A group calling itself the Venice Stakeholders Association filed suit, August 10, against the California Coastal Commission and the city of Los Angeles in an effort to have overnight permit parking districts (OPDs) reinstated.

This past June 11, the Commission, whose mandate is to protect the coast from overdevelopment and to ensure access for all Californians, voted 9-1 to overturn L.A.’s decision in favor of OPDs, which would have required all Venice residents to buy permits to park on their streets. It would have made those who live in their cars and RVs ineligible to buy permits, thus making them targets of police action.

The lawsuit alleges that the Commission overstepped its jurisdiction in banning the parking permits. The city is being sued because it recognizes the Commission’s authority.

The Venice Stakeholders Association has only one public member, Mark Ryavek. Only his name appears in the lawsuit, the press release and the web site of the Association. If there are other members of the group, they have yet to be publicly identified with it.

The Association, aka Mark Ryavek, is urging Venetians to send his lawyer, John Henning, contributions. The Beachhead suggests those contributions could be better spent by sending them to the Beachhead (POB 2, Venice 90294). That way, we can have free streets and a free press.