Laguna Beach : Loading Zone Parking to Be Limited on Sundays

In an effort to increase parking space for beach traffic on weekends, the City Council has revised the traffic enforcement code on parking in loading zones on Sundays.

“The controversy has been how to handle yellow curbs--loading zones. In previous years, our loading zones have been enforced Monday through Saturday,” said City Clerk Verna L. Rollinger.

“On Sunday you could park in a yellow space, so if you could find yourself a yellow curb on Sunday, you had a parking space all day long.”

Motorists may park legally in loading zones for 20 minutes Mondays through Saturdays, and Rollinger said that part of the ordinance will not change. On Sundays, however, they will have to use parking meters that will be installed in those zones.

Most meters in the downtown area, where most of the loading zones are, have two-hour limits, she said.

“Motorists will be able to park there for two hours with meters or parking permits. There will be some indicators on what are loading zones. Also, a sign (will be) on the new meters,” Rollinger said.

City workers also recommended enforcing limits on parking in the zones seven days a week because some businesses use the loading zones on Sundays.

“Staff indicated that it will be cost-effective to put up the meters, even for Sundays only. They looked at the expected revenue and the cost of putting up meters,” she said.

Traffic enforcement codes have bewildered residents and police since 1975, when the council voted to change several dozen codes to resolutions without repealing them.

The revisions of the dropped codes, which are still valid and being enforced, have not been put into the municipal code.

The result was confusion among police, city workers and residents who could not find traffic infractions listed in the codes.