City Manager Charles Theofan and City Council members Mona Goodman and Lenny Remo attended a Nov. 24 meeting of the West End Neighbors Association, where they announced that their get-tough stance with landlords was drawing near.
Officials said they would send out notices to all West End property owners instructing them to “correct” their illegal rentals, giving illegal renters three months to rid their buildings of illegal apartments or face severe penalties. They said they would go after landlords who have illegally converted garages or basements in order to rent them out, which they said has made a tough parking situation even more unbearable, and those caught breaking the law will be hit with fines equal to two years' rent on those apartments.
As part of its plan to improve parking conditions in the West End, the City of Long Beach proposed establishing a residential parking zone and issuing a maximum of two parking stickers per legal household, which would allow residents to park on any residential street. But the plan drew criticism from several homeowners whose families own more than two cars. Some West End shopkeepers also expressed dismay, fearing that they would lose business under the parking permit plan.
Rick Hoffman, president of the West End Neighbors Association, some of whose members said he seemed to be pushing the parking sticker plan and not representing their wishes, said that the key to freeing up parking spaces is pursuing illegal renters. “The city going after illegal renters will help improve a number of ongoing problems,” Hoffman said.
City officials have said they have no idea how many illegal apartments there are in the West End, but Theofan said he hopes “it makes such a difference in the parking situation [and] that we can then stop there.”
