Council OKs Restricted Parking on 4 Streets

Complaints about congestion and litter have prompted the city to allow only residents and their guests to park in a four-block neighborhood west of Ponderosa Park.

The new permit parking system, expected to be enforced in about 30 days, was approved this week by a unanimous vote of the City Council.

Affected is a neighborhood of about 180 single-family residences on Bluebell Avenue, Cliffwood Avenue, Wilken Way and Oertley Drive.

Residents may buy permits for each of their vehicles and for as many as 10 guests for $10 apiece.

Eugene Baxley, who has lived on Bluebell for 23 years, said his reaction was “absolution elation.”

“You can’t believe what’s going on around here,” said Baxley, who blames the parking and trash problems on apartment residents.

Baxley said he has found syringes, used condoms, baby diapers, car parts and fast-food containers.

“Anything they don’t want in their cars they just put out in the gutter.”

Baxley said the problems started about 15 years ago but grew significantly worse last year when the city banned street parking in the nearby Leatrice-Wakefield neighborhood.

City officials credit the parking ban with significantly reducing drug dealing, prostitution and other illegal activities around Ponderosa Park.

Baxley agreed, but said Leatrice-Wakefield residents now park on his street.

“After the parking ban,” he said, “what used to be heavy parking became over-parking. It really became congested. They will park in your driveway if you don’t chase them off.”

John Lower, Anaheim’s traffic and transportation manager, said the city has not documented what is causing the influx of vehicles, but he suspects that the Leatrice-Wakefield street parking ban is playing “a big part.”

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Car Curb

City will restrict parking to residents only.