Fullerton : Council Adopts New Plan to Solve Parking Dispute

The City Council has reversed a recent decision to build two walls separating fraternity row from its neighbors and approved a parking permit system instead.

The council appropriated $57,000 in December to build the walls at Teri Place and Derek Drive to block traffic from fraternity row, which is just north of the Cal State Fullerton campus, from the adjacent tract of single-family homes.

The vote rescinding the plan came after a four-hour public hearing Tuesday night at which 35 people spoke.

The council voted 4 to 1 to begin a parking permit system, giving only residents of the adjacent neighborhood and their guests permits to park on their streets.

Residents will be issued stickers, and cars without stickers will receive citations. Those that are not moved eventually will be towed.

Residents had complained to city officials that students were parking in their neighborhood, littering and making too much noise.

The council agreed to reconsider its December decision to build the walls after residents of both areas complained that the new plan would aggravate existing parking problems and partially block access for emergency vehicles.

Since there is no ordinance regulating parking permits, the council must first adopt one before the new policy can take effect, said Paul Smith, city traffic engineer. The process is expected to take at least two months, he said.

There will be no change in parking regulations for the fraternity area, he said.

“Not everyone agrees what the remedies should be, but they all agree that there is a problem and that something has to be done about it,” City Councilman Chris Norby said. “This way, there will be some relief, and at least this will give us a chance to work out the bugs.”