40 Encino Blocks : Resident-Only Parking Area OKd by Panel

A Los Angeles City Council committee agreed Friday to expand a preferential parking district in Encino that restricts daytime parking on the streets north of Ventura Boulevard to the area’s residents.

The Transportation and Traffic Committee action could increase the preferential-parking district from 18 to 40 blocks in the area bounded by the Ventura Freeway, the San Diego Freeway, Ventura Boulevard and Woodley Avenue.

If approved by the City Council and Mayor Tom Bradley, preferential parking in the area would be enforced on a block-by-block basis if it is approved by two-thirds of the neighborhood’s residents. That would mean only vehicles with special permits would be allowed to park from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The move is intended to keep non-residents, particularly workers and shoppers along Ventura Boulevard, from parking on side streets in the neighborhood.

Richard Jaramillo, a transportation engineer who heads the city’s preferential-parking section, said the request for expansion of the district came from residents of Gaviota Avenue between Morrison Street and Magnolia Boulevard. They complained of a lack of on-street parking because of the traffic generated by businesses along Ventura Boulevard, he said.

Jaramillo said city officials chose to include a larger area for expansion in anticipation of requests for preferential-parking districts.

In a separate action, the Transportation and Traffic Committee approved an increase in the hourly rate for parking meters in North Hollywood from 10 cents to 25 cents and authorized the installation of more meters in the business district.

The city now collects $7,000 to $9,000 a month from parking meters in North Hollywood, said Jerry Berman, senior administrative assistant for the city’s Department of Transportation. Money from meters goes into a special fund to build off-street parking lots or install traffic signs and signals, he said.

Besides higher meter rates, there may be more meters to contend with in North Hollywood. At the urging of some shop owners who seek more turnover on busy retail streets, the committee agreed to widen the boundaries of the area where meters can be installed.

The action will allow meters in the area bounded by Burbank and Cahuenga boulevards, the Los Angeles River and Tujunga Avenue.

If the council and Bradley approve the authorization, and neighborhood business leaders petition the city Department of Transportation for them, the meters, costing $200 each, will be installed.