SR-8C (13)
8C
CCS:SEM: :se:cchour
Councll Meeting August 2, 1994
Santa Monlca, Callfornia
AUG 0 2 199'f
STAFF REPORT
TO:
Mayor and City Councll
FROM:
City Staff
SUBJECT'
Report on Park Operation Hours, Recommendatlon of
the Recreation and Parks Commisslon to Modify Those
Hours and Ordlnance for First Reading ModlfYlng the
Park Closure Hours Currently In Effect
INTRODUCTION
TblS report provldes informatlon regardlng hours of use of Clty
parks, transmlts a recommendatlon of the Recreation and Parks
Commlsslon regardlng modlflcation of those hours, and presents an
ordinance for first readlng modifying the park closure hours
currently In effect.
BACKGROUND
By ordlnance, Clty parks are closed from 12:00 mldnight to 5.00
a.m. At the June 21, 1994 Clty Council meetlng, Council directed
staff to evaluate the hours of operatlon of City parks and return
to Cauncll with any recommendatlons for modiflcatlon of ordinances
governlng park hours.
In ccoperatlon wlth the Pollce Department,
staff has ldentlfied patterns of use ln the parks WhlCh are
conslderatlons in settlng park hours.
The Recreatlon and Parks
CommlsSlon consldered the
matter at their July 21 meetlng and
recommended modlfled hours.
AUG 0 2 199'1
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Current Use Patterns
In regard to outdoor use I the latest organized league play 1S
completed by 10:10 p m and f1eld lights are extinguished between
10 15 and 10:30 p m The earliest field user lS a Santa Mon1ca
College soccer class 1n spr1ng which meets at 6 30 a.m. at the
Clover Park extension. Mornlng Joggers and walkers populate parks
at an early hour. In warm weather, park ne1ghbors and visitors 1n
downtown areas may stroll lnto the evening. Off-leash dog hours 1n
parks begln at 7:30 a.m. and conclude at 8'30 p.m. under new hours
adopted by Councll at the1r July 26 meeting
The gymnas1um ln Memorial Park closes at 10:00 p.m. and users are
asked to complete the1r games by 9.45 P m. to clear the gym A
non-proflt group uses the cultural arts fac1l1ty at Memorlal one
lllght per week until 11:00 p m PAL programs at Memorial may run
unt11 midn1ght and the facility occaslonally hosts sleep overs. At
Mar1ne Park, the Red Ribbon Squares and a Scottish dance class use
the facility untll 11:00 p.m. A self-help group meets at the
Douglas Park clubhouse untll 11:00 p.m. The Chess Club meets at
the Senlor Center at pallsades Park untll 11:00 p.m TennlS court
llghts at Lincoln Park go off at mldnight although the last
reservat ion granted concludes at 10: 00 p. m. Occasional Cl ty-
sponsored speclal events ~ay engage park facllltles until 11'00
p.m. or later. The Police Department recelves and responds to
compla1nts of late night nOlse and actlv1ty in parks.
The Recreatlon and Parks Comnisslon consldered this lssue at thelr
meeting of July 21, 1994.
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DISCUSSION
Santa MOTI1Ca resldents and V1sltors use Clty parks from flrst llght
(or earlier) and unt1l 11:00 p m (or later) A C1ty ordinance,
currently enforced only in Palisades Park, closes parks from
mldn1ght to 5:00 a.m., hours WhlCh do not unreasonably 1mpinge on
the user patterns 1dent1fled above
Whlle it may be that park nelghbors would llke to encourage earl1er
closure of parks and park facll1t:..es (since persons attending
meetings and events make nOlse as they leave and those engaged ln
sports act1vlties make noise while playing and as they leave) and
that users groups would advocate to preserve eXlst1ng hours, no
members of the publlC were present to speak on the lssue at the
Recreation and Parks Comm1SS1on meet1ng.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
The recommended hour changes in this report wlll not have budget or
fiscal 1mpact Slgnage changes w1ll be funded under eXlsting
budget line items.
RECOMMENDATION
The Recreatlon and Parks Commission recomme~ds that the attached
ordinance be approved modlfying park hours so that parks close at
10:30 p.m. They also recorrmend that permits not be lssued for
start times prlor to 7'30 a.m. for any activ~ty whlch 1S llkely to
be noisy or for act1v1t1es t~at cannot be concluded by 10:15 p.m,
allowlng part1cipants 15 min~tes to leave the park.
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Prepared by: Susan E. McCarthy
Dlrector of Community and Cultural SerVlces
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CA:f:atty\rnuni\laws\mjm\parkcls
city council Meeting 8-2-94
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER
(City council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING SECTION 4.08.091
OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO
PARK CLOSURE HOURS
WHEREAS, the Recreation and Parks Commission has recommended
that park closure hours be modified;
WHEREAS, late night park usage interferes with neighbors'
quiet enjoyment of their residences; and
WHEREAS, parks may be closed at 10: 30 P . m. without any
substantial adverse impact upon recreational usage of parks.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
Section 4.08.091 of the Santa Monica Municipal
Code is amended to read as follows:
4.08.091 Park Closure.
(a) No person shall enter or remain in
any of the following city of Santa Monica parks
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between the hours of ., ': t'1 I I -'." p. I'. t n" I',"
a.m. and five a.m.:
(1) Ashland Park;
(2) Beach Park #1;
(3) Beach Park
#4
(Lifeguard
Headquarters);
(4) Clover Park;
(5) Crescent Bay Bank;
(6) Douglas Park;
(7) Hotchkiss Park;
(8) Joslyn Park;
(9) Lincoln Park;
(10) Los Amigos Park;
(11) Marine Park;
(12) Memorial Park;
(13) Ocean View Park;
(14) Ozone Park;
(15) Pacific street Park;
(16) Palisades Park;
(17) Park Drive Park;
(18) Schader Park;
(19) Stewart street Park;
(20) Virginia Avenue Park.
(b) This section shall not apply to any
public sidewalk immediately adjacent to any
public street or h~ghway, or to any street or
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highway which traverses any park, including the
Santa Monica Munlclpal pier access road or
walkway and any portion of California Avenue.
(c) Any person present in any park during
hours when the park is closed may be stopped
and questioned by any law enforcement officer
to determine whether or not such person is in
compliance with sections 4.08.091 through
4.08.094.
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code
or Appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this
ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further,
are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to affect
the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or
phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by a decision of any court of any competent
jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this ordinance. The City council hereby
declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each and
every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared
invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion
of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
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SECTION 4.
The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall
attest to the passage of this Ordinance.
The City Clerk shall
cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoption.
This Ordlnance shall become
effective after 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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MARSHA JONEd MOUTRIE
city Attorney
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