Diamond Bar Council bans carpool parking in parks

The Diamond Bar City Council wants to restrict parking in city parks. In November, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended restricting parking to park patrons only.

The issue surfaced when residents complained about carpoolers leaving their vehicles all day in the lower lot at Summit Ridge Park on Grand Avenue. In October, there was an altercation between a Diamond Bar resident and a man picking up other workers, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Community Relations Officer Aaron Scheller.

“This is a use issue, those 25 spots are dedicated to the park, not to park and ride,” said Mayor Steve Tye.

In an earlier report, Scheller said he had visited the lot several times and saw people parking their cars and getting into another vehicle without spending any time in the park. Scheller checked the license plates and discovered all the vehicles belonged to non-residents.

Deputies also saw contractors working in Country Estates across the road pick up workmen parked in the Summit Ridge lot.

“I don’t think the contractors should be using a city park to provide parking for their workers,” Tye said.

Summit Ridge Park is only two miles from the 57/60 freeways. On Nov. 26, deputies say 21 of the spots were filled, even though they found nobody in the park.

“The park is a popular place for residents to walk their dogs. The parking problem has been getting worse over the years,” explained Bob Rose, Diamond Bar’s Community Services Director. “But I was surprised when the sheriff’s department estimated that 85 percent of the cars belonged to nonresidents.”

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story PARKING.

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