Manhattan Beach Municipal Code Ch. 12.48 Park Rules

The rules set forth in this chapter shall apply to every City operated park.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997)

City parks shall be open from dawn until 10:00 p.m. with the exception of the following: Sand Dune Park which shall be open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from April 1st to October 31st and from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. from November 1st to March 31st. However, throughout the year the dune area of Sand Dune Park shall not be open until 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; and Larsson Street and Eighth Street neighborhood parks ("parquettes") which shall be open from 8:00 a.m. to one-half (frax;1;2;) hour after sunset everyday. It shall be unlawful for any member of the public to use a City park at any other time without the express permission of the Director of Parks and Recreation.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997; § 2, Ord. 2018, eff. September 15, 2000; § 2, Ord. 2036, eff. October 30, 2002; § 2, Ord. 2055, eff. June 3, 2004)

Park areas may be reserved for daylight use only, but in any case no earlier than 8:00 a.m. Gazebos in Polliwog Park may be reserved for a maximum of two (2) hours per day, per group. All other park areas may be reserved in two (2) hour blocks up to a maximum of six (6) hours per day, per group. The City Council may, by resolution, set a fee for this reservation service.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997, as amended by § 2, Ord. 2036, eff. October 30, 2000)

Any group of fifty (50) or more using a City park must obtain a permit from the Director of Parks and Recreation and must reserve an area for such use. The Director shall have the authority to require a cleaning deposit appropriate to the size of the group and the proposed use, and appropriate insurance covering the activity. In addition, the Director shall have the right to require appropriate security at the group's expense and to require reimbursement for the services of any City employees required by the group's activities. Failure to obtain this permit shall be a violation of this chapter. The City Council may, by resolution, set a fee for this permit. In Sand Dune Park groups of fifteen (15) or more shall be prohibited from using the park without first obtaining a permit from the Director of Parks and Recreation. Permitted group use of the dune is between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday only. Permitted group use of the non-dune area is allowed seven days per week from 8:00 a.m. to dusk. Groups of more than forty (40) are prohibited from the dune and other park areas.

For purposes of this section the term "group" shall mean individuals affiliated with each other either formally or informally using the park for a common purpose including but not limited to families, teams, associations, clubs, classes or instructional groups or other similarly affiliated collections of individuals.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997; § 2, Ord. 2036, eff. October 3, 2002)

The following conduct shall be prohibited in all City parks:

A. Consumption of alcoholic beverages;

B. Driving or parking of vehicles except in clearly designated parking areas;

C. Golfing, chipping or putting;

D. Use of any unusual equipment such as dunk tanks, carnival rides, or moon bounces;

E. Riding or parking of bicycles, tricycles, unicycles, electric bicycles, motorized bicycles, or similar apparatus outside of clearly designated areas;

F. Roping off areas, bringing additional tables and/or rented chairs into any park without an appropriate permit issued by the Director of Parks and Recreation;

G. Bringing dogs, ponies or any other animals into any park, with the exception of leashed dogs which are permitted on Veterans Parkway, leashed dogs passing through Parque Culiacan and Live Oak Park on paved walkways or otherwise designated areas and leashed dogs traversing north or south through Sand Dune Park along the west side of the grass field at the south end of the park as well as on the south stairs in said park and guide dogs used by vision impaired patrons of any park or licensed guide dog trainers engaged in training or dogs being socialized and trained for guide dog service by an organization approved by the Director of Parks and Recreation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City Council may, by minute action or resolution designate any portion of an existing park as a dogs permitted area to allow unleashed dogs and permit leashed dogs to traverse the surrounding park for the sole purpose of obtaining access to any such dogs permitted area;

H. Use of skateboards or other wheeled recreational devices (as defined in Section 12.48.052), other than as provided in Section 12.48.052;

I. Generating any amplified sound;

J. Hanging any items from or posting any item on trees, structures or other surfaces;

K. Playing any athletic games in areas other than adjacent athletic fields (if any);

L. Flying radio-controlled or other powered model airplanes, cars, boats or like equipment;

M. Use of any barbecue other than those provided by the City;

N. Deposit of ash or charcoal in any place in a park or adjacent public property other than those places designated by signs shall be prohibited;

O. Causing damage to or placing graffiti on any building, fixture, landscaping, paving or other park property;

P. Depositing trash in any place other than a designated park trash container;

Q. Physical training equipment such as exercise mats, free weights, exercise aids and similar equipment is prohibited anywhere in all public parks and athletic fields without a permit issued by the Director of Parks and Recreation.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997; § 2, Ord. 2036, eff. October 3, 2002; § 2, Ord. 2072, eff. February 4, 2005; § 2, Ord. 2129, eff. November 5, 2009; § 1, Ord. 16-033, eff. January 7, 2017; § 3, Ord. 23-0008-U, eff. September 5, 2023)

A. Definitions. For purposes of this section the following definitions shall apply:

"Skate" or "skating" means the riding of a skateboard or other wheeled recreational device.

"Skate Park" means any City owned or operated skate park facility, including but not limited to skate spots. Such skate park facility includes the skating surface and the viewing area.

"Wheeled recreational device" means nonmotorized bicycle, scooter, in-line skates, roller skates, or wheelchair."

B. Skate park regulations.

1. Skating is deemed to be a hazardous recreational activity and the City shall not be liable for injuries incurred by persons who participate in any such activity.

2. Skate parks are designed and maintained, and hereby designated as skateboard parks in which skating is permitted, pursuant to the provisions of this section.

3. Any person skating at a skate park is deemed to be knowledgeable of its inherent dangers, and, having such knowledge, is deemed to have expressly assumed all risks of injury, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

4. It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in, or for any adult responsible for the supervision of a minor, to permit such minor to engage in any of the following acts at a skate park:

a. Skating with a device other than a skateboard or other wheeled recreational device on the Skate Park skating surface.

b. Skating without a fully functional helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads.

c. Skating, if under the age of twelve (12), without direct supervision by an adult.

d. Skating in or on any area other than the skate park skating surface. Without limitation, skating in or on any benches, curbs, driveways, parking lots, planters, playground equipment, railings, sidewalks, steps, or tables shall constitute a violation of this privilege.

e. Skating on the skate park skating surface while it is wet.

f. Possessing at the skate park any glass container.

g. Any other conduct prohibited by Chapter 12.48.

5. The Director of Parks and Recreation shall post the rules and regulations at the Skate Parks. It shall be unlawful and a citable offense for any person to violate any provision of this section, or any such posted rule or regulation. A violation of this section shall constitute an infraction.

(§ 2, Ord. 16-0033, eff. January 7, 2017)

The following rules shall apply to conduct in Sand Dune Park:

A. All exercise and fitness activities must be conducted on the dune. The grassy areas of the park are for passive recreation and permitted organized activities;

B. Running and jogging on stairs and walkways is prohibited;

C. The use of any substance or device other than cardboard for sliding down the dune is prohibited.

(§ 3, Ord. 2036, eff. October 3, 2002; § 2, Ord. 2129, eff. November 5, 2009)

The Director of Parks and Recreation shall have the authority to establish administrative rules governing the use of City parks. The rules may vary from park to park to reflect the unique nature of each facility. Any person who is placed on notice of the park rules, whether by signage or by warning from a park monitor or other City official, who fails to abide by any such rule may be expelled from the park and by, order of the Director of Parks and Recreation may be prohibited from using all City park and recreation facilities for up to fourteen (14) days. Any such prohibition by the Director of Parks and Recreation may be appealed by the person who is subject to the prohibition if a written request for appeal is received within three (3) business days from the receipt of notice of prohibition. The person subject to prohibition who timely files an appeal shall be entitled to a prompt hearing before the City Manager or his or her designee. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code the determination of the City Manager or designee shall be final. The order of the Director of Parks and Recreation shall remain in full force and effect unless and until it is overturned by order of the City Manager. Any person refusing to abide by an order of prohibition issued by the Director of Parks and Recreation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(§ 3, Ord. 2036, eff. October 3, 2002)

The Director of Parks and Recreation shall have the power to close any City park facility, portion of a or park equipment or remove it from service on a temporary basis. When such a closure is publicly noticed, through signage or other means, any person using or intruding into or on the closed facility, portion of a park, or equipment shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(§ 3, Ord. 2036, eff. October 3, 2002)

A. Definitions. For purposes of this section the following definitions shall apply:

"Park" shall mean and include any City owned or operated recreational facility including, but not limited to, parks, parkettes, athletic fields, tennis courts, basketball courts or other such public recreational area.

"Smoke" means the gases, particles, or vapors released into the air as a result of combustion, electrical ignition or vaporization, when the apparent or usual purpose of the combustion, electrical ignition or vaporization is human inhalation of the byproducts, except when the combusting material contains no tobacco or nicotine and the purpose of inhalation is solely olfactory, such as, for example, smoke from incense. The term "smoke" includes, but is not limited to, tobacco smoke, electronic cigarette vapors, and marijuana smoke.

"Smoking" means engaging in an act that generates smoke, such as, for example: Possessing a lighted pipe or a lighted hookah pipe; operating an electronic cigarette, a lighted cigar, or a lighted cigarette of any kind; or lighting or igniting a pipe, an electronic cigarette, a hookah pipe, a cigar, or a cigarette of any kind.

B. Prohibitions.

1. No person shall smoke in a park as defined in this section.

2. No person shall dispose of any cigarette, cigar or other tobacco product or any part thereof in a park except in a designated waste disposal container.

C. Enforcement.

1. Each separate violation of this section is an infraction.

2. Punishment under this section shall not preclude punishment pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 13002, Penal Code Section 374.4, or any other law proscribing the act of littering. Nothing in this section shall preclude any person, corporation or governmental entity from seeking any other remedies, penalties or procedures provided by law whether civil or criminal.

(§ 2, Ord. 2067, eff. December 3, 2004, as amended by § 5, Ord. 14-0008, eff. July 18, 2014)

Each person using a park shall clean that area and deposit all trash generated in the nearest container. It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to fail to place trash, debris, or litter which they have generated in an appropriate trash receptacle, to overturn a trash receptacle or otherwise cause trash, debris or litter to be deposited in a City park.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997)

Other than sidewalk vending activities conducted in compliance with Chapter 6.24, commercial activities, including, but not limited to, vendors, caterers, and peddlers, including vendors, caterers and commercial enterprises associated with permitted, organized groups, shall be prohibited in all City parks unless a permit is obtained from the Director of Parks and Recreation. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Director of Parks and Recreation from awarding a franchise for special events to a particular caterer or vendor.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997; as amended by § 3, Ord. 18-0025, eff. Feb. 1, 2019)

The Director of Parks and Recreation may, for special events or circumstances, grant a temporary waiver from the rules and regulations of this chapter for an individual or group.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997)

It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to cause damage to or place graffiti on any building, fixture, landscaping, paving or other element of park property.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997)

Violation of any provision of this chapter shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.

(§ 2, Ord. 1965, eff. June 19, 1997)