Monrovia Municipal Code Ch. 12.32 Parks

The following areas within the city are hereby designated as public parks for the recreational use of the public:

(A) Monrovia Canyon Park, on North Canyon Boulevard;

(B) Grand Avenue Park, on North Grand Avenue and Prospect Avenue;

(C) Julian Fisher Park, on South California Avenue and Almond Avenue;

(D) Olive Avenue Park, on West Olive Avenue and Mayflower Avenue;

(E) Recreation Park, on South Shamrock Avenue and Lemon Avenue;

(F) Monrovia Library Park, on South Myrtle Avenue and Lime Avenue;

(G) Rotary Park, on South California Avenue and Lime Avenue;

(H) Station Square Park on South Myrtle Avenue and Pomona Avenue;

(I) Monrovia Hillside Wilderness Preserve, which can be accessed from the Highland Access Point, Cloverleaf Access Point, Ridgeside Access Point, and Sleepy Hollow Access Point; and

(J) Satoru Tsuneishi Park, on Encino Avenue.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-05 § 1, 2016; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)

(A) Definitions.

CAMP OR TENT CAMP OR CAMPING. To pitch a tent, use, or occupy camp materials or a camp for the purpose of occupancy, habitation, or sheltering for survival, and in such a way as will facilitate sleeping or storage of personal belongings, carrying on cooking activities, taking measures to keep protected from the elements including heat and cold, or any of these activities in combination with one another or in combination with either sleeping or making preparations to sleep. CAMP OR CAMPSITE is a location where people camp or are camping. CAMP, TENT CAMP, OR CAMPING does not include vehicles, automobiles or recreational vehicles used for shelter and/or sleeping on public property, which is regulated in Chapter 10.14.

CAMP MATERIALS. Includes, but is not limited to, tents, chairs, tarps or tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, flameless stoves, blankets, sleeping or bedding materials, food or food storage items, and/or similar items that are or appear to be used as living and/or sleeping accommodations, or to assist with living and/or sleeping activities.

ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE. An electronic device that creates an aerosol or vapor, or that can be used to deliver an inhaled dose of nicotine, or other substances, including any component, part, or accessory of such a device, whether or not sold separately. ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICE includes any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an electronic cigarette, an electronic cigar, an electronic cigarillo, an electronic pipe, an electronic hookah, or any other product name or descriptor.

REASONABLE DISTANCE. A distance of 25 feet in any direction from an area in which smoking is prohibited.

RECREATIONAL AREA. Any area that is owned, controlled or used by the city and open to the general public for recreational purposes, regardless of any fee or age requirement. The term RECREATIONAL AREA includes but is not limited to parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, court yards, walking paths, gardens, hiking trails, bike paths, riding trails, swimming pools, and skateboard parks.

SMOKE or SMOKED. 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 or vaporizing material contains no tobacco or nicotine and the purpose of inhalation is solely olfactory, such as, for example, smoke from incense. The term SMOKE or SMOKED includes, but is not limited to, tobacco smoke, Electronic Smoking Device vapors, marijuana smoke, and crack cocaine smoke.

SMOKING. Inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted, heated, or ignited cigar, cigarette, cigarillo, pipe, hookah, Electronic Smoking Device, or any plant product intended for human inhalation, or the act of lighting or igniting a cigar, cigarette, cigarillo, pipe, hookah, Electronic Smoking Device, or any plant product intended for human inhalation.

TOBACCO PRODUCT:

(a) Any product containing, made, or derived from tobacco or nicotine that is intended for human consumption, whether smoked, heated, chewed, absorbed, dissolved, inhaled, snorted, sniffed, or ingested by any other means, including, but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, snuff; and

(b) Any electronic smoking device; and

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of divisions (a) and (b) to the contrary, TOBACCO PRODUCT includes any component, part, or accessory of a TOBACCO PRODUCT, whether or not sold separately. TOBACCO PRODUCT does not include any product that has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for sale as a tobacco cessation product or for other therapeutic purposes where such product is marketed and sold solely for such an approved purpose.

(B) Applicability of chapter. The rules and regulations prescribed in this chapter shall govern the use of the city parks designated in § 12.32.010, the use of the Monrovia Hillside Wilderness Preserve in Chapter 12.33 as well as any future recreational area. The City Council may, in its discretion, apply additional or more restrictive rules and regulations to specific parks or recreational areas based on unique circumstances.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-09 § 1, 2016; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)

Recreational activity in any of the designated city parks, use of such parks, and city-sponsored recreational activity at any facility located at such parks shall be under the direction and control of the Public Services Director.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-09 § 4, 2016)

(A) Grand Avenue Park shall be open to the public between dawn and 8:00 p.m. of each day.

(B) Monrovia Canyon Park shall be open to the public between dawn and 9:00 p.m. of each day.

(C) The following city parks shall be open to the public between dawn and 10:00 p.m. of each day: Julian Fisher Park, Olive Avenue Park, Recreation Park, Rotary Park, Station Square Park, Satoru Tsuneishi Park, and Monrovia Library Park. However, the playground at Monrovia Library Park shall be open to the public only between dawn and dusk of each day.

(D) Monrovia Hillside Preserve shall be open as provided in § 12.33.040.

(E) Use of city parks at times other than those specified in this section may be authorized by a special permit issued by the Public Services Department.

(F) The City Manager, the Public Works Director, or the Public Services Director may adjust the hours of closure at his or her discretion.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-05 § 2, 2016; Ord. 2016-09 § 4, 2016; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)

(A) It is unlawful for any person to camp between the hours of one-half hour after sunset of one day and 6:00 a.m. of the next day within the limits of any city park unless authorized by a special permit from the Community Services Department.

(B) The following conduct or activity shall be prohibited in the use of any park facility and within the limits of any city park at all times:

(1) Falling to comply with posted hours, park closures, signage or applicable park rules;

(2) Breaking, defacing, disturbing, marking or writing upon any building, monument, fence, cage, pen, monument, statue, bench or other structure, apparatus or property;

(3) Defacing, destroying, covering, damaging or removing any placard, notice or sign or parts thereof, whether permanent or temporary, posted or exhibited by the city;

(4) Throwing, depositing, leaving, scattering or dropping or abandoning bottles, cans, broken glass, hot coals, ashes, papers, trash, sewage, waste or other materials, except in receptacles provided for such purposes;

(5) Fires and flame devices:

(a) Making or kindling any fire except in designated barbeques provided by the city or camping spaces as authorized by a special permit from the Fire Department;

(b) Smoking or use of any tobacco product shall be prohibited in any city park or recreational area. Smoking, or the use of any tobacco product must be a reasonable distance from any city park or recreational area. The reasonable distance is measured from the curb cut (edge of an adjacent road) that is adjacent to the city park or recreational area. If a curb cut is not located adjacent to a city park or recreational area, the reasonable distance is measured from any entrance or exit to the city park or recreational area;

(c) Carrying or discharging any firearms, firecrackers, rockets, torpedoes, fireworks or other explosive or blasting devices, air guns or slingshots;

(d) Tampering, mutilating, destroying or removing installed Fire Department locks, barricades, seals, cables, signs and markers, or allowing any of these activities to occur;

(e) Unlocking installed Fire Department gates, doors, barriers, and locks, or allowing any of these activities to occur;

(6) Plants, streams, ponds, and other natural features:

(a) Cutting, injuring, disturbing, plucking, pulling up or out, taking or removing any shrub, bush, tree, plant or flower;

(b) Cutting or removing any wood, turf, grass, soil, rock, sand or gravel;

(c) Digging any trenches, holes or other excavations;

(d) Swimming, bathing, wading in or polluting any stream, pond, lake or fountain;

(e) Throwing any trash, rubbish, vegetable or animal matter of any kind in any stream, pond, lake or fountain;

(f) Discharging waste water or any other wastes in the park except in designated containers, drains or dumping stations;

(g) Placing any debris or other pollutant in or upon any park lands or any body of water in or adjacent to a city park or any tributary, stream, storm sewer or drain, or engaging or participating in any activity or act that will impair or imperil the purity or wholesomeness of any water designed for household or domestic use;

(h) Rolling or throwing boulders, rocks or stones down the sides of any declivity or from any trails without first taking all necessary precaution to protect persons below from injury;

(7) Wildlife and other animals:

(a) Leading or letting loose any cattle, horse, mule, goat, sheep, swine or fowl of any kind;

(b) Riding or driving any horse or other animal not broken into and under the driver’s perfect control;

(c) Riding or propelling any horse or other animal elsewhere other than on roadways or trails provided for such purposes;

(d) Killing, trapping, hunting, pursuing or in any manner disturbing any species of wildlife or other animals, including snakes other than poisonous snakes;

(e) Feeding any non-domesticated mammalian wildlife, including but not limited to bears, deer, mountain lions, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, mice, rats, skunks, squirrels or feral cats. This prohibition does not include feeding of any non-domesticated mammalian by the owner of such animal when the non-domesticated mammalian is kept under a valid certificate or permit issued by the state of California Department of Fish and Game;

(f) Bringing any animal into a park unless caged or kept on a leash no more than six feet in length;

(g) Allowing or permitting any animal under that person’s ownership or possession to defecate on any publicly owned place, or otherwise having custody or possession of such animal at designated areas without possessing an appropriate device for cleaning up such animal’s feces and disposing of it in a sanitary manner;

(h) Permitting any animal under that person’s control to disturb, harass or interfere with any park visitor, a park visitor’s property or a city employee;

(i) Keeping or maintaining noisy, offensive or dangerous animals as provided in § 6.28.080 of this code;

(j) Releasing or abandoning any animal within the park;

(8) Disorderly or hazardous conduct:

(a) Indulging in riotous, boisterous, threatening or indecent conduct, or abusive, threatening, profane or indecent language;

(b) Engaging or participating in any game or activity which may create hazard or danger to other persons or property, including, but not limited to, baseball, hitting of golf balls, engaging in model airplane flying, use of weapons; provided, however, that any such activity shall be permissible within any area which is specifically designed for such activity;

(c) Obstructing, interfering with, remaining or loitering in a manner which interferes with the use or purpose of any park, recreation facility or publicly owned place;

(9) Playing, participating or betting at or against any game of chance which is played, conducted or carried on with cards, dice or other device for money, chips, shells, credit or any other representative of value, or maintaining any gambling table or other instrument of gambling and gaming;

(10) Operation of vehicles:

(a) Driving or operating any vehicle, cycle or automobile elsewhere other than on roadways provided for such purposes, or at a rate of speed greater than the posted speed limit or as provided in this code;

(b) Operating a motor vehicle or approaching any curve or turn on any mountain road within any park without sounding the horn of such vehicle;

(c) Operating any motor vehicle with an open muffler or making unnecessary smoke or noise of any kind in such operation;

(d) Parking or leaving a motor vehicle standing except in designated areas and only in a manner so as not to restrict normal traffic flow;

(e) Parking or leaving a motor vehicle standing after closing hours; unless authorized by a special permit from the Public Services Department;

(f) Failing to yield right of way to pedestrians and other trail or roadway users;

(g) Failing to obey posted signs;

(11) Riding any bicycle, skateboard, roller skates, or similar type of device except on designated roadways or trails;

(12) Commercial and other related activities:

(a) Posting or placing any bills, notices, papers or advertising devices of any kind;

(b) Selling or offering for sale any merchandise, article or thing without a valid sidewalk vending permit issued in accordance with Chapter 5.98 or with the permission of the City Council;

(c) Practicing, carrying on, conducting or soliciting for any trade, occupation, business, or profession without a valid sidewalk vending permit issued in accordance with Chapter 5.98 or the express permission of the City Council;

(d) Selling, exchanging, giving, loaning or distributing any pressurized can containing any substance commonly known as paint or dye to anyone under the age of 18 years old;

(e) Possessing any pressurized can containing any substance commonly known as paint or dye while in any city park, playground, swimming pool, recreational facility, public highway, street, alley or any publicly owned place, whether inside a vehicle or not, except as authorized by the city. Such authorization includes authorization provided to city employees or employees of an individual or company under contract with the city;

(13) Assembling, collecting or gathering together in any walk, driveway, passageway, roadway or pathway in any park or in any other place set apart for the travel of persons or vehicles in and through any park, or to occupy the same so that the free passage and use thereof by persons passing along the same is obstructed in any manner, unless authorized by a permit from the Department of Public Services;

(14) Unauthorized connections or taps to electrical or other utilities, or violations of building, fire or other relevant codes or standards;

(15) Building or erecting structures that are not readily portable, such as structures constructed out of plywood, wood materials, pallets, or other similar materials;

(16) Digging, excavation, terracing of soil, alteration of ground water or infrastructure, or damage to vegetation, trees or city-owned or operated buildings or structures. This includes, but is not limited to, attaching or affixing camp materials and personal property to vegetation, trees, or city-owned or operated buildings and structures by any means, unless authorized by the City Manager.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-09 §§ 2, 4, 2016; Ord. 2018-12 § 3, 2019; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)

(A) A violation of any provision of this chapter, excepting the provisions of §§ 12.32.050(B)(7)(i) and 12.32.050(B)(12)(b) and (c), is punishable either as an infraction, a misdemeanor, or by the imposition of a civil fine issued pursuant to the administrative citation process set forth in Chapter 1.17 of this code.

(B) A violation of § 12.32.050(B)(7)(a) of this chapter is punishable pursuant to §§ 6.04.040 or 6.28.080(F) of this code.

(C) A violation of § 12.32.050(B)(12)(b) and (c) of this chapter is punishable pursuant to § 5.98.100 of this code.

(D) In addition to all other remedies, an individual may be issued a written exclusion order by an enforcement officer temporarily prohibiting said individual from any public park on which violations described in this section occurred, for a period of 30 days:

(1) If within a one-year period, the individual:

(a) Is issued two or more citations on the same public park for violating this chapter; or

(b) Is issued one or more citations for violating any state law(s) while on the same public park.

(2) If, within three months of being issued an exclusion order pursuant to division (D)(1), an individual is issued a citation for violating this chapter or any state law(s) on a public park. The foregoing exclusion order(s) shall only apply to the particular park on which the offending conduct occurred.

(E) An exclusion order issued pursuant to this chapter shall include the following information:

(1) The reason for the exclusion;

(2) The particular public park from which the individual issued the exclusion order is temporarily prohibited;

(3) The period of time during which the individual is excluded from the stated public park (i.e., 30 days); and

(4) How the individual may file an appeal of the exclusion order.

(F) An individual issued a written exclusion order may file a written object to the order with the City Manager within five business days of its issuance. If a written objection is filed, the matter shall be placed on the City Council's agenda within 14 days after receiving the objection. The exclusion order shall be stayed during the pendency of the appeal. The objection may be heard by the City Council at a regular or special meeting. At the hearing, city staff shall provide the City Council with information regarding the basis for the exclusion order, and the individual shall be allowed to present relevant evidence. City Council may affirm the order upon finding that the criteria in division (D) of this section have been met by a preponderance of the evidence. The decision of the City Council is final. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City Council may appoint a hearings officer as its designee for the purpose of conducting appeals of exclusion orders. In such case, the decision of the hearings officer shall be final.

(G) The remedies or penalties provided by this section are cumulative to each other and to the remedies or penalties available under all other laws of this state, excepting the remedies for violations of §§ 12.32.050(B)(7)(i) and 12.32.050(B)(12)(b) and (c).

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)

The City Manager, the Fire Chief, or the Police Chief may declare any public park closed as necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010)

In addition to any citation authority conferred by applicable law, any employee or officer of the Public Services Department designated by the Director of Public Services, the Fire Department or the Police Department shall have the power and authority to issue an administrative citation in accordance with Chapter 1.17 of the code if he or she determines that a violation of this chapter has occurred, excepting violations of §§ 12.32.050(B)(7)(a) and 12.32.050(B)(12)(b) and (c). Such employee or officer shall have the authority to determine whether the violation shall be punishable as an infraction, a misdemeanor, or as an administrative citation. Violations of § 12.32.050(B)(5)(b) shall be punishable as an administrative citation subject to the following maximum fines: $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation, and $500 for a third and any subsequent violation.

(Ord. 2010-17 § 1, 2010; Ord. 2016-09 § 3, 2016; Ord. 2025-10 § 1, 2025)