Modesto OKs parking limits near MJC campus

The City Council has approved permit parking on a street near Modesto Junior College East Campus in a pilot program to address something that has vexed residents for decades: students parking in nearby neighborhoods and leaving residents and their guests scrambling for a place to park.

The pilot program is for Myrtle Avenue between Coldwell and Stoddard avenues. More than two-thirds of the residents and homeowners on that section of Myrtle signed petitions asking the city to establish a residential parking zone on their street.

Modesto’s Municipal Code states that if at least two-thirds of the homeowners and residents in a residential area sign a petition, then the council shall hold a public hearing. Council members held the hearing Tuesday and voted 7-0 for the restrictions.

Parking will be limited to vehicles with residential parking permits from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Cars without permits will receive a $38 citation.

Interim Deputy City Manager Brent Sinclair said the city will begin work immediately on establishing the residential parking zone and said the signs outlining the restrictions and the pilot program’s other components should be in place no later than the start of the MJC’s spring semester, which begins Jan. 11.

This is a pilot program because the city also will conduct a comprehensive parking study of the other streets near MJC’s east campus where students park. The study will determine whether these streets would benefit from parking restrictions. The Myrtle restrictions could be modified based on the study’s findings.

The city charges $40 for an annual residential parking permit. But some residents on Myrtle Avenue and surrounding streets say the city should not charge for permits or the charge should be significantly less. The study will look at what constitutes a reasonable charge. Until then, the city will defer charging the Myrtle residents and homeowners for their permits.

One audience member spoke against permit parking. Modesto resident Emerson Drake said his grandson attends MJC and there is not enough student parking. He said some students cannot afford $30 for a semester parking pass and the surrounding streets are for public use.

MJC spokeswoman Linda Hoile said in an email that there is sufficient student parking and the college has added 375 student parking spaces on the east campus in six years, using Measure E funding. The bond measure was passed by voters for college improvements. She said the college reviews student parking each semester and makes adjustments as needed. She added the college is working with the neighborhood and city on solutions to this issue.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Modesto OKs parking limits near MJC campus."