by Laura Garber
Resident parking permits in Hermosa Beach’s impacted parking area, near the beach, will be easier to obtain next year, as the result of Council action taken at their Tuesday, October 28 meeting.
Residents have complained about tighter restrictions approved by the Council last year, including the requirement that the addresses for vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses match the residents’ addresses.
Last year’s stricter requirements resulted in the issuance of parking permits dropping from 8,926 in 2022-23 to 5,901 in 2025-26.
Councilmembers Michael Keegan, and Dean Francois and Mayor Rob Saemann voted to allow leases (for new residents) and utility bills to be accepted as proof of residency.
Councilmembers Raymond Jackson and Michael Detoy, who voted last year for the tighter restrictions, voted against relaxing the restrictions.
The three councilmembers also agreed to the sale of up to 10 guest permits to residents twice a year, at $10 each. But not on holidays. The guest permits were eliminated last year.
Mayor Saemann joined Jackson and Detoy in voting against issuing permits to owners of rental property in the impacted zone. Keegan and Francois favored allowing rental property owners to purchase permits.
Mayor Saemann, Jackson and Detoy also voted together to maintain a two year ban on the sale of parking permits to residents who violated the permit terms. Currently, there are 20 people on the two-year ban; 13 submitted altered vehicle registration documentation, five submitted altered bank or credit card statements and two misused parking permits on unassigned, out-of-state vehicles.
Under the current permit program, residents are allowed up to three parking permits per household. A decision on allowing issuance of a fourth permit, as previously allowed, was continued to a future meeting. The Council postponed revisiting the employee parking permit program until a future meeting.
Currently, employees have the option to park at yellow meters along Hermosa Avenue or in the Lot C parking area. However, part of Lot C is closed for construction for the next five months.
Options for employer-managed parking passes for employees will also be brought back as a future agenda item.
The impacted parking area is between the north and south borders, The Strand on the west, and Loma Drive, Park Avenue, and Morningside Drive on the east. And the east and west sides of Cypress Avenue between 11th Street and Pier Avenue. ER
Councilmember Raymond Jackson is Horrible!