City panel favors changes to parking by Bidwell Park, alcohol in City Plaza

CHICO — Parking by Bidwell Park could get more limits while events in City Plaza could gain more latitude following recommendations adopted Monday afternoon by the Chico City Council’s Internal Affairs Committee.

A half-dozen citizens joined a dozen city staffers as the IAC — Vice Mayor Kasey Reynolds, Councilor Tom Van Overbeek (the chair) and Councilor Addison Winslow — considered proposals for preferential parking along Vallombrosa Way and alcohol at private events in City Plaza.

The committee heard from Public Works on a request from park neighbors to tighten parking restrictions on Vallombrosa Way, which runs from Vallombrosa Avenue along One-Mile Recreation Area to a cul-de-sac behind the Chico Area Recreation and Park District Community Center.

Public Works proposed a preferential parking district: prioritizing residents from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. but otherwise keeping the street open to public parking during Bidwell Park’s operational hours.

The district would work similarly to preferential parking in the Mansion Park neighborhood by Chico State and Chico High, engineer Wyatt West explained.

Councilor Addison Winslow, right, discusses a proposal on alcohol in City Plaza with Internal Affairs Committee colleagues Kasey Reynolds, left, and Tom van Overbeek during the meeting Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in a City Council Chambers conference room across from the plaza in Chico, California. (Evan Tuchinsky/Enterprise-Record)

Added Brendan Ottoboni, director of Public Works Engineering: “The preferential parking provides a more direct way to say this is the space in front of their house, and they have access to it.”

As to enforcement, both police and code enforcement officers mentioned the Warren v. Chico settlement limits how they can approach overnight parkers.

Three speakers addressed the committee. A resident of Vallombrosa Avenue mentioned previous restrictions on Vallombrosa Way prompted RVs to park on a muddy side of the main thoroughfare. Park Commissioner Jeff Glatz, another lower park neighbor, suggested widening the focus to other adjacent streets — with which a Vallombrosa Way resident concurred while noting distinct issues of his street.

Winslow floated the idea of timed parking, such as an eight-hour limit. West noted 10-hour parking restrictions, then van Overbeek clipped the discussion and asked for a motion. He made one, recommending preferential treatment for resident only and for staff to do the same on all streets “contiguous to the park” — potentially all the way to Five-Mile Recreation Area.

Reynolds suggested only forwarding to council the Vallombrosa Way recommendation alone, with a broader examination considered separately; van Overbeek restated his motion to that effect, and Reynolds seconded. Winslow made a substitute motion on his time limit, which died without a second.

Van Overbeek’s motion passed 2-1 over Winslow’s dissent — and the chair pledged to bring the broader concern to the council.

Plaza item

The IAC also weighed whether to bring a recommendation forward on expanding the sale or provision of alcoholic beverages in the downtown plaza to private events.

Deputy City Manager Jennifer Macarthy said the distinction is whether an event is open to the public. Invitation-only or limited-ticket events could not offer alcohol. An example she mentioned is an anniversary celebration for Tri-Counties Bank, which had two executives attend.

Macarthy said the city would need to look at security measures such as fencing, plus liability coverage and fees, for the council to consider.

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Reynolds, who advocated for the ordinance change that allowed alcohol for public events, supported the expansion should the policy spell out requirements to ensure “professionalism” by organizers. Winslow moved to advance the recommendation, Reynolds seconded, and it carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned after 35 minutes.