> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Preferential parking OK’d - URL: https://www.smdp.com/preferential-parking-okd/ - Published: 2008-02-13T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T18:27:02.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Community, Ocean Park, #archive-import *Samohi students have just 40 parking spaces available* SAMOHI After years of frustration, residents living just south of here will finally have some parking peace. The California Coastal Commission late last week approved City Hall’s request to establish a new preferential parking zone (Zone U) for the neighborhood bounded by Lincoln Boulevard to the east, Pico Boulevard to the north, Fourth Street to the west and Ocean Park Boulevard to the south. Under the new restrictions, those who do not live in the area and who do not have a preferential parking permit will be allowed to park in the zone only for two hours at a time Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Currently, residents living on Bay Street between Sixth and Lincoln have filed for preferential parking, as did residents living on Grant Street between Sixth and Lincoln, Sixth between Bay and Pacific, and Kensington Road between Beverly Avenue and Seventh Street. Ruth Harper, a transportation planning associate with City Hall’s Traffic Management Division, said signs notifying drivers of the new restrictions should be posted within two months. Residents in the new preferential parking zone who do not live on the streets mentioned can file petitions with City Hall to have their blocks included. City Hall filed for preferential parking after hearing complaints from several neighbors about the inability to find parking near their homes because student drivers from nearby Santa Monica High School take up many of the available spaces. Residents said students and their parents have been driving recklessly through their neighborhood, some with no regard for traffic laws or common courtesy, leaving trash behind or playing loud music early in the morning as they sit in their cars and wait for school to start. Residents who have fought for preferential parking for nearly eight years sent e-mails to the City Council documenting incidents where students have run over cats, clipped cars and come dangerously close to hitting pedestrians. When longtime resident Steve Short heard the Coastal Commission — which protects beach access and has previously come out against preferential parking restrictions in the coastal zone — approved City Hall’s request, he was elated. “This is absolutely fantastic,” Short said. “It’s about time. It will be nice to have some feeling of normalcy instead of having to walk three or four blocks to get home.” Barb Frederick, who lived on Bay Street for more than eight years, said she was happy for her former neighbors. Frederick moved out of the area because of her frustrations with traffic and vagrancy. While it’s good news for residents, students at the high school will most likely not be pleased. That’s because they feel they have very few options available for parking considering the school provides only 40 spaces on campus. With more than 3,000 students attending Samohi, it is easy to see why there is a problem and why students are parking on nearby residential streets. When the council approved of preferential parking in the area back in September 2007, students spoke out against the decisions, saying they had little time to organize. Students asked the council to wait until students and school officials could work out some kind of a compromise with City Hall that could include discount parking in the new Civic Center lot, which has yet to reach full capacity. The council last month did reduce the parking fee at the lot from $8 to $3, but only during the weekends and holidays. The council also waived parking fees for up to 25 Samohi evening events a year as well as for visitors to meetings and events that are sponsored by City Hall and are free to the public. That did little to help students who need parking during the week. The parking problem was so bad that the council dedicated 60 spots on Ninth Street between Michigan Avenue and Pico for residents. Previously, residents shared the spots with students and local businesses, although surrounding streets were restricted for residents only. A few years ago Samohi students rallied before the council for more parking spaces, but council members refused to add another level to the Civic Center structure, which was being developed at the time. Instead, the council directed students to take their plight to the local school board. A task force was created in the 2003-04 school year and possible solutions arose from meetings with the school board members, students and council members. But apparently that’s as far as it went. Adding parking at the high school was recently discussed as part of the facilities master plan process. A draft proposal showed several places where parking could be added, including underneath the football field, underneath the tennis courts, or on top of the current parking next to the I-10 Freeway. During freshman orientation, parents and students are encouraged to car pool or take public transit. School officials said Samohi was not designed for drop offs and pick ups, something that will be addressed as improvements are made. Samohi principal Dr. Hugo Pedroza said City Hall has been very accommodating thus far and hopes that discussions can continue so that students will be able to park in the Civic Center structure during the week at a reduced rate. “Parking around Santa Monica is near impossible, particularly around Santa Monica High School,” Pedroza said.“We don’t have enough spaces and hopefully that will be addressed in the ultimate plan for Samohi. Right now our only real viable alternative is using the Civic Center, which has many empty spaces.” Pedroza said having kids park off campus, “makes me nervous,” and has the potential for something bad to happen, which is why City Hall should move quickly to provide some relief. Lucy Dyke, City Hall’s transportation planning manager, said in September that it’s not a case of no parking for students but rather a case of wanting better parking. If students do not want to pay the high cost of parking at the civic center structure, they can pay a lower, monthly rate to park at the beach lots. It may be a farther walk, but it still is available parking. City Hall’s request for permit parking is the 11th that has come before the Coastal Commission. In 1999, the commission approved seven preferential parking zones. Six zones were located south of the beach. The zones varied in location from adjacent to the beach to seven blocks from the beach. The parking restriction hours for each zone varied from 24-hour restrictions, limited public parking during the day, to evening hours only. The latest zone approved by the commission was in 2003, and located just north of downtown and east of Ocean Avenue. Commission staff recommended approving City Hall’s application because the restrictions would not be enforced on the weekends and because the neighborhood was deemed to be too far away from the beach to be used by beachgoers, therefore, it would not limit access to the beach. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021308.pdf?ref=smdp.com)