Politics & Government
Council to File Lawsuit to Invalidate Free Parking Measure
The panel seeks to remove the measure from the March ballot even though it earlier approved allowing voters to decide the issue.
Although it allowing voters to decide the fate of free parking at city-owned lots, the City Council is taking legal action to invalidate the measure.
"The city will file a lawsuit within the next few days requesting that the court invalidate the measure and remove it from the March ballot," City Attorney Larry Wiener told Patch, adding that he is "hopeful" the judge will side with the city.
Under state law, the council was forced to take action on the parking initiative at Tuesday's meeting after to qualify the measure for the ballot.
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"The law compels us to either adopt it [tonight] or put it on the ballot," Vice Mayor Barry Brucker said at the meeting.
of Beverly Hills began the petition drive in August to make two-hour free parking the standard at all city-owned lots. The company owns five medical buildings on Bedford and Roxbury drives, and the two city lots closest to those buildings offer just one hour of free parking.
Find out what's happening in Beverly Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In contrast, parking at private facilities in the area would cost drivers about $6-$8 per hour, or $12-$16 for two hours.
If the city loses its legal challenge and the initiative is approved, it will cause an annual loss of $1.3 million in foregone revenue, council staff said. By 2021, losses would hit $25 million.
Proponents of the measure say it would help make city stores and services more competitive with other nearby shopping malls. Westfield's Century City mall offers three hours of free parking, and Westfield's Westside Pavilion in Westwood offers unlimited free parking.
