The PRNC has planned a meeting of importance to the Porter Ranch Community for March 6, 6pm at Shepherd of the Hills Church:
Porter Ranch Community School Parking
The Porter Ranch Community School is under construction and due to open this August 14 at the corner of Mason and Sesnon. It will eventually serve about 900 students grades K-8.
The PRCS Principal, Mary Melvin and the PRNC are currently considering how the school can best serve the parents and surrounding community with drop off and parking. Traffic flow has been carefully thought out for safety and ease of flow. There is a drive through area around the school parking lot where parents may line up for drop off and pick up. A traffic signal at Mason and Sesnon will help with traffic flow.
The real conundrum is how to provide for parents who need to park and walk in their kindergartner or other student. When the school is at capacity, there will be about 100 kindergartners and approximately 20 spaces in the parking lot to serve them.
Parking will also be needed for parent volunteers, who are a critical component to making a school excellent. Parking is needed for regular school events, such as monthly patriotic assemblies, which can attract 70-100 parents, monthly coffee with the principal meetings, and parent/teacher conferences several times a year.
And of course there will be special events such as back to school night, open house, Halloween parade, and the first day of school! Of special note is that parking can be "relaxed" with special signage provided by DOT. That costs the school about $1,000 per event. It this era of rapidly shrinking school budgets, those funds will be hard to come by.
Looking south on Mason from Sesnon. Elementary classrooms on the left.
Possible solutions include:
- Making parking available on Sesnon, next to the school: 18 spaces
- Spaces on Mason, across from the school: 14 spaces
- Spaces on Sesnon, east of the school 20-30 spaces
- On Mason, north of the school
The PRNC will be discussing this at the March 6 meeting and is inviting community input on how best to serve parents and the community.
Holleigh Bernson Parking Proposal
The PRNC has heard numerous concerns about the need for expanded parking at Holleigh Bernson Park. On afternoons when school is out, drivers must often wait in the parking lot for a space to empty before they can legally park their car, as there is currently no street parking.
The PRNC inquired of the Porter Ranch Development Company about the feasibility of additional street parking adjacent to the park to enable more of the Porter Ranch community to enjoy the park. Their traffic specialist has identified that there is room for about 16 spaces on Porter Ranch Drive and 36 spaces on Sesnon. These spaces would be on the side of the street next to the park. Spaces can be added while maintaining traffic lanes and bike lanes.
At the request of the Renaissance community, the drawings also include crosswalks at the Porter Ranch Drive / Sesnon intersection and a separate left turn lane and through lane on northbound Porter Ranch Drive as it approaches the intersection.
The PRNC has agendized this item at the March 6, 6pm meeting and invite you to come provide your input.
Parking Proposal
Parking Proposal Overlaid on Aerial Image
Porter Ranch Drive & Sesnon Bike Lanes
The proposed bike lane on Porter Ranch Drive between Rinaldi and Corbin is also agendized.
Bike Lane Diagram
Sesnon Bike Lane Diagram
Supporting Councilmember Englander's stance on the 30 day car impound policy
Resolution passed by the Old Granada Hills Residents' Group
We stand in support of our City Councilman, Mitchell Englander, in opposing LAPD Chief Beck’s proposed policy of not impounding vehicles that are driven by unlicensed drivers. The police are sworn to protect the safety of the people in the city and to enforce the laws fairly and uniformly. It is clearly stated in the California Vehicle Code Division 6, Chapter 1, Article 1, section 12500. “(a) A person may not drive a motor vehicle upon a highway, unless the person then holds a valid driver's license issued under this code, except those persons who are expressly exempted under this code”.
In addition, unlicensed drivers, other than those under suspension, will also be violating the state’s California Vehicle Code, Division 7, Financial Responsibility Laws that require every driver to carry written evidence of valid automobile liability insurance or other form of approved financial responsibility.
Laws are enacted to protect and secure the lives of the residents and visitors to the city. The consequences of those laws are not written for the convenience of those who choose to violate them.
We therefore, urge the Police Commission to oppose Chief Beck’s proposal of not impounding vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers and to remind the Chief that those drivers are violating 2 existing laws and are to be cited accordingly.
