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Measure BH-P2 Two Hours of Free Parking Initiative City of Beverly Hills Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Final Election Results
See Also:
Index of all Measures |
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Information shown below: Impartial Analysis | Arguments | | ||||
Shall an ordinance be adopted to require the City Council to provide free parking for two hours at particular City-owned parking facilities and limit the amount of monthly parking at those facilities?
The City of Beverly Hills operates eighteen off street parking facilities. Fees for parking in these facilities are set by the Beverly Hills City Council. During business hours, the City currently provides free parking for one to two hours at each parking facility, except for the recently constructed facility on Third Street at Foothill Road. At most facilities, the City has implemented a flat rate of five dollars for parking after 6:00 p.m. The City Council has the authority to change these rates and to set parking fees at any rate that the Council deems appropriate. Proposal Measure 2P directs the Beverly Hills City Council to provide two hours of parking free to all motorists at those Cityowned parking facilities that were in operation before June 30, 2008. Thus, this measure would not affect the parking facility on Third Street, the parking facility under construction on Crescent Drive, the Beverly Canon Gardens (Montage) parking facility, and any facility constructed in the future. Measure 2P also expressly states that it would not affect the rates charged for three-hour metered parking, monthly parking, daily parking, special events parking, commercial valet storage, early bird parking and other special parking rates offered by the City. In addition, Measure 2P limits the amount of monthly parking permitted at the affected facilities to the number of monthly parking permits in effect on April 30, 2010. Effects In the short term, this Measure would affect the daytime parking rates at five of the City's eighteen off street parking facilities. At these five facilities, the free parking period would be increased from one hour to two hours. The Measure also appears to prohibit the City's flat rate for parking during evening hours. However, proponents of the Measure have asserted that the exemption for "special parking rates" is intended to allow the City to charge a flat rate for evening parking. In the long term, the Measure would prohibit the City Council from adjusting rates during the first two hour of parking at the affected parking facilities. The City's Director of Parking Operations has estimated that the Measure will result in a revenue loss of more than $1.1 million annually, assuming that the Measure prohibits evening flat rate parking. Voting A >"yes"> vote on this Measure 2P favors requiring the City to provide the first two hours of parking free of charge to all motorists at affected City-owned facilities and limiting the amount of monthly parking at each facility. A >"no>"> vote on this Measure 2P opposes requiring the City to provide the first two hours of parking free of charge to all motorists at affected City-owned facilities and limiting the amount of monthly parking at each facility. This Measure must receive more votes than Measure 3P in order to take effect.
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Official Information Nonpartisan Information
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Arguments For Measure BH-P2 | Arguments Against Measure BH-P2 | ||
Over the past 5 years Beverly Hills residents, businesses, restaurants and shoppers have seen free parking at Cityowned garages change from 2 hours to 1 hour then back to 2 hours. The City's Traffic Commission recently voted
to eliminate free parking at one City-owned garage, affecting over 150 local businesses. No one knows when free
parking could be changed or eliminated in the future.
Measure 2P provides stability and keeps our local businesses and restaurants competitive with Century City, Santa Monica and West Hollywood. Now is not the time to eliminate or reduce free parking in Beverly Hills. Measure 2P is simple. It states that all City garages operating prior to June 30, 2008 that already offer free parking must provide 2 hours free, including any garage targeted to lose all free parking. Measure 2P specifically does not change the policies that are in place for early bird parking, monthly parking, valet parking, special events parking and flat-rate evening parking. The City maintains control of all these special parking rates and policies. Is there a benefit to the City? Absolutely. 2 hours of free parking helps bring millions of dollars in additional sales to local businesses and restaurants. This provides more revenue to the City and helps offset the cost of offering 2 hours of free parking. Is there a cost to the City? Yes. According to the City's own budget documents, City-owned parking garage revenue is currently about $6.3 million dollars. Measure 2P reduces this by less than 10%. Small adjustments to long term parking rates could make this revenue neutral. City Councilmembers can also adopt smart solutions to control parking costs, including modernizing and automating the City's parking operations. Measure 2P brings certainty to public parking in Beverly Hills. Please vote Yes on Measure 2P
/s/ Marcia Caden, 48 year Beverly Hills Resident, Jewelry Store Owner
Measure 2P allows G&L Realty Corporation to benefit from a $1.3 million dollar loss to Beverly Hills. They want YOU - the taxpayer - to subsidize parking for their private customers at the expense of paramedic services, police and fire protection, education funding, library hours, senior services, street repair and maintenance. We all want free parking, which is why your City Council has proposed a separate, fiscally responsible plan for mandatory, permanent and free THREE hour parking for Beverly Hills residents that can only be revoked by a vote of the people. Contrary to false claims, no one is trying to eliminate, change or reduce free parking in Beverly Hills - the opposite is true. Fact: Measure 2P protects G&L's ability to charge $14.50 for two hours in their private parking lots, while requiring Beverly Hills taxpayers to subsidize free parking for G&L's tenants and their patients Fact: Measure 2P is a fiscally irresponsible proposal, which significantly reduces the amount of money available for our quality of life and essential city services. Fact: Measure 2P supports a developer at the expense of residents, merchants and visitors. Question: Can we really afford to subsidize a corporate developer at the expense of services to the public? Stop the developer money grab! Vote NO on 2P!
/s/ Jeffrey S. Levine, Chairman, Traffic & Parking Commission | Before you vote, take a close look at what Measure 2P will really do.
Corporate developer G&L Realty, with 265,000 feet of medical office space on Bedford and Roxbury, wants YOU, the taxpayer, to pay $1.3 million annually to provide their tenants' patients with 2-hour free parking. This is money that would otherwise support our public safety, library, seniors and street repair services! Don't be fooled - vote NO on 2P! Measure 2P is a thinly disguised scheme to use YOUR taxpayer dollars to subsidize free parking for the benefit of G&L Realty and its tenants. Stop the developer money grab - vote NO on 2P!
If passed, Measure 2P would: -Cut funding for emergency response; police officers; firefighters; library and senior services; local school funding; street and pothole repair. Vote NO on 2P! -Allow G&L to charge higher rents because their tenants' patients get 2-hour free parking at taxpayers' expense. G&L Realty charges $14.50 for 2-hours in their private lots. -Measure 2P inhibits the City from building additional parking structures by increasing the deficit. Vote NO on 2P! -Measure 2P restricts our City Council from performing the job we elect them to do - govern the City. -We strongly support free parking for Beverly Hills residents, and we have a better plan. We cannot afford Measure 2P. Vote NO on 2P! Please join us in voting NO on 2P!
/s/ Jimmy Delshad, Mayor, City of Beverly Hills
Their attack on G&L, a major sponsor of Measure 2P, is a diversion. Our residents and businesses are lucky to have a champion, willing to stand up and preserve the institution of 2 hour free parking that has helped Beverly Hills grow and thrive. The company they attack paid $433,000 in Beverly Hills taxes in 2010 - more than $2 million over the past 5 years. Two years ago, when the City Council supported a massive tax increase - including a 10% tax on all City parking - one company took the lead in fighting them and winning. Who was it? G&L. Let's be clear: The City has been running the parking operations at a deficit for years. Now, they are suddenly being financially cautious? The City just doubled our parking meter rates. What will they do next? Don't let them confuse you. Measure 2P preserves 2 hour free parking for everyone who wants to shop, dine or do business in Beverly Hills. Don't let them scare you. Revenue from parking garages and parking meters do not go to the General Fund for police and fire. Measure 2P is the only ballot measure that guarantees 2 hours free parking for everyone living in and visiting Beverly Hills. Please Vote Yes on Measure 2P.
/s/ Marcia Caden, Jewelry Store Owner, 48 year Beverly Hills Resident |