Politics & Government

Parking in Historic Neighborhood Getting Squeezed by Tourists

Residents on a small street in the Los Rios district have had enough and want permits to restrict parking.

The residents of a small street in the Los Rios Street Historic District are tired of competing with downtown visitors for a parking spot.

So they asked and received permission Tuesday from the San Juan Capistrano City Council to turn Lobo Street into parking-by-permit only.

“It’s only a 40-yard stretch of street,” said Tyler Marolf, founder of the Los Rios Rock School and a resident on Lobo.

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Visitors and even his own wife have trouble parking in the neighborhood.

“We would love to have a little extra space,” Marolf said.

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The request came with a petition signed by 14 residents, including Mayor John Taylor, who did not vote on the matter.

“We have tourists and shoppers filling the area during the day and at night we have overflow parking from the condos next to us,” wrote Shelley Bachelder in an email to the city. “Weekends are the worst, but we have to deal with it daily.”

The parking permits, which include guest passes for the residents, passed 4-0 with Taylor recusing himself. 


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