Santa Monica parking restriction snags van for seniors

An ordinance intended to keep motor homes from parking overnight in Santa Monica is being applied to an unlikely culprit: a van used to ferry elderly residents of an assisted-living facility to and from appointments and activities.

The van, operated by Sunrise Senior Living, has typically parked without incident in front of the center on 15th Street between Arizona Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. The 15-passenger vehicle, which does not fit in Sunrise’s parking garage, has a disabled-person license plate that allows it to park without time limits in many locations.

Last April, the Santa Monica City Council revised oversize-vehicle restrictions that had been on the books since the 1970s. The code prohibits the parking on city streets or alleys between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. of vehicles more than 8 feet in width, 8 feet in height or 20 feet in length. The city posted the rules at more than 75 entrances to the city.

The intent, officials said, was to increase visibility for motorists and to prevent people from living in recreational vehicles parked on city streets. Council members said they were following the lead of Los Angeles, which began cracking down on RV parking in Venice last year.

“We just wanted to make sure everyone was aware they could not park RVs at certain times on our streets,” said Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis.

In November, police began citing the Sunrise vehicle for parking during restricted hours because it was too long. Sam Morrissey, the city traffic engineer, said he did not know the number or nature of the citations.

Santa Monica police Sgt. Richard Lewis confirmed that the vehicle had been cited “for various reasons.” He declined to comment further, saying the case was under investigation.

“I do understand there’s some confusion,” Morrissey said. “They do have handicapped placards. It was thought that the placards exempted them from other parking restrictions.”

“It certainly never was our intention to catch the Sunrise vehicle in this net, nor … to be unreasonable in terms of providing transportation to seniors,” Davis said.

Morrissey said he had a “productive meeting” Thursday with Josie Cruz Medina, activities and volunteer coordinator at Sunrise Senior Living.

“We discussed a few different options that may be available, and I feel confident we can work out a solution that meets their needs,” he said.

Medina also offered to look into using nearby private parking lots for overnight storage.

The city typically offers spots in the Civic Center parking lot on a short-term basis to accommodate RVs of residents’ relatives.

The Sunrise Senior Living facility has about 70 units, which start at $3,100 a month, said Sara Abriatis, a spokeswoman for the company, based in McLean, Va. Residents also pay for individualized care and services. She declined to comment on the van issue.

martha.groves@latimes.com