Larkspur extends parking restrictions near Redwood High School
Larkspur is extending a parking program to deter Redwood High School students from using space in nearby neighborhoods.
The Larkspur City Council reviewed the program in the Larkspur Marina and Heather Gardens neighborhoods at a meeting Wednesday. Council members directed city staff to keep the program as is and decided against an option to charge a $50 permit fee.
The preferential parking program was created in 2019 after reports of littering and reckless driving by students parking in the neighborhoods. There is no fee for the permit and it doesn’t expire annually, though the City Council did contemplate a $50 fee when first creating the program.
The program is only in effect during the school year. Its costs nearly break even, with expenses — including $7,300 alone in police services — totaling $17,300, and revenue from about 260 citations coming to $17,000, according to a staff report.
The city reviewed the pilot program in 2023. The council members directed city staff to omit warnings, set a $100 fine and remove an escalating fine.
Around 80 residents completed a survey about the program in June. Generally, respondents felt the program was successful, and noted the process to get a permit was not too difficult. Eighty percent of respondents said the program should continue as is. When asked if the program should have a permit fee, only around 36% of respondents supported that.
“Another common complaint we’ve heard over the last few years is that there isn’t enough signage,” City Clerk Alison Foulis said. “So we asked people about that.”
The majority of those who said more signage is needed resided in the Larkspur Marina area, Foulis said.
Councilmember Sarah Margulies said that after looking at the sign maps, she felt she would get a ticket because the signs appeared too far apart.
City Manager Dan Schwarz said that a few months ago, the signs were replaced with more noticeable ones.
“Do we feel that people who live in a certain area should have an exclusive right to public parking on their street?” Councilmember Scot Candell asked.
Candell noted how parking is limited in general, and wondered if the City Council still aligns with the philosophy that created the program.
Schwarz noted that the areas have shallow driveways and the program mitigates conflict.
“They are not always very cautious of the world around them,” Schwarz said of teens.
“We had two main complaints. We had kids ripping through those neighborhoods at high speeds, very dangerous,” he said. “Then we had the kids that were hanging out at their cars and tossing the trash into people’s yards and, when they were actually confronted by homeowners, verbally abusing the homeowners for asking for their trash to be picked up.”
Vice Mayor Stephanie Andre wondered about making the areas two-hour parking zones except for residents. Schwarz said it would increase the costs fivefold or sixfold because timed zones require intense enforcement.
“This is timely because Redwood is closing their east parking lot for the installation of solar panels and that may bring more student parking and faculty parking into our residential area come August,” Mayor Catherine Way said.