By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

December 13 -- Residents of the northwest side of Santa Monica focused on parking Monday in the first of a series of community meetings with the City Manager to discuss budget priorities.

New construction and shoppers visiting the, which is near the city’s bustling Downtown, make it difficult for residents to find parking near their homes, those who attended the meeting said.

"Residents who live here now should be given precedence in parking," said Rosemary Sostarich, treasurer of the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition, which cosponsored the meeting, noting that she was speaking for herself. "We don't have the spaces right now. . . so it’s pretty rough."

While a recent neighborhood survey found homelessness is the number one issue in an area comprised of upscale homes, condos and some apartment buildings, parking polled a close second, according to coalition officials.

"One of the main problems reflected in our recent survey is parking," said Jeanne Dodson, chairperson of the Wilshire/Montana group, known also known as Wilmont.

In the survey conducted by the coalition last September, 43 residents who responded, or 68 percent, said homelessness is the top issue that needs to be addressed in the City.

Parking was second, with 27 respondents, or 43 percent, picking it as the top issue, followed by density, which was chosen by 16 respondents, or 25 percent.

Dodson said many in her group favor studying the possibility of creating diagonal parking spaces, an option they discussed with the City's new Planning Director Eileen Fogarty.

"We spent several hours talking with Eileen Fogarty and were delighted that she would meet with us," she said.

The council for years has liberally implemented tight residential parking restrictions when enough residents band together and petition the City for preferential parking zones.

In the Wilmont area, as in many neighborhoods that abut commercial zones, preferential parking has pitted businesses that want parking for their employees and customers and nearby residents who live in one of the most heavily populated areas of the City.

Parking wasn’t the only issue discussed at the meeting at Reed Park, which was attended by newly installed Mayor Richard Bloom and newly elected Council member Pam O'Connor,

Other topics highlighted by a handful of those in attendance included affordable housing for those who live and work in Santa Monica, funding for the arts, how much the City pays in urban runoff and how the City is tackling issues affecting seniors.

Assistant City Manager Gordon Anderson, who led the discussion after City Manager Lamont Ewell, had to cancel at the last minute because of a family emergency, said city officials heard the community’s concerns.

"A budget is an embodiment of how you feel as a community," he told the group shortly before he presented an overview of the upcoming budget. "This is your budget."

Over the next eight days, the City Manager will conduct similar meetings across Santa Monica leading up to a council discussion of budget priorities January 9.

On January 23, the council will give direction to staff. Budget workshops will follow from May 22 to May 24 and a public hearing will be held June 19.

The talks are co-sponsored by Friends of Sunset Park, the Ocean Park Association, the Pico Neighborhood Association, the North of Montana Neighborhood Association and the Wilshire-Montana Neighborhood Coalition.