VALLEY COLLEGE : Residents Angry Over Parking

Residents living near Valley College in Van Nuys, who say that during the week they can’t park their cars in front of their homes--or sometimes even in their driveways--have failed in a petition drive to require parking permits on their streets.

However, resident Mike Lande, a Valley alumnus, said residents will try again to obtain the number of signatures needed for the city of Los Angeles to restrict parking in the neighborhood. “We have young children in the neighborhood, and we don’t have sidewalks,” Lande said. “It’s very dangerous.”

“It’s disgusting,” homeowner Susan Gurlekian said. “We pay taxes here, and we can’t even park our cars.”

She said the vehicles of students who park in front of her house often block part of her driveway, making it impossible for her to leave unless she calls parking enforcement or a towing company.

“If there is a serious emergency, and I had to drive to the hospital, I wouldn’t be able to,” she said. “It’s scary.”

Lande said that students park in front of his house where a fire hydrant is located, despite a state law that requires vehicles to park 15 feet from hydrants. The students often receive expensive citations, he said.

“I even put up a sign in front of my house warning them about how much it costs for a ticket if they were caught, but they still park there,” he said.

Other residents said they can’t have visitors during the week because there is nowhere for them to park. “It stinks,” homeowner Robert Ives said.

Dennis Reed, the community liaison for Valley College, said the school has tried to be a good neighbor. He said he offered hold a meeting on campus to discuss the problem with neighbors. “So far, no one has taken me up on the offer.”

With more than 3,000 parking spaces available on campus, campus police Capt. Karl Traber said he can’t understand why students don’t park on campus. “The lots are never full.”

Reed agreed. “The $20 fee averages out to be approximately $1 a week,” he said. “That’s quite reasonable.”

Ironically, the bill for a car to be towed from the street is $100 and a ticket for parking during street-cleaning hours is $28.

Orquidea Funes, a nursing major, said she parks on residential streets because it’s closer to her classes, and she likes parking in the shade.

“I didn’t want to buy the sticker,” she said. “I also like to walk, it’s good exercise.”