Comedian wins parking permit art contest in Hermosa Beach
The winner of this year’s Hermosa Beach Parking Permit Art Contest is Jeff Capri, a stand-up comedian. Capri was honored at Tuesday’s City Council meeting for his design that will be featured on the 2013-2014 parking permits.
2013-2014 Hermosa Beach parking permit. Image provided by the city of Hermosa Beach.
The city received six entries, and City Manager Tom Bakaly chose Capri’s design, which depicts a seagull flying over a beach volleyball match at sunset.
“My first idea was two girls with beers on the pier, but I didn’t think that would have been appropriate,” Capri told the City Council.
Capri, who has lived in Hermosa Beach for 14 years, said that he designed the artwork using a photo he had taken in addition to his self-taught, trial-and-error formula using computer graphics. Capri said he noticed the parking passes on vehicles during a jog through Hermosa Beach, and he expects to do more running to see his artwork all over the city on the parking permits.
This was the third year the city has sponsored the Hermosa Beach Parking Permit Art Contest.
The new parking permits go on sale Feb. 4. They cost $40 each for residents and $143 each for employees of businesses. Residents and employees can avoid standing in line at city hall by renewing their permit by mail.
The permits allow employees working in downtown Hermosa Beach and nearby residents and their guests to park at meters with yellow posts without paying the meter. Additionally, the permits allow for parking longer than one hour in designated one-hour zones in residential areas.