CC SR 20200901 E - Prohibited Parking on Crenshaw
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 09/01/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA ITEM:
Consideration and possible action to establish a temporary no parking area along
Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Adopt Resolution No. 2020-__, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA PROHIBITING THE
STOPPING, PARKING, OR STANDING OF VEHICLES ON CRENSHAW
BOULEVARD SOUTH OF CREST ROAD TO THE BURMA ROAD TRAILHEAD
GATE FOR 60 DAYS, UNLESS EXTENDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
FISCAL IMPACT: The necessary funds to install signs and/or red curb paint to
implement the temporary parking prohibition will come from the
roadway maintenance budget and are estimated to be
approximately $1,000.
Amount Budgeted: $27,300
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): 101-400-3120-5201 (General Fund – Traffic Safety/Repair Services)
ORIGINATED BY: Ron Dragoo, Principal Engineer
REVIEWED BY: Same
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Resolution No. 2020-__ including parking prohibition map (page A-1)
B. August 18, 2020 City Council Staff Report (page B-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
Parking conditions along Crenshaw Blvd in the vicinity of Del Cerro Park have been a
topic of discussion at several City Council meetings over the years. The most recent
discussion occurred at the August 18, 2020, City Council meeting. At this meeting, after
considering information presented by staff and public testimony, City Council approved
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a motion to help alleviate traffic congestion and unsafe turning movements within the
immediate area that has been adversely impacting the Del Cerro, Burrell Lane/Park
Place, Island View, and Rancho Crest neighborhoods. A component of the City Council-
adopted motion directed Staff to come back with an instrument that would temporarily
prohibit parking along Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road to the Burma Road
Trailhead gate for 60 days, unless extended by the City Council, while other preserve
related parking options are examined in detail. The attached resolution will allow staff to
install signs and/or curb marking that will temporarily prohibit the stopping, parking, or
standing of vehicles on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Rd.
In addition to establishing a temporary no parking area through the resolution presented
for the City Council’s consideration, this action will cause the installation of signs or
markings that are enforceable under section 22500 of the California Vehicle Code.
Fines for parking in a no parking area have been established by resolution, adopted by
the City Council, and are set at $50.00 per occurrence. Of this, the City receives $45.00
per citation. At this time, the parking prohibition will be enforced by the City’s rangers
and/or open space management staff.
It is recommended that the temporary no parking area expire November 5, 2020 (within
the 60 day time period). If viable parking solutions are still incomplete, staff will bring
this temporary no parking item back to the City Council at its November 4, 2020 meeting
to consider its options including a time extension for the temporary no parking area.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative action are available for
the City Council’s consideration:
1. Do not adopt the resolution pertaining to the temporary no parking area.
2. Take other action, as deemed appropriate.
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01203.0001/636842.2
RESOLUTION NO. 2020-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIFORNIA PROHIBITING
THE STOPPING, PARKING, OR STANDING OF VEHICLES
ON CRENSHAW BOULEVARD SOUTH OF CREST ROAD
TO THE BURMA ROAD TRAILHEAD GATE FOR 65 DAYS
UNLESS EXTENDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
WHEREAS, in 2008, the trails associated with the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve
(Nature Preserve) was formalized by the City Council with the adoption of the Preserve
Trails Plan (PTP). The PTP identifies, among other things, the trailheads and parking
areas serving the Nature Preserve. Since the Nature Preserve was formed, the City
over the years began to observe an uptick in visitors resulting in health and safety and
quality of life related impacts to surrounding residences associated with vehicle and
parking congestion; and
WHEREAS, on or around 2010, residents adjacent to the Portuguese Bend
Reserve, a subarea of the Nature Preserve, began expressing concerns to the City
Council regarding adverse impacts associated with the volume of vehicles in their
neighborhood. The concerns varied between illegal parking and stopping, unlawful
turning movements, excessive vehicle speeds, and line -of-sight impacts to name a few.
These concerns were expressed by residents in the Del Cerro, Rancho Crest, Burrell
Lane/Park Place and Island View homeowners’ associations (HOA); and
WHEREAS, on June 16, 2015, the City Council received an update on Del Cerro
Park Parking Capacity which supported the 2014 City Council Goal Nos. 2 and 3 for
Infrastructure, Citizen involvement and Public Outreach, wherein a neighborhood permit
parking program for Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View HOA’s was discussed.
After considering information presented at the meeting, including public testimony, the
City Council directed staff to proceed with striping modifications along Crenshaw
Boulevard south of Crest Road, including red curbing the east side of the roadway, after
establishing a neighborhood permit parking program in Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and
Island View neighborhoods.
WHEREAS, on July 31, 2018, the City Council received and filed an update of
the current parking and access conditions used for the Nature Preserve. After
considering information presented at the meeting, including public testimony, City
Council directed staff to mitigate unpermitted after-hour visitors in the Portuguese
Bend Reserve area by installing a gate at the Burma Road and Rattlesnake
Trailheads, and to continue to explore alternative to redirect vehicle traffic to more
suitable areas of the Nature Preserve; and
WHEREAS, on January 15, 2019 the City Council received and filed an update
on a Preserve Permit Reservation System which included information on parking in
the Del Cerro Park/ Portuguese Bend Reserve area; and
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Resolution No. 2020-XX
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, on August 18, 2020, City Council in an effort to enhance the
public’s safety on the roadway and minimize conflicts among drivers, directed staff to
implement a temporary parking and stopping prohibition along Crenshaw Blvd. south
of Crest Road up to the Burma Road Trailhead gate for 65 days, unless extended by
the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the City Council may, by resolution, prohibit or otherwise restrict the
stopping, parking, or standing of vehicles on certain streets or highways, or portions
thereof, during all or certain hours of the day. Cal. Vehicle Code § 22507(a). Such “no
parking” restrictions can be applied to "any type of vehicle." People v. Garth (1991) 234
Cal.App.3d 1797, 1800. Signs or markings giving adequate notice are required. Homes
on Wheels v. City of Santa Barbara (2004) 119 Cal.App.4th 1173, 1179.
NOW , THEREFORE, THE RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL DOES
HEREBY RESOLVE, DETERMINE, AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated
herein as the findings of the City Council and the factual and legal predicate for the
actions taken hereinafter.
Section 2. Pursuant to Vehicle Code § 22507(a) for a period of sixty five (65)
days following the adoption of this resolution, parking shall be prohibited along
Crenshaw Boulevard commencing south of Crest Road to the Burma Trailhead gate
for 65 days, unless extended by the City Council, located with the geographic
boundaries of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes as depicted in Exhibit “A”.
Section 3. City staff are hereby directed to post signs and/or other paintings
or makings, consistent with the requirements of law that shall give notice that stopping,
parking, or standing of vehicles within the temporary no parking area noted above
shall be, and hereby is, prohibited.
Section 4. The temporary parking prohibition shall be effective on the date of
adoption of this resolution for a period of 65 days unless extended by the City Council.
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Resolution No. 2020-XX
Page 3 of 3
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED on this 1st day of September, 2020.
_______________________________
Mayor
Attest:
__________________________
City Clerk
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss
City of Rancho Palos Verdes )
I, Emily Colborn, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, hereby certify that the
above Resolution No. 2020-__ was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the said
City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on September 1, 2020.
________________________
Emily Colborn, City Clerk
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EXHIBIT A
A-4
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 08/18/2020
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to implement measures mitigating impacts to
residential neighborhoods adjacent to Del Cerro Park and Portuguese Bend Reserve.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Review and provide input on the short-term solutions implemented by Staff;
(2) Direct Staff to pursue the following long-term solutions:
a. Establish a parking reservation program on Crenshaw Boulevard south of
Crest Road; and
b. Establish a trailhead with parking at the toe of the Portuguese Bend
Reserve (formerly known as Gateway Park); and
(3) Review and provide direction on alternative long-term solutions.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Dan Trautner, Deputy Director Recreation and Parks
Katie Lozano, Sr. Administrative Analyst/Open Space Manager
Recreation, Parks, and Open Space
REVIEWED BY: Cory Linder, Director Recreation, Parks, and Open Space
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. June 16, 2015 staff report (paid parking on Crenshaw Boulevard) (page A-
1)
B. July 31, 2018 staff report (paid parking, entry reservation systems, shuttle
service) (page B-1)
C. January 15, 2019 staff report (entry reservation system) (page C-1)
D. March 17, 2020 staff report (comprehensive update, Gateway Park) (page
D-1)
E. Preserve Map (page E-1)
F. Maps showing Staff’s recommended actions (page F-1)
B-1
BACKGROUND:
The City of Rancho Palos Verdes possesses one of few natural, open space areas
open to public recreational use in Los Angeles County. The only other natural open
space areas in Los Angeles County that compare to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve
(Preserve) in size, beauty, and recreational opportunity are Griffith Park, Angeles
National Forest, and open space areas in Malibu. The Preserve is comprised of 12
individual properties referred to as Reserves and, over the past 10 years, the use of
certain reserve properties has increased substantially, largely due to information spread
through social media. The Reserves that have seen the most substantial increases in
use are Portuguese Bend, Forrestal, Vicente Bluffs, Ocean Trails, and Abalone Cove
Reserves. This 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.
The Portuguese Bend Reserve is likely the City’s most popular Reserve and is often
considered the front door to the Preserve. Approximately 658 people visit this site daily,
resulting in vehicular traffic and noise impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods,
especially on weekends and holidays. The area that is the most impacted is the stretch
of Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road. This area has approximately 72 parking
spaces coveted by visitors, and the stretch of road terminates in a residential
neighborhood, causing persistent vehicle traffic and noise concentrated in this area. Of
the total 72 parking spaces, 55 are open to the general public on Crenshaw Boulevard
and 16 (off Park Place) are designated for Rancho Palos Verdes residents with a
Recreational Residential Permit. One parking space on Park Place is reserved as an
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) parking stall. For approximately eight years, the
City has worked with the surrounding residents to implement solutions to lessen the
adverse impacts. These efforts are detailed in past staff reports (Attachments A-D).
Despite these solutions, adverse impacts persist, including a high volume of vehicles,
resulting in consistent noise, especially during sensitive hours of the day, and difficult
driving conditions.
Since the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health relaxed the stay-at-home
orders related to COVID-19 and allowed the reopening of public parks and trails, the
City, along with other cities, experienced a sharp uptick in visitors, further exacerbating
the impacts. This staff report is intended to identify measures to mitigate these impacts,
particularly vehicular related impacts, to the neighborhoods specifically adjacent to the
Portuguese Bend Reserve/Del Cerro Park location.
DISCUSSION:
In May 2020, the City reopened the Preserve and public parks in response to the
relaxed stay-at-home orders. Over weeks to come, the City observed a significant spik e
in visitors at its open space areas, particularly the Portuguese Bend Reserve. To
address the impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods, Recreation and Parks Staff
began to identify solutions to mitigate these impacts. As discussed below, some of the
identified solutions could be implemented immediately and are considered “short-term
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solutions,” while other solutions require City Council consideration and funding, and are
considered “long-term solutions.”
1. SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS
As of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, Recreation and Parks Staff in collaboration
with Public Works Staff implemented the following measures to alleviate some of the
impacts immediately. Many of these measures were added to those implemented in
previous weeks.
Increased Law Enforcement Presence
In anticipation of large crowds over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, the Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) was asked to increase its presence at, among
other areas throughout the City, the Del Cerro Park area. The increased law
enforcement presence was above and beyond its routine patrol of the area, and was
funded through the City Council-approved Special Programs budget. In July, the
increased law enforcement presence resulted in 121 parking citations. Additionally, the
City’s Park Rangers are issuing parking citations, and they issued 96 parking citations
for July.
Electronic Message Boards
Two electronic message boards were installed at City/Preserve entry points directing
trail visitors to the Alta Vicente Reserve (City Hall) as a hiking destination. An additional
electronic message board was placed at the intersection of Crest Road and Crenshaw
Boulevard directing visitors to public parking along Crenshaw Boulevard, north of Crest
Road, and away from the residential neighborhood. This is a new effort and its
effectiveness is gradual but continues to be monitored by Staff.
Directing Visitors to Alta Vicente Reserve
The Preserve is comprised of 12 individual Reserves (Attachment E), several of which
are not well known or visited by the public, likely because they have not been
discovered by social media and/or promoted. These include Alta Vicente, Vista Del
Norte, San Ramon, and Alta Vicente Reserves. Of these, Alta Vicente Reserve is the
only Reserve that has ample public parking and public restrooms with minimal impacts
to surrounding residences. Staff proposes investing not only in promoting this site as an
alternative to the Portuguese Bend Reserve but also in making it more attractive to the
public.
Alta Vicente Reserve is directly adjacent to the Civic Center and Upper Point Vicente
Park. The Reserve has 1.5 miles of trails, ocean views, and an active habitat restoration
site. Upper Point Vicente Park has a dog park, tennis court, socially distanced picnic
areas, a large open field, ample parking, and restrooms. Another feature of this site is
that it connects to neighboring Vicente Bluffs Reserve, the Point Vicente Interpretive
Center, the Point Vicente Lighthouse, and the Golden Cove Shopping Center. For
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visitors seeking a more strenuous hike, it connects to Three Sisters Reserve via the
Salvation Army Trail and the very steep sidewalk trail along Hawthorne Boulevard.
To help direct trail users from Portuguese Bend Reserve to Alta Vicente Reserve, the
Staff is updating the City’s trail map to promote the nearby attractions. Staff is also
planning on installing additional improvements to make the site more appealing to
visitors.
Social Media Outreach Campaign/Web Strategies
The increasing popularity of the Preserve is believed to be driven primarily by social
media, and the City has recently taken steps to proactively influence social media and
the information it disseminates, including promoting the Civic Center/Alta Vicente
Reserve as an alternative hiking spot. Prior to the weekends of July 25, August 1, and
August 8, Staff promoted this site in posts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The
posts highlighted ample parking, access to restrooms, great trails, the active habitat
restoration area, proximity to nearby trail systems, the Point Vicente Interpretive Center ,
the Point Vicente Lighthouse, Terranea Resort and the Golden Cove Shopping Center.
Additionally, Staff has begun claiming ownership of Google business sites for Reserves
and adjacent parks in order to better control and disseminate appropriate and accurate
information. So far, Staff has claimed ownership of the following Google business
addresses:
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve
11 of the 12 Reserves (excluding, at this time, Agua Amarga Reserve)
Abalone Cove Park
Del Cerro Park
In addition to working to update contact and use information on these sites, Staff has
changed the address for the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve from Burma Road (within
the Del Cerro neighborhood) to 30940 Hawthorne Boulevard. This is the address for the
Alta Vicente Reserve, the Civic Center, and Upper Point Vicente Park. Staff believes it
is a more appropriate front door to the Preserve due to its ample parking, proximity to
other Reserves, and because it has minimal impacts to surrounding residences and is
staffed Monday through Friday.
Staff is still evaluating the impacts of these efforts. As of the writing of this report, over
the past three weeks, Staff has noticed no significant decrease in parking or traffic at
Del Cerro Park/Portuguese Bend/Filiorum parking area, and a slight increase in use at
Alta Vicente Reserve. Staff recognizes the importance of social media in shaping the
way the public uses the Preserve and is just beginning a long-term, more thorough
management of online content and a proa ctive approach to social media.
Over the next several months, Administration, Information Technology (IT), and
Recreation, Parks, and Open Space Staff will be working on a comprehensive public
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information campaign. This includes working with Tripepi Smith, a public affairs firm that
specializes in municipal clients, to help the City with search engine optimization (SEO)
to help ensure City information reaches potential visitors. SEO is a strategy that aims to
maximize the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears
high on the list of results returned by a search engine. The City can use SEO to improve
the ranking of the City website when the general public searches for key terms, such as
“hike Palos Verdes” or “Palos Verdes trails.” Staff will also work with Tripepi Smith and
the City Manager’s Office to create content to drive users to locations with amenities
more suitable to higher usage, such as dedicated parking and restrooms. Staff will also
update our webpage content on the Preserve to emphasize rules and sensitivity to
neighboring residents and protected habitat and species. Once Staff has worked to
optimize SEO and website content, the City Manager’s Office will work with OSM Staff
to continue to use content to proactively manage open space use. This will include
regularly seeking out other online entities and social media groups that post about the
City’s open space and trails and sharing accurate City information with them. The Staff
believes the other strategies detailed in this report will be exponentially more effective if
implemented with a proactive long-term social media and web campaign.
Installation of Residential Area Signs
Three signs were installed along the Burma Road Trail, near adjacent residences,
requesting that trail users be respectful while passing through residential areas.
Additional similar signs will go up along Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road over
the next few weeks.
Park Place Recreational Residential Permit Area
Residents of Park Place have been heavily impacted by the growing popularity of
Preserve and park use. Park Place is a public street and cul-de-sac on which there are
17 parking stalls and driveways to three residences. In the past, neighbors expressed
concerns that the heavy traffic on Park Place makes it unsafe and time consuming to
access their homes with cars parked on both sides of the street, cars stopped waiting
for parking spots and blocking resident access, and rude and sometimes aggressive
Preserve/park visitors. In response, the City “red-curbed” the north side of Park Place to
prohibit parking in 2012, and implemented the Recreational Permit Program on Park
Place by transforming the parking area into 16 Recreational Permit stalls with a three-
hour maximum parking duration during the hours of one hour before sunrise and one
hour after sunset (one parking spot remains on Park Place for ADA use).
The Recreational Permit Program along Park Place has reduced traffic and parking on
Park Place, however, traffic still exists on Park Place, including cars making U-turns,
waiting for parking places, or cars stopping and waiting for a parking space to open.
Some of this traffic and undesirable conditions are believed to be due to visitors’
confusion and lack of awareness that Park Place is reserved for Recreational Permit
parking only. In response, an electronic message board was installed at the intersection
of Crenshaw Boulevard and Park Place indicating that parking is by permit only. Staff
continues to assess the effectiveness of these efforts.
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2. STAFF-RECOMMENDED LONG TERM SOLUTIONS
The short-term solutions described above may not yield significant changes in trail
visitor patterns and behaviors that will be noticeable to the surrounding neighborhoods
at Del Cerro/Portuguese Bend Reserve without implementing measures that will
dissuade the popularity of the area. To that point, the Staff has identified “long-term
solutions” for the City Council’s consideration to alleviate the impacts experienced by
the surrounding residences. These Staff-recommended solutions are intended to shift
public parking on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road to other, less impactful,
areas of the City. The following are Staff’s recommended long-term solutions:
Parking Permit Reservation System
There are approximately 55 parking spaces along Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest
Road that are highly coveted because of their close proximity to the trailhead. In order
to limit the number of cars traveling along the southern stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard,
within the residential neighborhood, looking for Preserve parking, Staff recommends
establishing a parking permit reservation system as an alternative to a traditional entry
reservation system that directly addresses parking and traffic issues. Staff has modeled
its recommended parking reservation system off a successful system recently
implemented in the Monrovia Canyon Open Space Area, with some operational features
suggested by Councilman Dyda. The parking reservation system would work in tandem
with the new access gates at Burma Road and Rattlesnake Trail (see Additional
Information).
The 55 parking spaces would be clearly delineated for the proposed reservation system.
To reserve one of these parking spots, visitors would make an online reservation
through the City’s existing Active Network Online Reservation System. Reservations
would be limited to 55 cars per 3-4 hour intervals. Reservation permit costs could be set
based on demand. In other words, on weekends or holidays, the City could charge a
higher rate such as $20 an hour, while weekdays could be at a lower rate of $15 an
hour. The parking permit reservation system would limit the number of cars that could
park on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road to 165 cars daily (55 parking spaces
x three rotation cycles). This is a significant decrease from cars parking at the location
now. An additional approximately 120 cars could still park for free north of Crest Road. It
should be noted that even though the walk from these free parking spaces to the
Portuguese Bend/Filiorum Reserve trailheads is approximately 0.3-0.75 miles, visitors
often park north of Crest Road on weekends and holidays. This long-term solution
would reduce the heavy vehicle traffic on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road
To effectively implement this reservation permit parking program, there will be a need
for increased traffic enforcement and administrative staff. An added benefit to traffic
enforcement dedicated to this area is that personnel would also enforce parking
restrictions on nearby Park Place. Costs recovered for parking permits would offset
additional staff costs.
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It is also important to note that reducing parking at this popular access area may drive
visitors to other Preserve entrances, several of which are in residential neighborhoods.
Options those neighborhoods may consider include neighborhood parking permit s or
asking the City to implement similar parking restrictions/parking permit programs in
those neighborhoods.
At this time, Staff recommends implementing this program on Fridays through Sundays
and holidays to monitor its effectiveness over a six-month period. Typically, weekend
and holiday usage is comprised of less than 5% Rancho Palos Verdes residents.
Providing parking on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road on Monday through
Thursday would make Preserve access easier for residents and non-residents choosing
to use the facility during non-peak times. Additionally, there can be a grace period in the
early morning and late afternoon hours (when many residents access the Preserve for
daily hikes) on weekends and holidays to allow users to access the Preserve for a few
hours without obtaining a permit.
Should the City Council approve this solution, Staff recommends exploring in tandem an
alternative parking location (former Gateway Park) to soften the impact of the parking
reduction. If implemented, it will require time and continuous public education and
enforcement to change public behavior. This solution does not propose reductions in
parking on Park Place or changes to the Recreational Residential Permit Parking on
that street. Should the City Council wish to pursue this solution, Staff will bring back
more detail on implementation, costs, and public feedback.
Creating a Trailhead at the Toe of Portuguese Bend Reserve (formerly known as
Gateway Park)
In 2008, when the Preserve was formed, an approximately 25-acre area of the 424-acre
Portuguese Bend property, then-named Gateway Park, was set aside to serve as,
among other things, a trailhead with public parking and other public amenities. In 2015,
the City Council decided not to proceed with a trailhead at this location and chose not to
incorporate it into the City’s Parks Master Plan update, primarily due to the following
community concerns:
Neighborhood noise impacts
Recreational safety, particularly considering a drowning death and numerous
rescues in July 2014
Trespassing concerns
Social media and rising attendance at the Preserve and beaches
Doubts regarding effectiveness in relieving Del Cerro neighborhood congestion
Enforcement concerns
Safety concerns with visitors crossing Palos Verdes Drive South to access
nearby beaches
At this time, Staff recommends exploring the Gateway Park concept again, as originally
envisioned, as a measure to alleviate the impacts to the Del Cerro neighborhood. The
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City is engaged in the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Project and there is an
opportunity to provide as many as 200 parking spaces around the proposed detention
basin at the toe of the Portuguese Bend Reserve . A primary trailhead at this location
would serve as an entry point not only to the Portuguese Bend Reserve, but as well as
the Forrestal, Three Sisters, and Filiorum Reserves. More information on Gateway Park
is attached (Attachment D).
It should be noted that in order to effectively consider a trailhead at the toe of the
Portuguese Bend Reserve, this would involve engaging the surrounding residential
communities to ensure impacts are not shifted from one area of the City to another.
Should the City Council wish to pursue this solution, Staff will bring back more detail on
implementation, costs, and public feedback.
3. ADDITIONAL LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS
In addition to the above Staff-recommended long-term solutions, the City Council may
consider the following alternative Long-Term Solutions and provide Staff with further
direction.
Eliminating Parking on Crenshaw Boulevard South of Crest Road
This long-term solution is favored by the Del Cerro Homeowners Association (HOA) and
involves eliminating all of the parking on Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road in
the form of posted signs or red-curbs. This would eliminate excess Preserve traffic on
Crenshaw Boulevard near homes. The public would continue to be able to park on
Crenshaw Boulevard north of Crest Road and residents with a Recreational Parking
Permit would continue to be able to park on Park Place. This long-term solution would
also require continuous dedicated parking enforcement and could be implemented on
weekends and holidays only, or year-round, as an alternative. Reducing or eliminating
parking in this area may be unpopular with residents outside the neighborhood and the
general public. If this solution is selected, Staff recommends conducting extensive
public outreach before implementation.
Preserve Entry Permit Reservation System
Implementing a Preserve Permit Reservation System can be an effective method to
control access and limit usage levels. For this reason, on July 18, 2018, the City Council
directed Staff to analyze such a system. However, an entry reservation system is
typically used where there is one controlled access point into an open space area.
There are 12 authorized access points into the Portuguese Bend and Filiorum
Reserves, and controlling access into the property would not be possible without
significantly increasing personnel or hiring a private security company to provide the
necessary enforcement. Entry reservation systems are typically implemented to control
facility capacity to protect natural resources. The Portuguese Bend and Filiorum
Reserves are large enough in acreage to accommodate the high volume of visitors.
However, the primary issues in the Del Cerro neighborhood involve vehicular and traffic
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impacts, which is why Staff, as noted above, recommends a parking permit reservation
system in lieu of a entry permit system.
If the City Council is interested in this possible solution, the Recreation and Parks
Department can utilize its existing Active Network Online Reservation System to issue
permits for same-day permits and/or future visits to these core Preserve areas. The
permits could be required seasonally, weekly or strictly on the weekends. It is important
to note that it is not possible to allow free or reduced rates for residents compared to
non-residents because of restrictions placed on the Preserve property by grant
acquisition funding sources. The City has received objections from residents and non-
residents to the Preserve entry permit reservation system in the past. In early 2019,
residents in the Del Cerro Park area expressed their general opposition to a permit
system and voted to defer consideration of an online reservation system until mitigation
measures already in place were practiced and evaluated.
Parking Meters or Pay Stations along Crenshaw Boulevard
In 2015, 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. The City charges $6 to $12 to park at Abalone Cove Park and Reserve,
depending on the length of stay. This does not deter attendance, as the paid parking lot
at Abalone Cove fills to capacity (120 spaces) and must temporarily close and stop
accepting visitors on average nine times each Saturday and Sunday in the summer.
The City could consider a higher parking fee along Crenshaw Blvd. south of Crest
Road, but it is possible this may decrease the length of time visitors stay, and not
decrease the traffic on the road. Revenue generated could be used for park and
Preserve maintenance or enforcement costs.
It should be noted that at the time this was explored, many residents disliked this
approach because of the unattractive appearance of pay stations within their community
and the concern that paid parking will not reduce traffic. There are now phone
applications that can be used rather than installing pay stations . The core difference
between this option and the parking permit reservation system described above is that
the parking permit reservation system would require a guest to reserve a 3-4 hour
timeslot, reducing traffic in the reservation area to approximately 165 cars per day. Paid
parking through pay stations or phone applications may not require a 3-4 hour
reservation of time, so parking turnover and the resulting traffic may not be reduced by
a standard pay-to-park program.
Reducing Hours of Operation at Burma Road and Rattlesnake Trail Gates
A specific concern raised by the Del Cerro HOA is noise early in the morning from
Preserve visitors. In accordance with Section 12.16.030 of the Rancho Palos Verdes
Municipal Code, the Preserve officially opens one hour before sunrise and closes one
hour after sunset. Some neighboring residents have said this results in car alarms and
doors slamming as early as 5 a.m. in this neighborhood. Neighbors have requested
B-9
opening the new gates, once installed, at a later hour to minimize early morning noise,
and closing the gates at sunset.
The hours of the Preserve as established in the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code
would remain the same, and the public could enter alternative access points earlier or
later. However, the gates at the two Preserve entry points near Del Cerro Park could
open later. Moreover, the hours the public is allowed to park on Crenshaw Boulevard
south of Crest Road could correspond to the operational hours of the gates. An exit
system will be in place allowing visitors to exit, but not enter, after the gates have been
locked. This precedent is set at the Abalone Cove Park and Reserve. While Abalone
Cove Preserve and Park are open one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset, the
parking lot gate opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Visitors are still allowed to exit the
parking lot, but not enter the parking lot after 4 p.m.
Shuttle System
A shuttle bus program was explored in 2018 as an approach to ease traffic impacts at
major Preserve access points. It is unlikely that a shuttle system would be a complete
substitute for parking near access points, but it might be able to alleviate impacts on
residential neighborhoods. The Point Vicente Park/Civic Center site, with its restrooms
and ample parking, is a logical location for a shuttle service. Visitors could easily walk to
Vicente Bluffs Reserve and Alta Vicente Reserve or take a shuttle to drop-off points at
specified Reserve locations including Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves. The
Point Vicente Interpretive Center’s dirt lot (owned by the United States Coast Guard)
would be a potential backup or temporary shuttle location. Staff researched this option
in 2018, including details on operations and costs (Attachment B). Staff does not
recommend a shuttle system due to the high costs of the program, the challenges of
operating a shuttle service under L.A. County Department of Public Health COVID-19
guidelines for public transportation, its general lack of popularity with users, and its likely
modest effectiveness in reducing parking impacts in the Del Cerro neighborhood.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Status Update on Burma/Rattlesnake Gates
At the July 31, 2018 and January 15, 2019 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 went out to bid in October 2019, however no
bids were received, and this delayed the project. The City is now able to negotiate
directly with contractors, in accordance with the Public Contract Code. In an attempt to
negotiate a price for the gates, Staff worked with several contractors, and settled on the
best proposal. Staff is negotiating with a vendor to finalize a proposal regarding cost
and availability. An agreement to award a construction contract will be brought to the
B-10
City Council as soon as negotiations are completed. Staff anticipates that will be within
the next two months. This agenda item will include additional information on the project
resulting from the negotiation process. Additionally, the City would be installing the
second 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. To minimize the continued delay of the
installation of the Burma Road Gate, these two gate projects have been split into two
independent Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. The City Council-approved
funding for both CIP projects is in the Fiscal Year 2020-21 CIP budget.
Public Notification
On August 11, Staff issued a listserv message to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve
listserv group informing subscribers of this agenda item. Additionally, the topic was
discussed at the July 15 Palos Verdes Nature Preserve Public Forum. Staff also met
directly with Del Cerro HOA representatives onsite to discuss ongoing negative
impacts. Lastly, Staff will be sending out emails to the four HOA’s surrounding the Del
Cerro Park/Portuguese Bend access areas on Crenshaw Boulevard once this staff
report is published.
CONCLUSION:
When the City created the Preserve, the current level of use at several locations,
including Portuguese Bend Reserve, was never anticipated. When establishing parking
locations for the Portuguese Bend Reserve, initial plans included parking in the Del
Cerro area and in lower Portuguese Bend at Gateway Park. Since the concept of
Gateway Park was rejected, the Del Cerro neighborhood bears the burden of providing
all public parking for the Portuguese Bend and Filiorum Reserves and Del Cerro Park.
Staff has worked with the neighbors over the past eight years to implement several
parking solutions, which have alleviated issues, but have not resolved them.
Staff is working on several solutions to alleviate vehicular traffic related issues on
Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road, but long-term solutions are needed to
alleviate traffic and quality of life issues in this area. Staff recommends the exploration
of two long-term parking solutions. The first solution is a parking reservation system on
Crenshaw Boulevard south of Crest Road that would significantly reduce traffic in this
area. The second solution is reassessing the feasibility of a parking area in lower
Portuguese Bend, in the area formally known as Gateway Park, to alleviate the parking
reduction caused by the proposed traffic reservation system on Crenshaw Boulevard.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Direct Staff to bring back more detailed information on steps and resources
needed to implement an alternative solution.
2. Alternately discuss and take other action related to this item.
B-11
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 1'9"
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
B-12
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 W orks 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 W orks 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
B-13
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.
W e 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
conf iguration 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.
B-14
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-15
Establish Neighborhood Permit Parking in Del Cerro, Rancho Crest and Island View
HO A 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
f rom 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 W orks 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 W orks Department.
Parking on Crenshaw Blvd
To improve parking conditions and safety along Crenshaw Blvd, staff has engaged our
consulting traff ic 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.
B-16
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-17
Scenario
Total Number of Spaces
West side
(Southbound)
East Side
(Northbound)
Total
Existing Conditions
(parallel park ing)
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 park ing on west-side onl y)
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 f und 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
B-18
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 f ully 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 W orks 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-19
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: Modif y Crenshaw Blvd Parking
After establishment of the permit parking programs, the striping along Crenshaw Blvd
would be modif ied 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-20
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
enf orcement 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 f irm 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 f or 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 W orks 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.
ALTERN ATIVES
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 IMP ACT
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
f rom $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.
B-21
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)
B-22
RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 07/31/2018
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Regular Business
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to 1) receive an update of the current parking and
access situation throughout the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve and Open Space areas,
and; 2) approve recommendations for Forrestal Reserve, Portuguese Bend Reserve,
and Point Vicente Park/Civic Center.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file an update of the current parking and access conditions used for
the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve and Open Space areas; and,
(2) Provide Staff direction to proceed with the following measures to lessen impacts
to the residential neighborhoods adjacent to the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve
and Open Space areas:
A. Forrestal Reserve: Implement the following measures identified at the March
20, 2018 City Council Meeting:
1.Red-stripe the curb along the entire length of Forrestal Drive before the
Forrestal Drive gate;
2.Establish the following beyond the Forrestal Drive gate for Forrestal
Reserve parking:
a.Designate 28 parking spaces beyond the Forrestal Drive gate for
Reserve Parking.
b.Remove brush in the area beyond Forrestal Drive to accommodate
the parking spaces.
c.Install a second gate on Forrestal Drive.
d. Open the Forrestal Drive gate daily for Preserve parking.
3.Establish permit-only parking area in the Ladera Linda neighborhood on
Pirate Drive, Sea Raven Drive, and Phantom Drive.
4.Direct Staff to take steps to work with PVPLC to remove the existing
Pirate Trail head or relocate it to the north, away from existing residential
area.
B. Portuguese Bend Reserve:
1.Install a gate and turnstile at the Burma Road Trailhead and Rattlesnake
Trailhead.
2.Install parking meter stations on Crenshaw Boulevard near the Burma
Road trailhead.
C. Point Vicente Park/Civic Center:
1.Establish Point Vicente Park as the parking location for the Palos Verdes
Nature Preserve.
B-23
FISCAL IMPACT: No funds for these recommendations have been included in the FY
18-19 budget.
Amount Budgeted: $0
Additional Appropriation: $347,500
Account Number(s): 330-400-8033-8802
ORIGINATED BY: Matt Waters, Senior Administrative Analyst
Cory Linder, Recreation and Parks Director
REVIEWED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Inventory of Open Space Access Points & Trails (page A-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
A defining feature of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is its extensive open space
holdings and network of trails. The City has approximately 73 miles of trails located
within its parks, the 1,400 acre Palos Verdes Nature Preserve (Preserve), and open
space area including existing City trails located within development projects (Terranea
and Trump National). The City has one of the largest expanses of open space acreage
in all of Los Angeles County. The City’s past and present emphasis on the acquisition
and preservation of open space area and trails is in keeping with the City’s low-density,
semi-rural character.
From 1996-2004 the City and Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy (PVPLC)
worked with the community, stakeholders and the Wildlife Agencies (U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and California Fish and Wildlife) to seek funding to acquire properties
that make up the current Preserve. Currently, the Preserve is comprised of 11
individual reserves totaling 1,400 acres of open space that was purchased for the
primary purpose of habitat and species conservation, as well as passive recreational
use. In 2004, City Council approved a draft Natural Communities Conservation Plan /
Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP) for the Preserve, and in 2018, the City Council
approved an updated NCCP/HCP, which is now being reviewed for approval and permit
issuance by the Wildlife Agencies. A component of the NCCP/HCP is the Preserve
Trails Plan (PTP) which identifies the trail routes, trailheads, and trail uses for the
Preserve.
As everyone now knows, an unintended consequence of the City’s extensive open
areas has been the growing popularity of the Preserve with the larger Los Angeles
community. This has been exacerbated by social media and the surrounding high
B-24
density communities seeking hiking trails. In some areas, the City has experienced
challenges managing the large number of non-residents visiting the City wishing to use
the open space and trails, and some neighborhoods have been negatively impacted by
parking, crowds, noise and trash. This report is intended to analyze existing parking
available to trail users, and, in certain situations, provide alternatives to improve parking
and reduce the negative impacts on the City’s residential neighborhoods.
While the majority of City-owned open space is contained within the Preserve, this
report will also look at the current parking and access conditions involving City parks
and non-Preserve open space areas and trails. Most of the Preserve was acquired
through a variety of state and federal grant funds that place restrictions on property
use. Some of the restrictions include using the land for habitat and species protection,
using it to form the City’s NCCP/HCP, and to provide public access. Additionally, some
of the grant restrictions require the City to make parking available to the public. Parking
restrictions placed on the properties are unspecific as to the number of spaces or
proximity to the Preserve. The result is a wide range of access points in some areas
that have substantial available parking (Abalone Cove and Alta Vicente), some with
limited off-street parking, and some with no dedicated on-site parking spaces that are
reliant on available street parking. This in itself is not a problem for the great majority of
the access points in the City, as most are only modestly used and Staff has not received
any complaints from residents about congestion or parking challenges.
The Preserve does not have an official or designated main entrance, but rather 53
authorized access points. Some of these access points are near a public parking lot or
a major arterial street; however, the majority are directly adjacent to or in residential
neighborhoods. The most popular access points are the Burma Road Trailhead near
Del Cerro Park at the Portuguese Bend Reserve, Abalone Cove Shoreline Park at the
Abalone Cove Reserve, the three trailheads at lower Forrestal Reserve, and the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center at the Vicente Bluffs Reserve. These areas all provide
access to the Preserve.
This report is divided into following three sections:
A) Analysis of Potential Access and Parking Remedies
B) Analysis of Three Primary Trail/Open Space Areas
C) Overview of Open Space Access Points - This discussion is contained in
Attachment A and includes an overview of the City’s entire open space holdings
including the 53 authorized access points and a conservative estimate of 34
unauthorized Preserve access points. It contains an analysis of the City’s other
seven open space and trail segments:
1. Grandview/Malaga Canyon
2. Hesse
3. Three Sisters/Filiorum
4. Portuguese Bend (Lower)
5. Abalone Cove/Archery Range
B-25
6. Trump/Switchback (San Ramon)
7. Miraleste/Eastview
The discussion includes trails outside of the Preserve established in the Trails Network
Plan, which encompasses the Conceptual Trails Plan and the Conceptual Bikeways
Plan. The Community Development Department is in the process of updating and
consolidating these trail planning documents, which is anticipated to be completed in
early 2019. These documents identify approximately 30 miles of City trails outside the
Preserve. Unlike the Preserve trails, these trails are not actively patrolled or monitored
by the City or PVPLC, and Staff does not have accurate data of their levels of current
use. A 2019 City goal is for the Recreation and Parks Department to implement the
updated Trails Network Plan once it is completed by the Community Development
Department. Between 2015 and 2016 the Community Development Department held a
series of workshops to gather public feedback on the Trails Network Plan update, and at
that time, concerns were expressed with the general public’s use of the trails, adequate
trailheads and associated parking, and unintended consequences with having City trails
identified and posted with signs. As the Trails Network Plan is completed and
implemented, Staff will continuously monitor parking challenges and solutions should
they arise. By consolidating the trails plans, Staff intends to create a concise, updated
document with a thorough analysis of the City’s trail systems and best management
practices. There is no intent to promote trails or encourage non-resident trail use.
A. Analysis of Potential Access and Parking Issues and Remedies
The section identifies the following potential approaches to address access and parking
remedies to alleviate adverse impacts to adjacent residential neighborhoods throughout
the City’s open space areas:
• Preserve Capacity and Usage Level
• Controlled Access
• Paid Parking Alternatives
• Reservation System
• Shuttle System
• Preserve Capacity and Usage Level
The precise number of visitors is difficult to determine due to the 87 authorized and
unauthorized access points and because none of the major access points are
staffed. While the Preserve has a large capacity due to its size and extensive
number of trails, parking availability is limited at many locations, notably at Del
Cerro, the most well-known Preserve access point. Previous attempts to document
visitor levels are mainly anecdotal, focusing on surveys over a one or two-day
period. The City recently began quantifiable monitoring of major access points
through the use of underground trail counters located at the Burma Road Trailhead,
B-26
the Rattlesnake Trailhead, and the Pirate Trailhead. For the month of June, Staff
collected the following data:
• Rattlesnake: 3,042 total (2,940 hikers and 102 cyclists)
• Burma Road: 8,534 total (7,713 hikers and 821 cyclists)
• Pirate Trail: 2,316 total (2,301 hikers and 15 cyclists)
The use of additional trail counters at popular entry points would provide useful data
to determine actual usage levels, which could then be compared to existing parking
capacity.
• Controlled Access
The terrain and geology of the Preserve makes it difficult to secure. While some
access points may be suited for a gate and/or fencing, securing other access points
may prove to be logistically difficult and/or costly. Attempting to close off all
unauthorized access points while securing authorized access points would be a
costly and challenging endeavor, one that would potentially be upsetting to local
residents who are used to accessing the Preserve via less well-known access points
near their respective neighborhoods. Access points that merit consideration of
increased security will be noted in this report. Securing authorized and unauthorized
access Preserve-wide would cost approximately $250,000. A more detailed analysis
and cost estimate for securing the Preserve can be generated if Council wishes.
Increasing security and controlling access at certain locations would likely lead to a
redistribution of usage at other access points. While this would reduce the pressure
and strain on parking and adjacent residents at existing popular access points, there
may be unintended consequences on other areas. Therefore, any changes or
increased access control should be done in a careful and deliberate manner, to
minimize unanticipated and undesired impacts.
If Council wishes, Staff can return with more detailed analysis and cost estimates.
• Paid Parking
The possibility of requiring paid parking was originally considered by the Council in
2016 as a means to control the Portuguese Bend Reserve parking on Crenshaw
Blvd. After much discussion, the Council voted to not consider the pay-to-park
concept. While not adopted previously, this concept is now being proposed as a
recommended approach to control access at several areas surrounding the
Preserve. The only current reserve-adjacent area that assesses a fee for parking is
the Abalone Cove parking lot. The 2016 proposal was based on a third-party
vendor providing comprehensive parking operations support of 79 parking spaces
B-27
with 4-5 pay stations along Crenshaw Blvd. Services provided by the third-party
vendor include revenue reconciliation, meter maintenance, and citation issuance.
The initial purchase and installation costs for five metered pay stations is currently
estimated at $32,500 with annual operations and enforcement costs of
approximately $168,000 per year. Potential areas for paid parking consideration are
Del Cerro and Forrestal Reserve. The following chart shows projected costs and
revenue, based on a $5 per hour metered parking rate. The $5 rate may prove to
be a deterrent to some Preserve visitors who would seek out free parking elsewhere.
Estimated revenue from citations and meters is $514,000 with net proceeds of
$314,500. These estimates are based on the same parking rates being charged for
both resident and non-resident users.
Costs:
Purchase & Installation of
5 Stations
$6,500 per unit/$32,500
total
Operations/Enforcement $14,000 month/$168,000
Year
Total Cost $200,500
Revenue
Citation $39,000
Meter Revenue $475,000
Total Revenue $514,000
Net Proceeds: $313,500
• Reservation Systems
Reservation systems are an effective way to both control access and limit usage
levels in select circumstances. Essentially, visitors would be required to purchase a
multi-hour day pass or hourly pass to be able to access portions or all of the
Preserve at a certain time. This approach is extensively utilized in County, State
and National Park sites. In order for a reservation system to be effective, there
usually must be a high level of enforcement to ensure compliance along with tight
access controls. While Preserve enforcement and official presence has increased
markedly in recent years due to the establishment of Open Space Management
Division Staff, controlling each access point would require additional staffing.
Revenue generated from metered parking and day pass fees could help offset the
overall financial impact of creating and establishing a fully-integrated computerized
reservation system. The limited ability to fully secure the perimeter of the Preserve
would negatively affect any reservation system, which typically relies on controlled
entry points, in conjunction with spot checks of visitor passes. Long-time resident
Preserve users may react negatively to having to pay for Preserve access that has
B-28
been free for decades. Addressing that concern by allowing for free or reduced
rates for residents as opposed to non-residents could be in potential conflict with
funding restrictions that may require equal access. More legal research would have
to be done before reaching a conclusion (residents and non-residents).
Many Reserves border City Parks or non-reserve open space areas, such as
Vicente Bluffs Reserve which connects directly to the Point Vicente Interpretive
Center. This close proximity would lead to situations where a hiker on a contiguous
trail would be able to walk without having to pay a fee on one section of a trail and
then have to pay a permit fee to use the same trail in an adjacent area. Situations
like that would make consistent enforcement extremely difficult. Establishing a
reservation system in a limited number of high use Reserves such as Forrestal and
Portuguese Bend Reserves would likely reduce the number of total visitors, but
potentially push them to Reserves that may not have a paid permit system. Some of
those Reserves have adequate parking while others do not. Additionally, the City
could experience increased liability exposure as altercations or incidents resulting
from visitors being confronted about not having passes or using resident passes that
are not theirs.
A following chart shows estimated costs and revenue associated with a pilot
reservation system based on recent estimated attendance levels. The estimated net
revenue to the City would be $443,000 a year.
Annual Costs and Revenue: Permit Access at
Portuguese Bend (Burma and Rattlesnake) and
Forrestal Reserve
Annual Costs:
Computer Application $10,000
Administration $10,000
Staffing (Weekends/year
round)
$75,000
Rental of modular Entry
Stations (3) and amenities
$9,000
Total: $104,000
Approximate Revenue
Permit Fees $5 per day $547,000
Approximate Net Revenue $443,000
B-29
This option would require even more analysis before Staff could recommend it.
• Shuttle System
A shuttle bus system has been brought up in recent years as a potential approach
to ease the impact at major Preserve access points that have limited parking
capacity. It is unlikely that a shuttle system would ever be a complete substitute for
parking near access points, but it might be able to alleviate impacts on residential
neighborhoods. The Point Vicente Park/Civic Center site, with its ample parking,
restrooms, and potential designation as a prime designated entry location
(Recommendation 2-C) is a logical location for a shuttle service. Visitors could
easily walk to Vicente Bluffs Reserve and Alta Vicente Reserve or take a shuttle to
drop-off points at specified Reserve locations including Burma Road Trailhead near
Del Cerro (Portuguese Bend Reserve), Abalone Cove Park, Gateway Park turnout,
and Forrestal Reserve. Point Vicente Interpretive Center’s dirt lot (owned by the
Coast Guard) would be a potential backup or temporary shuttle location. If Council
wishes to pursue this option, Staff can return with several alternatives to include
weekend/every day, seasonal, potential routes with drop-off/pickup points and cost
estimates.
Shuttle Costs (1) 20 Passenger Van
Rental
Price Per Day w/ Driver (8 Hours)
$750
Weekends Only (104 rental days) $78,000
Year Round (365 rental days) $273,750
Weekends and Summer (168 rental
days)
$126,000
Initial Start Up Costs: Shuttle stop
signage, benches, amenities.
$20,000
A shuttle system is not recommended due to the high costs of the program and its likely
modest effectiveness in reducing parking impacts.
B. Analysis of the Three Primary Trail/Open Space Areas
This discussion analyzes and provides recommendations to alleviate parking and
access issues at the following three primary trail/open space areas (out of eleven total):
• Forrestal/Ladera Linda/Trump National
• Del Cerro/Crenshaw/Portuguese Bend Reserve
• City Hall/Point Vicente Park/Civic Center
B-30
Forrestal / Ladera Linda / Trump National /Marilyn Ryan Sunset Point Park
DESCRIPTION:
Ladera Linda has been an 18-acre City Park since 1983. Previously it was an
elementary school. The park had a Master Plan approved on March 20, 2018 and is in
the early stages of a construction design process. Long-standing concerns were raised
during the Master Plan’s extensive community outreach efforts, about adjacent traffic
and parking concerns related to use of the City-owned Forrestal Reserve and the
Portuguese Bend Fields, which are owned by the School District and heavily used by
AYSO. Concerns were expressed about impacts on adjoining neighborhoods. A slate
of possible solutions including restriping, opening up the Forrestal Gate for Preserve
Users, and permit-only parking were included in the March 20, 2018, City Council
report. The approved Master Plan calls for a total of 59 total parking spaces to
accommodate the needs of the new Park design. While public awareness of the
Forrestal Reserve trails has certainly increased in recent years, AYSO’s seasonal use
continues to have the most significant impact on parking and traffic in this area.
Marilyn Ryan Sunset Point Park
This 1.5-acre park with tremendous ocean views was deeded to the City by the Trump
National Golf Club as part of the golf course development. It was acquired in 2011.
There is limited parking on site which is gated off at night. Visitors can also park on the
adjacent Trump National Drive.
B-31
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Ladera Linda
Park
Park 78* 135** No No/adjacent No No
Forrestal
Reserve
Open
Space
0 250*** No Yes Yes Yes
Marilyn Ryan
Park****
Park 6 110 No No No No
* Includes main parking lot, paddle tennis lot and fenced off parking lot
**Approximate number of on-street parking available on Forrestal Drive between the park entrance and
PV Drive South.
*** Spaces beyond Forrestal Gate. Parking is significantly less available during AYSO games.
****Marilyn Ryan Park users can access park from Trump National Drive
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Forrestal: Proceed with Mitigation Plan from March 20, 2018 City Council Meeting:
1.Red-stripe the curb along the entire length of Forrestal Drive before the
Forrestal Drive gate;
2. Establish the following beyond the Forrestal Drive gate for Forrestal
Reserve parking:
a)Designate 28 parking spaces beyond the Forrestal Drive gate for
Reserve Parking.
b)Remove brush in the area beyond Forrestal Drive to accommodate
the parking spaces.
c)Install a second gate on Forrestal Drive.
d)Open the Forrestal Drive gate daily for Preserve parking.
3.Establish permit-only parking area in the Ladera Linda neighborhood
on Pirate Drive, Sea Raven Drive, and Phantom Drive.
4. Direct Staff to work with PVPLC to remove the existing Pirate Trail
head or relocate it to the north, away from the existing residential
area. In addition to Council direction, this action would require review
and approval by the Land Conservancy, due to the potential impact
and potential loss of habitat caused by relocating part of the trail to
accommodate the new trailhead. If directed by Council, Staff would
return with additional analysis and cost estimates.
Some Ladera Linda Homeowners Association members have brought forward a plan to
utilize a currently fenced-in lot and the existing paddle tennis court parking lot at
Ladera Linda Park to accommodate Preserve parking and move parking away from
B-32
residences. While this proposal would add additional preserve parking at a modest
cost, it is also temporary and its effectiveness is uncertain. In addition, it doesn’t really
help solve the additional problems of traffic and too many non-PV users accessing the
preserve from this residential access point. The Ladera Linda Master Plan conceptual
design that was approved by Council in March does not include the fenced-in lot.
Additionally, the number of spaces in the proposed Master Plan design was based on
Park uses and capacity, not Preserve usage. Many local Ladera Linda residents
expressed concerns about adding additional designated Park parking spaces during
multiple Park Master Plan community meetings. . Locating parking past the existing
gate would remove parking from neighborhoods, be cost-effective, be close to the
trailhead, and would not be a temporary measure.
Proposed parking design created by members of Ladera Linda HOA
Marilyn Ryan Sunset Point Park
No recommendations
Other Options to Consider
• Traffic Flagger for PV Drive South and Forrestal during AYSO games. The
immediate need for this recommendation has been reduced in the short run due
to AYSO’s assurances that their fall season (their most well-attended season) will
likely only be at half of usual capacity. This approach should be revisited and
considered if AYSO usage returns to previous levels.
B-33
• Ladera Linda Park: Use of currently gated lot to allow for additional temporary
parking
Cost Estimate for all Forrestal recommendations: $85,000. Cost estimate does not
include cost of moving or relocating trail head adjacent to intersection of Pirate Drive
and Forrestal Drive.
“Del Cerro / Portuguese Bend/ (upper) segment/Vista Del Norte”
DESCRIPTION:
Officially preserved in 2005, the 399-acre Portuguese Bend Reserve is the largest of the
11 Reserves and, along with Forrestal and Abalone Cove, is the most visited. It
consists of rolling hills, steep canyons and rock outcroppings, with significant habitat
and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Catalina Island. Del Cerro Park
is a small neighborhood park located nearby to the most popular access point to the
Reserve. In recent years, the Portuguese Bend Reserve has been the focal point for
concerns about increased use of the Preserve and impacts on adjacent neighborhoods.
Mitigating measures have been implemented to control parking for Preserve users, such
as implementing a designated “residents only” permit parking area and red-striping
curbs have helped control areas along Crenshaw Boulevard, its extension to the Burma
Road trailhead and nearby residential areas. On April 3, 2018, Council approved the
elimination of all 16 parking stalls along Park Place (except for one ADA space), and the
B-34
conversion of that area into green space. The 16.7 acre Vista Del Norte Reserve is an
isolated portion of the Preserve located near Crestridge Road.
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Del Cerro Park Park 1 ADA
Space
None* Yes Yes No No
Portuguese
Bend Reserve
Open
Space
0 184 No Yes Yes Yes
Vista Del Norte Open
Space
0 30 No Yes Yes Yes
*10 Resident Only Spaces near Del Cerro Park/Resident Decal required
**Significant areas near Portuguese Bend are restriped, permit only parking in adjacent neighborhoods.
184 spaces are within a 1/3 mile of Burma Road entrance
***Limited on-street parking is available along Crestridge Road and on Indian Peak Road.
Recommendations:
Crenshaw Extension:
• Secure Burma Road Preserve Entrance and Rattlesnake Trail Heads with gates
and turnstiles. More substantial gate and fencing would minimize undesirable
access outside of Preserve hours and during rain-related closures. Cost
Estimate: $50,000
• Install parking meter pay stations on Crenshaw Boulevard near Burma Road
entrance: Cost Estimate: $200,500 for initial installation and annual costs.
Anticipated annual revenue from citations and meters is $514,000.
•
Costs:
Securing Burma and
Rattlesnake Trailheads
$50,000
Purchase & Installation of
5 Stations
$6,500 per unit/$32,500
total
Operations/Enforcement $14,000 month/$168,000
Year
Total Cost $250,500
Revenue
Citation $39,000
Meter Revenue $475,000
Total Revenue $514,000
Net Proceeds: $264,500
B-35
Other Options to Consider:
Closure of Rattlesnake Trail (Requires Council approval). Closing this well-used access
point could alleviate impact on adjacent neighborhoods, but could have unintended
consequences in other areas. Visitors might gravitate towards other areas such as
Ocean Terrace and Seacrest. These neighborhoods and HOAs might opt to pursue
permit parking and red-striping if they experienced significantly higher numbers of
Preserve visitors. Long-time trail users would likely be displeased by the removal of a
popular trail.
City Hall / PVIC Segment
DESCRIPTION:
This heavily-utilized section includes Point Vicente Park/Civic Center, Alta Vicente
Reserve, the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and Vicente Bluffs Reserve. The Point
B-36
Vicente Park/Civic Center location is currently going through a Master Plan process
which may significantly reshape the site and its existing components. Currently, the site
houses City Hall, a maintenance yard, an open grass area, a tennis court, temporary
dog park, parking lots, the City’s TV studio, and assorted small storage/out buildings.
The relatively flat 20-acre site is surrounded on three sides by the 40+ acre Alta Vicente
Reserve. The 27.5-acre Point Vicente Interpretive Center was acquired from the
Federal Government in 1978. The museum was opened in 1984 and expanded in
2006. PVIC connects directly to the Vicente Bluffs Reserve and Ocean Front Estates
development on its north side. Finally, the 10.5-acre Pelican Cove Park (formerly
known as Point Vicente Fishing Access) is located to the south of PVIC and features
tremendous views, a public restroom and access to the beach. The park is directly
adjacent to Terranea Resort and park users can easily access the Resort’s public trails.
Terranea maintains the parking lot, restroom and landscaping.
Inventory:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
C. TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Civic Center Park Approx.
150*
0 No Yes Yes No
Alta Vicente
Reserve*
Open
Space
Approx
150**
Approx 10 No Yes Yes Yes
Point Vicente
Interpretive
Center
Park Approx
215
0 No Yes Yes No
Vicente Bluffs
Reserve**
Open
Space
24 Approx
150
spaces (3
access
points)
No Yes Yes Yes
Pelican Cove Open
Space
100 0 No Yes Yes Yes
Terranea Private 50 30 on
Terranea
Way
Private Bus. Yes Yes No
Ryan Park Park 64 53 No No No No
*200 additional spaces available in overflow lot-used by reservation only
Alta Vicente Reserve also utilizes Civic Center Parking and the cul-de-sac adjacent to St. Paul’s Church.
**Vicente Bluffs Reserve visitors utilize Point Vicente Interpretive Center Parking, Ocean Front Estates
off Calle Entradero, and the Pelican Cove Parking Lot
Point Vicente Park/Civic Center has the potential to serve as a prime Preserve parking
location with easy access to Vicente Bluff and Alta Vicente Reserves. The area has
existing trail heads and substantial parking, including the possibility of additional parking
B-37
on rarely-utilized grass lands near the existing tennis courts. Public restrooms are
available. While the site is currently in the middle of a master plan process, it is already
serving as a reserve access point, and the needs of Preserve parking can be included
in the planning process. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy has made
initial inquiries about relocating their headquarters to the Civic Center as part of the
Park Master Plan. Their plans include a Preserve information center component. The
nearest access point that links to the popular Portuguese Bend Reserve access point is
approximately 1.5 miles away at the Three Sisters Reserve. While that distance may
be a deterrent to a majority of visitors, it would still be a viable option for those wishing
to access the Portuguese Bend Reserve from an established parking lot.
Recommendations:
Point Vicente Park / Civic Center:
• Establish Point Vicente Park as a prime Preserve parking location with access to
several different reserves. Estimated cost for signage amenities: $10,000.
OTHER OPTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED:
• Although not recommended, if the City Council were to pursue a shuttle option,
the Civic Center would be a logical location for a shuttle service with drop-offs at
specified Preserve locations including the Burma Road, Abalone Cove Park, and
old Gateway turn-off. PVIC property could also be a potential shuttle service
location as well either on a permanent basis, or temporarily if the Civic Center is
undergoing construction.
Cost Estimate: Weekends year round and every day in summer: $126,000
• Acquire ownership of dirt parking lot outside of PVIC (currently owned by Coast
Guard)-possible shuttle location. This is a relatively-long Federal government
process.
• Future planned improvements to PVIC include relocation of the current overflow
parking lot. An option to consider would be to maintain the current overflow lot
and improve the new lot.
B-38
Estimated Costs and Projected Revenue of Forrestal/Del Cerro and Civic Center
Recommendations:
Estimated Costs
Forrestal
Forrestal Drive
Improvements: redstriping,
gates, permit parking, etc…
$85,000
Del Cerro
Securing Burma and
Rattlesnake Access with
gates and turnstiles
$50,000
Del Cerro Parking Meter Installation
Maintenance and
Enforcement
$200,500
Point Vicente
Park/Civic
Center
Additional amenities and
signage
$10,000
Total Costs $345,000
Projected
Revenue
Del Cerro Citations $39,000
Del Cerro Parking Meter $475,000
Total Revenue $514,000
Net Revenue $169,000
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendations, the following alternative actions are available
for the City Council’s consideration:
1. Direct Staff to provide additional information on one or more of the
identified potential actions.
2. Provide other direction to Staff, as appropriate.
B-39
ATTACHMENT A: Inventory/Overview of
10 Preserve/Open Space Segments
Overview of City Open Space Areas and Trails: Ten Segments
1. Grandview/Malaga Canyon
2. Hesse
3. Point Vicente Park/Civic Center & PVIC (included in main report)
4. Three Sisters/Filiorum
5. Del Cerro/Portuguese Bend (Upper) (included in main report)
6. Portuguese Bend (Lower)
7. Ladera Linda Forrestal (included in main report)
8. Abalone Cove/Archery Range
9. Trump/Switchback (San Ramon)
10. Miraleste/Eastview
B-40
COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT ONE (1)
“GRANDVIEW SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
The City completed the purchase of the 18-acre Grandview Park site in 1981 and the
property currently is undeveloped. The Council approved a conceptual development
plan in 2010 that included a passive park with trails, play equipment, view areas, and a
parking lot. No subsequent action has been undertaken regarding this plan.
In 2014, the City acquired approximately 58-acres of open space land in the
northwestern segment of the City known as Malaga Canyon. Malaga Canyon supports
healthy habitat consistent with the area’s native pallet. Informal trails have been
identified. Malaga Canyon is part of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve and is managed
by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
The site is part of the City’s overall NCCP program.
Grandview Park is a little-used park site, located within residential areas of Rancho
Palos Verdes and Palos Verdes Estates. There are no on-site parking spots and limited
B-41
off-street parking on Montemalaga Drive and Ironwood St. Informal trails have been
created at the site and there is the potential for improved access to the Malaga Canyon
Reserve which is located at the Northeastern juncture of the park.
While this area is not currently heavily used, potential improvements to Grandview
would presumably increase awareness and usage, both within the park itself and in with
adjacent trails. While no parking changes are recommended at this time, improvements
would necessitate adding sufficient on-site parking to accommodate both park and trail
usage.
The potential need for park and trail parking will be addressed If and when the City
begins the process to work with the community to develop an updated and refined
master plan for Grandview Park Additional parking, along with signage and a circulation
plan, would be incorporated into the design of Grandview to minimize impact on
surrounding areas.
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Grandview Park Park 0* Approx.
20 spots
No Yes Yes No
Malaga Canyon Open
Space
0 Approx.
70 spots
No Yes Yes Yes
*A small parking lot off of Montemalaga Drive was included in a 2010 Grandview park design.
RECOMMENDATION:
o Monitor the trail usage. If development is considered for Grandview Park, staff
should consider adding parking for non-park usage as part of an off street
parking lot. This would enable staff to control access to these trails and the park
in one location.
o No recommendations for Malaga Canyon access points.
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
None at this time.
B-42
COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT TWO (2)
“HESSE SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
Fred Hesse Jr. Community Park was purchased by the City from the Palos Verdes
Unified School District in 1976 and developed in 1983. The 28.68-acre park is divided
into two distinct areas. Upper Hesse Park features a busy 7,300 square foot community
center, two playgrounds, an athletic field, walking paths, and numerous picnic areas.
Lower Hesse Park features a network of short trails, three picnic areas, and a sand
volleyball court. Improvements to Lower Hesse Park’s trails, landscaping, and amenities
were completed in 2018.
Hesse Park is adjacent to the Agua Amarga Reserve and trailheads for the Lunda
Canyon Trail. This segment is consistent with the Trails Network Plan where trail
connectivity runs east and west along the canyon with a north/south connector to Lower
Hesse Park.
B-43
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Hesse Park Park 125 Approx.
100 spots
No Yes Yes No
Agua Amarga
Canyon*
Open
Space
0 Approx.
20 spots
No Yes Yes Yes
*Parking available in adjacent neighborhoods, specifically along cul de sacs located by entry points.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
None at this time
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
• None at this time
B-44
COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT FOUR (4)
“THREE SISTERS / FILIORUM SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
Three Sisters
The Three Sisters Reserve has two authorized and established entry points. They are
McCarrell Canyon Trailhead at the end of Ocean Terrace Drive and Barkentine /
Sunshine Trailheads at the end of Barkentine Street.
There is also an authorized, but not established, entry at the Three Sisters Trailhead
that has two ways of entering – a drainage access off of PV Drive South (aerial photo
large red #4) and an HOA trail from Tramonto Dr. though it is a bit of a walk.
There is also an authorized, but not established, ancillary entry into Sunshine Trail via
an alley from lower Barkentine Street. There is an ancillary entry to McCarrell Canyon
Trail via McBride Trail
B-45
The McCarrell Canyon Trailhead has no off-street parking. It has approximately 30
parking spots along Ocean Terrace Drive including the cul-de-sac. This area is not
currently restricted.
The Barkentine / Sunshine Trailheads has no off-street parking. At the end of
Barkentine Street, there is restricted parking. At the Sunshine Trail ancillary entry, the
alley comes off of lower Barkentine Street that has some restricted parking. There is no
off-street parking.
The Three Sisters Trailhead drainage access is currently not open to vehicles from the
public, but could offer 4 or more spots for off-street parking. There is no street parking
available as PV Drive South is the only adjacent street and parking along it is currently
prohibited. The HOA trail access to Three Sisters Trailhead is via Tramonto Dr. and it
currently has no parking restrictions and could park as many as 8 or more vehicles.
There is no off-street parking here.
Filiorum
In addition to 2 entry points from an adjacent reserve (Gary’s Gulch and Kelvin Canyon
Trails), Filiorum Reserve has two authorized, established trailheads with parking
implications. These are Zote’s Cutacross Trail and Rattlesnake Trail Filiorum also has
an authorized, restricted entry from the Portuguese Bend community via Gary’s Gulch
Trail, but it has no parking implications for the general public. There is also an
unauthorized entry via Ford Trail from the Portuguese Bend community, but it also has
no parking implications for the general public. Finally, Filiorum Reserve has a couple of
ancillary entries to Zote’s Cutacross Trailhead via the east and west ends of McBride
Trail, but the west end is covered with the discussion of McCarrell Canyon Trailhead
entry in the Three Sisters Reserve report. The east end of McBride Trail is far away
from Zote’s Cutacross and has little or no parking available on street or off street.
Since Rattlesnake Trailhead is immediately adjacent to the Portuguese Bend / Del
Cerro Park access areas at the end of Crenshaw Blvd., those parking considerations
should be part of that report.
For Filiorum Reserve, that leaves only the Zote’s Cutacross Trailhead access from
Pacifica Drive as the primary and reasonable parking location. An alley between private
properties connects McBride and Zote’s Cutacross Trails to Pacifica Dr. There is no off-
street parking at this location. There are approximately 20 parking spots physically
available along the Pacifica (between where the alley meets Pacifica and the start of the
street at Ocean Terrace Drive) with no current parking restrictions.
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
B-46
Three Sisters Open
Space
0 Approx.
50 total
spots
No Yes Yes Yes
Filiorum Open
Space
0 Approx.
20 spots
No Yes Yes Yes
RECOMMENDATIONS:
No recommendations at this time
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
None
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COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT SIX (6)
“PORTUGUESE BEND (lower) SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
This segment covers the lower section of the 399-acre Portuguese Bend Reserve as
well as the Gateway property. Gateway Park was purchased in 2005 in conjunction
with the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve Purchase. The 17-acre site is surrounded on
three sides by the Portuguese Bend Reserve. It is located within an active landslide
and is used by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. This area was kept out of the
Reserve system so it could be used as an entry point into the Preserve with public
parking. The intent was to relieve some of the parking and congestion problems in the
Del Cerro area. A 30 parking space plan with portable public restrooms, picnic tables,
and a staff/ranger drop-in trailer was included as part of the Parks Master Plan Update
process in 2015. Concerns about safety, security, social media, and geology were
raised at several well-attended public meetings. Based on Council direction, no
improvements at Gateway were included in the approved Parks Master Plan Update.
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INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Portuguese
Bend Reserve
Open
Space
0 * No Yes Yes Yes
Gateway
Property
Open
Space
0 None No Yes Yes No
*Limited parking-mainly in gated areas, inaccessible to general public.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
None
OTHER OPTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED:
o Consideration of formalized crosswalk on PVDS
o Fencing (post and cable), with signage, along PVDS to direct people to
proper entrances to beach (Ab Cove, Trump, etc).
o Reconsideration of Gateway Park as possible Preserve Parking area with the
following components
o One way in, separate one way out.
o Post and cable to keep vehicles where they are allowed.
o No infrastructure allowed.
o Staffed facility to address the public, cash handling, and maintenance.
o Provide for a staff trailer (operations and maintenance) and portable
restrooms.
o Daily staff to monitor for cash handling, fissures, maintenance,
emergencies.
o No overnight parking – secured with gates.
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COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN – SEGMENT EIGHT (8)
“ABALONE COVE / ARCHERY RANGE SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
The beach and tide pool area is a popular year-round destination for the public and
public parking is provided at a nominal fee.
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Abalone Cove
Shoreline Park
Open
Space
125 Approx.
11 spots
No Yes Yes Yes
Altamira
Canyon Reserve
Open
Space
0 0spots No Yes Yes Yes
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Archery Range* Open
Space
15-20 0 No Yes Yes
• Parking current locked-accessible by archery club users
RECOMMENDATIONS:
None
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
• Joint parking usage with Archery Range for beach access.
• Potential parking lot at the bottom of Beach School Trail that can accommodate
15-20 cars
Annie’s Stand location can accommodate 16 parking spots and can be used as
an additional exit or entrance.
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COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT NINE (9)
“TRUMP / SAN RAMON SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
The San Ramon Reserve includes all of the 100-acre parcel that surrounds the Palos
Verdes Drive East switchbacks. This segment also included Trump National Gold Club,
Founders Park, and Ocean Trails Reserve. The Ocean Trails Reserve includes habitat
areas restored or preserved by Trump National Golf Course. Conservation easements
were placed over the adjacent 54-acre Shoreline Park and 65 acres were restored with
habitat for the California gnatcatcher.
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INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Trump National
Golf
Open
Space
46* Approx.
110 spots
No Yes Yes Yes
Ocean Trails
Reserve
Open
Space
50est. Approx.
180
**spots
No Yes Yes Yes
Switchbacks/San
Ramon
Open
Space
0 0 No Yes Yes Yes
*spaces in public Trump Lot. Additional 114 spaces in main Trump Lot
**Total includes est. 150 on La Rotonda and 30 on Twin Harbors View Drive
RECOMMENDATIONS:
No recommendations at this time
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
• None at this time.
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COMPREHENSIVE PARKING PLAN - SEGMENT TEN (10)
“MIRALESTE / EASTVIEW SEGMENT”
DESCRIPTION:
Eastview Park is a 9.9-acre park owned by the Los Angeles County Sanitation
District. The City signed a long term lease and began construction in March
1990. Improvements on this site include a children’s playground, picnic facilities,
jogging path, permanent restroom, landscaping, and an off-street parking lot. In
December 2017, the City completed a Dog Park that has areas for large and small
dogs.
The Miraleste Recreation and Park District was formed in 1940, and the sphere of
influence updated in 2004. It’s one of 3 Recreation and Parks Districts established on
the Peninsula. The District owns and maintains 42.86 acres of undeveloped canyon
areas and street medians in the Miraleste neighborhood, as well as a District building
located at 19 Miraleste Plaza. Miraleste Recreation and Park District is governed by a
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5-member board of District residents and reports to Los Angeles County; City of Rancho
Palos Verdes is the supervising authority.
INVENTORY:
FACILITY TYPE PUBLIC PARKING
SPACES
RESIDENTIAL
PARKING
PERMIT
TRAILHEAD
/ TRAILS
TRAILS
NETWORK
PLAN
NCCP
OFF
STREET
ON
STREET
Eastview Park Park 0 Approx.
XX spots
No Yes Yes Yes
Miraleste
Recreation and
Park District
Open
Space
0 Approx.
XX spots
No Yes Yes Yes
RECOMMENDATIONS:
None at this time
OTHER OPTIONS TO CONSIDER:
• None at this time
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RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 01/15/2019
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA DESCRIPTION:
Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on the Preserve Permit
Reservation System.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Receive and file an update on a Preserve Permit Reservation System.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: NA
Additional Appropriation: NA
Account Number(s): NA
ORIGINATED BY: Matt Waters, Senior Administrative Analyst
Cory Linder, Recreation and Parks Director
REVIEWED BY: Gabriella Yap, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: NONE
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The City Council reviewed a comprehensive Preserve Parking and Access analysis at
its July 31, 2018, meeting. The report analyzed the entire Palos Verdes Nature
Preserve and made specific recommendations for Forrestal Reserve, Portuguese Bend
Reserve and Point Vicente Interpretive Center. Council directed Staff to follow-up on a
number of measures designed to mitigate and better manage parking and access
issues, including red-striping sections of Forrestal Drive and installing gates at the
Burma Road and Rattlesnake Trailheads.
The City Council also directed Staff to further analyze the feasibility a Preserve permit
reservation system. The July 31, 2018, Staff Report noted that reservation systems can
be an effective method to control access and limit usage levels. It also noted that an
effective reservation system needs to have a high level of enforcement in combination
with controlled access.
However, research shows that allowing free or reduced rates for residents compared
to non-residents is in direct conflict with restrictions that the City received with certain
funding for acquisition of some of the properties. In 2001, Los Angeles County
Regional Park and Open Space District (District) granted the City $4,000,000 in 1996
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Prop A grant funding to facilitate the acquisition of open space land. While the majority
of the funding was used to acquire the Three Sisters Reserve (former Barkentine
Property), funds were also used to offset the acquisition and administrative costs related
to Portuguese Bend Reserve, Filiorum Reserve and Malaga Canyon North and Malaga
Canyon South. The District has confirmed to the City that all the properties that
received Grant funds be subject to all grant restrictions, including public access.
Section 10 (C) of Prop A requires that properties acquired with Grant Funds be: “open
and accessible to the public without discrimination as to race, color, physical or medical
handicap…or place of residence, …The recipient shall not discriminate against or grant
preferential treatment to any person or organization seeking to use such facility based
upon the place of residence of such person or the members of such organization
(emphasis added).” This section clearly states that City non-residents are to be treated
equally to residents and therefore cannot be accorded different treatment regarding
entry fees or access rights. A permit system needs to be applied in the same manner to
all Preserve visitors. A permit system is allowable and could be implemented in a
number of different ways, but access requirements must be the same for residents and
non-residents alike.
Residents in the Del Cerro Park/Portuguese Bend Reserve area have informed Staff
that current mitigation measures have been effective in reducing parking and
neighborhood impacts from Preserve visitors. They have expressed support for
gauging the effectiveness of current measures before proceeding with more expensive
and impactful measures such as paid parking stations. 94% of respondents to a
December 2018 survey conducted by the Del Cerro HOA voted to defer consideration of
an online reservation system until a series of other mitigation measures are
implemented and evaluated.
A number of mitigating measures, including red-striping and establishing a designated
Preserve parking area in the park, have also been implemented in the Ladera
Linda/Forrestal Reserve area with initial positive results. Given the early success of
these measures, along with the measures undertaken and being considered at Del
Cerro Park/Portuguese Bend Reserve, Staff is not recommending further analysis or
implementation of a Preserve permit system at this time.
ALTERNATIVES:
In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternative actions are available
for the City Council’s consideration:
1. Direct Staff to continue with analysis of Preserve permit systems.
2. Provide other direction to Staff, as appropriate.
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CITY 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. ROLLING HILLS ESTATES .... ~ ROLLING HILLS B-71
Parking RestricƟons and Parking Areas in Vicinity RED: red curbed/no parking at any Ɵme GREEN: parking permiƩed B-72
RecreaƟonal Permit Parking and Parking RestricƟons at Park Place B-73
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 1'9"
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-74
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.
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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-79
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.
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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.
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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)
B-84
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve Map 1,400 acres
B-85
Proposed Permit Parking Program
B-86
Gateway Park Parking/Staging Area
B-87