Iowa Street parking restricted

The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to restrict parking on both sides of Iowa Street near TeWinkle Middle School to neighborhood residents, making it illegal to park there without a permit.

Parents who park on the street to drop off kids for sports not only take up most of the spots in the neighborhood, but also create an environment where drivers would make unsafe U-turns, city staff found.

“Many of the residents on Iowa Street expressed their concerns with traffic problems and parking problems during some period of time when games are being conducted,” said Public Services Director Peter Naghavi.

An analysis by the city’s transportation department found that about half of the cars parked on Iowa Street belonged to people who didn’t live there.

The move to ban guest parking on the street from Gisler Avenue to New Hampshire Drive came out of discussions with nearby residents about proposed changes to the field layouts of TeWinkle and California schools to accommodate more soccer and baseball use.

Although nobody spoke against the parking restriction at the council meeting, one Iowa Street resident, Thomas Hammond, sent a letter to the council opposing it.

“I believe that the parking on the street belongs to all of the people, not just a select few NIMBYs,” he wrote.

The president of the local homeowners association told the council that most residents in the area did not share Hammond’s opinion, adding that ball games on weekends clog all of the spots in the area, making it difficult for residents to have company.

Naghavi assured council members that “adequate parking is and will be provided,” on surrounding streets and at the school.

With very little discussion, the council approved the measure, 4-0, with Councilman Gary Monahan absent.

Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].