SAN CLEMENTE : Parking Restricted Near High School

In response to a request by residents who complained of chronic traffic problems, the City Council has restricted parking during school hours on two streets near San Clemente High School.

Cars parked on Calle Escuela between Calle Sandia and Calle Salida for more than two hours between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday will be cited under the resolution, which residents said was needed to improve their Neighborhood Watch program.

“The program suggests knowing and being able to identify which cars do not belong to neighbors,” residents said in a petition presented to Mayor Scott Diehl in June. “When there is a constant changing of cars, knowledge of which is or is not a suspicious car is impossible.”

Residents of the Broadmoor San Clemente Community Assn. complained that high school students use the street as an overflow parking lot, littering and creating traffic hazards. In addition, they claimed there has been an increase in burglaries and assaults since the problem of overflow parking began earlier this year.

Although the residents asked for restrictions along all three streets, the City Council approved restrictions only on Calle Escuela and said it will consider expanding the limits in the spring.

“We’re semi-pleased,” said Richard Butera, who said the partial restriction will force outsiders down to the unrestricted portions of the streets.