By Roger Linnett

On Nov. 17, an Oversized Parking Ordinance passed unanimously in the L. A. City Council, 13-0, banning oversized vehicles — those that are 7 feet high and/or 22 feet long — from parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. within the area bounded by Lincoln Blvd., Washington Blvd., Ocean Front Walk and the border with Santa Monica. In addition, an “urgency clause” was included in the measure, which means that it could go into effect right after being published in the paper of record. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed the bill into law on Nov. 24.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who introduced the ordinance, has been hounded like a hare for several years by some Venice homeowners and landlords regarding RVs, parked on residential streets in violation of an L. A. city ordinance.

Rosendahl claims that the new ordinance will not violate previous Coastal Commission edicts, but they still have to consider the measure.

In anticipation of the new ordinance, Rosendahl had petitions available since August for neighborhood residents, 2/3 of whom on any given block need to agree, to sign up for traffic signs indicating the restriction; to date some 40 such blocks have requested the designation. Back when the OVO was first proposed, monies were authorized to have the signage fabricated, which the LADOT can begin posting on Nov. 30.

In contrast to the rabbit-like quickness with which the ordinance scampered through the council (it was only drafted by the City Attorney sometime in early October), Rosendahl’s testudinal “Vehicles to Homes” (nee Streets to Homes) program creeps lethargically along.

In a news release last July Rosendahl announced, “The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the City-County agency charged with administering the program, has prepared a draft Request for Proposals (RFP), a legal document that solicits bids from social service providers to run the program. The RFP provides a broad framework and foundation for the program; more specific details will be worked out with the community once LAHSA selects a service provider.” LAHSA has tapped People Assisting The Homeless (PATH) to help guide the program toward realization.

Also in July, Rosendahl said this about the program: “This proposed program is the result of months of collaborative effort by hundreds of people. This is a smart and cutting-edge program that builds on the successes of similar programs in other cities, and improves and tailors them for our community. I hope to launch the program before the end of the year, concurrently with the implementation of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.”

This begs the question, “Hey Bill, Why the big rush to pass the OVO?” Let us hope the “urgency” shown in getting the OVO enacted is now applied to  realizing your laudable humanitarian project, as you seem to have intended.