North Hollywood : Parking Permit Zone OKd for Residents

After a years-long struggle, a North Hollywood neighborhood will get a permit parking district that residents say will allow them to more easily park on their own street.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council approved a permit parking district bounded by Vineland Avenue to the west, Riverside Drive to the north, Cahuenga and Lankershim boulevards to the east and the Hollywood Freeway to the south.

For years, residents have complained about employees and customers of businesses parking on residential streets, making it difficult for homeowners and their guests to find parking.

Many residential streets already have two-hour parking restrictions, but that has caused some residents who do not have off-street parking to be repeatedly ticketed.

The permit parking district should clear up many of these problems, according to Myran Cotton, an aide to Councilman John Ferraro, who represents the area. Residents with permits will be able to park as long as they like, and parking enforcement officers will be able to step up their activities without fear of ticketing residents.

Better enforcement should, in turn, discourage people from parking more than two hours at a time, freeing up more spaces for residents, Cotton said.

Under the program, permit holders will be exempted from the new parking restrictions, which will be two-hour parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Depending on the wishes of residents in different parts of the district, restrictions will vary on nighttime and weekend parking.

At least one resident said she was disappointed by the council’s action because she wants people who don’t hold permits to be completely prohibited from parking on the streets during daytime hours.

“We have gained nothing,” said JoAnne Lam.

But Cotton responded, “You can’t take the streets totally away from public use.”