The vast majority of those speaking at a June 26 town hall meeting in Venice opposed a plan to establish overnight parking districts (OPDs) in that community, arguing that it would amount to requiring all Venetians to pay to park in front of their own homes, while forcing those who live in RVs and mobile homes out of their vehicles and on to the streets.
In what may be the largest public meeting in Venice in recent years, more than 80 percent of those who paraded to the podium during the three and a half hour hearing said no to permit parking during their two minutes of allotted time.
Many homeowners and renters came to the defense of those living in RVs and other vehicles, saying that the OPDs would, in effect, make Venice into a gated community without the gates.
Under the City of Los Angeles proposal, no one would be allowed to park overnight unless they paid the city for a permit to be displayed on their vehicle. Opponents argued that the plan would eliminate coastal access for anyone outside Venice who just wanted to dip their toe into the ocean at night, or watch the grunion run.
The Venice Community Housing Corporation and the Venice Town Council have gone on record in opposition to the OPDs. About 700 Venice residents have signed petitions against the plan.
The proposal was made in response to the growing number of homeless people living in their vehicles and parking around the clock in Venice.
