Los Altos Hills Municipal Code Art. 15 Preferential Parking Districts

Dwelling unit

means a house or other type of residence, in conformance with the Zoning Ordinance of the Los Altos Hills Municipal Code and related zoning maps.

Guest

means any person visiting a resident located in a preferential parking district for any traditional guest purpose.

Guest permit

means any identification hang tag issued to residents of preferential parking districts by the City Manager or designee, limited for use by guests of the resident within the district to which it is issued, normally subject to renewal on an annual basis.

Preferential parking district or district

means a residential area with streets or boundaries designated by the resolution establishing the district wherein vehicles displaying a valid permit shall be exempt from parking restrictions established pursuant to this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

The City Council may, by resolution, at its discretion or upon receipt of a petition signed by residents living in at least 51% of the developed frontage of the area proposed for designation, designate a certain area or areas to be a preferential parking district.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

(a) Parking permits for preferential parking districts shall be issued by the City Manager or designee. The City Manager shall be responsible for establishing policies, administering procedures and disseminating information to the public regarding the distribution of parking permits at Town Hall or other designated locations.

(b) The number of permits to be issued to any one dwelling unit shall be determined by the parking conditions within each district and set forth in the resolution establishing the district.

(c) Parking permits may be issued only to the following persons:

(1) Residents within the prescribed preferential parking district or, if expressly provided in the resolution establishing the district, such other person as shall be permitted by the Council.

(2) The Director of Public Works shall establish and administer policies and procedures for the distribution of parking permits for real estate agents conducting open houses within a preferential parking district for their use and the use of persons viewing the open house.

(3) Nonresident residential property owners may obtain one guest permit annually for the property owner's personal use.

(d) It shall be the sole responsibility of the owner, operator, manager or driver of a vehicle for which a valid parking permit has been issued to become familiar with the provisions for and limitations on the use of the parking permits and ignorance of these provisions and limitations shall not be claimed as a defense in any action brought for illegal use of the permit.

(e) Residents within overlapping preferential parking districts may be issued a parking permit for whichever one district they select. Residents within such overlapping districts may only use the permit in the district for which a permit has been issued.

(f) Guest permits shall be available only to residents, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Available not more than 15 days in advance;

(2) Requests for 10 permits or less will be automatically honored. Residents must request permits in excess of 10 from the City Manager or designee at least 24 hours prior to the effective date of the permit. Permits may be granted at the discretion of the City Manager provided issuance of the excess permits will not impact the health, safety, and public peace by depriving residents of needed parking spaces;

(3) Permits shall expire at 12:00 noon following the effective date of the permit;

(4) The total number of permits issued to a residential dwelling unit shall not exceed 50 permits in any calendar month.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

(a) Upon the adoption by the City Council of a resolution designating a preferential parking district and the specified parking regulations applicable thereto, the City Engineer shall cause appropriate signs to be erected in the district, indicating prominently thereon the parking limitation, period of the day for its application, and the fact that motor vehicles with valid permits shall be exempt therefrom. If the streets are private streets, the property owners shall be responsible for obtaining and installing the signs, with the wording and location of such signs subject to approval by the City Engineer.

(b) The resolution designating a preferential parking district adopted by the Council may provide that signs be posted only on selected streets or portions of specific streets within the prescribed district.

(c) Upon the adoption of a resolution designating a preferential parking district, the Council may provide that appropriate signs be erected and that the parking regulations applicable thereto be enforced only as to those streets or portions of streets within the district for which a petition pursuant to Section 4-3.1502 has been received by the City.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

(a) A motor vehicle on which is displayed a valid parking permit affixed to the inside bottom left of the front windshield, or hanging from the rear view mirror, shall be permitted to stand or be parked in the preferential parking district for which it is issued without being limited by parking restrictions established pursuant to this article. Except as provided below, all other motor vehicles parked within a preferential parking district shall be subject to the parking restrictions and penalties as provided in the chapter.

(b) A preferential parking permit shall not guarantee or reserve to the holder thereof an on-street parking space within the designated preferential parking district.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

No person shall, without a permit therefor, park or leave standing any vehicle or trailer in a preferential parking district in excess of the parking restrictions authorized pursuant to this article, except for the following:

(a) Repair, maintenance, refuse, utility, or delivery vehicles doing business in the preferential parking district;

(b) Vehicles delivering life-support and health commodities to residential areas and schools located in the preferential parking district;

(c) Vehicles displaying distinguishing handicapped license plates or placards issued pursuant to Section 9105 or 22511.5 of the California Vehicle Code.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

Vehicles described in Section 4-3.308 of this chapter shall be exempt from the regulations of this article.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

Except as otherwise provided, each parking permit issued by the Town shall be valid for the period set forth in the resolution establishing the district. Permits may be renewed upon reapplication in the manner prescribed by the Council.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

The fee for a preferential parking permit shall be established by resolution of the Council.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

Permit fees collected under the provisions of this chapter shall be paid into the treasury of the Town and deposited in the General Fund.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

(a) Unless exempted by the provisions of this chapter, no person shall stand or park a motor vehicle in any preferential parking district established pursuant to this chapter in violation of any parking restrictions established pursuant to this chapter. Except as provided in subsection (c), a violation of this section shall constitute an infraction, which shall be punishable by a fine of $25.

(b) No person shall falsely represent him or herself as eligible for a parking permit or furnish false information to the Town in an application for a preferential parking permit.

(c) No permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall thereafter be assigned, transferred or used for any consideration, monetary or otherwise. Violation of this subsection shall constitute an infraction and be punishable by a fine of $25.

(d) No person shall copy, produce or create facsimile or counterfeit a parking permit, nor shall any person use or display a facsimile or counterfeit preferential parking district permit.

(e) Permit holders shall report to the Town a lost, stolen or missing permit within 10 days of loss, at which time that permit shall be cancelled and a new permit issued for a replacement fee. The Police Department shall be notified of a lost, stolen or missing permit.

(f) Permits shall be returned to the Town when the permit holder moves out of a preferential parking district.

(g) No person shall misuse a residential guest permit or display a stolen permit. Any such misuse or display on a vehicle shall be cause for immediate ticketing and towing in addition to the penalty set forth in subsection (a) of this section. Misused permits shall be confiscated by the impounding authority.

(h) No person who has been issued a parking permit for a preferential parking district shall use or permit the use of such permit in any other district.

(i) No person shall alter, deface, or intentionally conceal an expiration date or otherwise attempt to present false information as true and genuine, on the face of a parking permit which is displayed in a vehicle parked on a Town street. Violation of this subsection shall constitute an infraction and be punishable as set forth in subsection (b) of this section.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

Any permittee violating the provisions of subsections (b) through (h) of Section 4-3.1511 shall be subject to having the permit revoked and shall be notified in writing of the permit revocation. The Police Department shall be notified of this revocation.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

The designation process as set forth in this chapter shall be utilized by the City Council in determining whether to dissolve a preferential parking district.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

(a) The Director of Public Works is authorized to issue official business permits to Town officials, employees and contractors in accordance with the provisions of this section for the purpose of facilitating the conduct of official Town business and performing work on Town projects.

(b) Official business permits shall be used solely and exclusively for the conduct of official Town business and while working on Town projects. Use of these permits for any purpose other than official Town business or during times when not engaged in Town business shall constitute grounds for (1) revocation of the permit, (2) temporary or permanent ineligibility for receipt of future permits, (3) issuance of a parking citation for any underlying violation as well as a violation of Section 4-3.1511 of this article, (4) towing of the vehicle, where appropriate, and (5) with respect to Town employees, disciplinary action in accordance with applicable personnel rules and memoranda of understanding.

(c) Town officials and employees responding to an emergency which constitutes an immediate threat to life or safety shall be exempt from parking regulations.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)

The Council may waive by resolution or suspend enforcement of preferential parking regulations for a specifically enumerated period of time, upon determining enforcement of such regulations during that time would not serve the best interests of the community.

(§ 1, Ord. 432, eff. March 5, 2004)