted for the protection of
private information. The original petition is on file in
the Public Works Department. It is expected that the
Island View HOA will submit a petition for permit
parking as well.
Crenshaw Blvd Parking Alterntives – Support Alternative 3 (parallel parking on west-side of
Crenshaw Blvd only). The Del Cerro Community
supports this alternative because they would like to
see the number of spaces reduced, thus limiting the
number of parking spaces along Crenshaw and
providing maximum roadway width to minimize
conflict and improve safety. Board members from the
Island View and Rancho Crest HOA do not support
Alternative 3 but do support Alternative 4. They are
concerned that if too many spaces are eliminated,
visitors will park further north along Crenshaw.
Pay to Park (Pay stations or meters) - Does not support pay stations or meters.
B-8
Staff
Staff is recommending the City Council to consider the issues and proposed concepts to
address the parking issue along Crenshaw Blvd. Although the concepts presented are a
change from what exists today, Del Cerro Park and the Nature Preserve are City amenities to
be enjoyed by all residents. No one solution will satisfy all the residents however a
combination of improvements may result in the least impacts to all. Staff’s recommendations
are:
Neighborhood Permit Parking – Support establishing Neighborhood Permit Parking in
the 3 surrounding neighborhoods. Any modification to
parking on Crenshaw Blvd will directly impact the
neighborhoods. Permit parking will protect the
neighborhoods from non-resident parking.
Crenshaw Blvd Parking Alterntives – Support Alternative 1a or Alternative 4 which modifies
the parking to yield the greatest number of parking
spaces but creates a layout for improved safety.
Pay to Park (Pay stations or meters) - Support pay stations or meters to control or manage
the parking opportunities on Crenshaw Blvd. This
imposes a fee on non-residents and serves a tool to
control the duration that a visitor is parked. Residents
with a Resident Recreational Parking Pass can obtain
an annual pass and park for free.
Implementation Phasing
The proposed parking concepts must be sequentially phased for maximum benefit.
Phase 1: Establish Neighborhood Permit Parking Programs
Before any parking stall modifications can occur, the neighborhood permit parking
programs must be in place. Two of the three potentially impacted neighborhoods have
already submitted petitions. This process is well on its way and the permit programs can
be established with City Council concurrence and approval. This action could occur within
the next 30 days at minimal cost to the City. The anticipated costs would include
purchasing the signs for the permit parking programs and ordering the parking decals.
Phase 2: Modify Crenshaw Blvd Parking
After establishment of the permit parking programs, the striping along Crenshaw Blvd
would be modified to accommodate the desired parking layout, revised travel lanes and
red-curbing. This improvements could take approximately 2 weeks to complete.
Depending on the desired layout, the cost of re-striping ranges between $7,500 to
$10,000.
B-9
Phase 3: Metered Parking:
Recreation and Parks researched other communities’ experience with vendors that would
be able to install, administer, and enforce on-street parking fees. It might be possible to
take advantage of other recent local agency procurement of similar services in order to
expedite this project if so desired by the City Council. Staff researched meter stations as
opposed to single stall parking meters to be installed along Crenshaw (approximately 3-
4) and one in Del Cerro Park. It is possible to limit the stay of Preserve users in order to
maximize turnover. Revenue collected from the stations would fund the cost of the
enforcement and maintenance of the stations. Additional revenue could possibly fund
improvements within Del Cerro Park. The anticipated cost for establishing metering or
pay station parking ranges between $25,000 to $35,000 to start up and approximately
$14,000 for on-going maintenance and operations of the program. These costs are
estimates only. If City Council considers metered or pay-station parking, staff would solicit
proposals to firm up anticipated costs.
Phase 4: Resident Recreational Parking Pass
The feasibility of an annual resident recreational parking pass program has been explored
and would allow for residents to park in the metered parking areas at no cost or at a
nominal annual fee that is to be determined. These annual passes will be distributed by
the Public Works Department, similar to the Neighborhood Permit Parking program, to
city residents upon confirmation of proof of residency. The permits can be decals that
are placed in the lower left corner of the driver’s windshield and are easily seen by parking
monitors. The cost to administer this program will consist of purchasing decals and
possibly informational signs. The decals cost $2.50 each.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council may direct staff to limit the parking stalls located in and around Del Cerro
area; however, the result may be an increase in illegal parking. The Council may direct
staff to not install parking stations and not charge for parking. This directive may result
in a continuance of existing conditions of illegal parking and overcrowding.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council approve and authorize the implementation of
staff’s recommendations.
FISCAL IMPACT
The recommended action could result in a fiscal impact to the current FY 2014-2015
budget. The preliminary estimate of cost of the proposed parking configuration ranges
from $7,500 to $10,000. Purchase and installation of the meter stations could range from
$25,000 to $35,000. Ongoing enforcement and operations of the meter stations is
approximately $14,000 annually. If Council chooses to move forward with pay stations or
parking meters, staff will return after circulating a request for proposal for the parking
services.
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Attachments:
•Appendix A—Conceptual parking configurations along Crenshaw Boulevard (page
12)
•Appendix B – Correspondence Del Cerro HOA Neighborhood Permit Parking
Petition (page 18)
•Appendix C – Correspondence from Del Cerro HOA regarding parking along
Crenshaw Blvd. (page 51)
•Appendix D – Copy of Rancho Crest Neighborhood Permit Parking Petition
•(page 116)
•Appendix E – Draft Meeting Minutes April 27, 2015 TSC meeting (page 122)
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