Residents living just north of Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria say student parking in their neighborhood has been a long-standing issue, and now, a new city-approved permit system aims to change that.
Neighbors say that for years, students have filled residential streets during school hours, sometimes blocking driveways, hydrants, and street corners. Santa Maria resident Gaylen Clark says the congestion got so bad that she and others decided to take action.
“It was getting very bad. We had students parking in front of the hydrant, around the corners,” she said. "They were illegally parking from about 7:30 until 4 when the school was dismissed.”
Clark says she went door to door, collecting signatures to bring the issue before the city, ultimately gaining support from about 85% of the neighborhood.
“We went door to door, handing out petitions saying that they agreed they wanted permit parking,” she said. “It took us most of the summer. They gave us a deadline in August.”
Not everyone is happy with the new plan. Some longtime residents say they support efforts to manage the parking, but believe they shouldn’t have to pay to park where they live.
“It’s a continuing issue. Is it a serious problem? No. Is it an irritable problem? Yes,” said one neighbor. “I don’t believe residents should have to pay to park in front of our own houses.”
City engineers say the new parking permit boundaries were carefully drawn to prevent congestion from simply shifting deeper into the neighborhood.
“If we only did a couple of streets, it would just push everyone into the cul-de-sacs,” explained Zoe Glick, Santa Maria City Engineer. “We decided to grab that full neighborhood so the issue doesn’t move elsewhere.”
Under the new program, each permit will cost $7 and last five years. Residents can get up to five permits per residence. Enforcement will take place Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting January 1.
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District says students already have a free on-campus parking option, as long as they show a driver’s license, registration, insurance, and a parent or guardian signature.
