The looming motorhomes—their tires criss-crossed with colorful chalk marks from weeks of parking along the same stretches of curb—were first brought to the attention of city police a few years ago.

Local PTA members approached the department with potential child safety concerns surrounding the seemingly high number of such vehicles parked around city schools.

Then, more territorial complaints surfaced.

"Another concern is people parking in neighborhoods that are not their own," Manhattan Beach Police Chief Rod Uyeda told the City Council Tuesday. "We've talked to (the vehicle owners) and asked them to be neighborly, but they say it's cheaper for them to get the tickets than to store their vehicle properly."

Uyeda and Lieutenant Andy Harrod came before the council to recommend passage of a citywide ordinance and permit program limiting the legal parking options available to owners of oversized vehicles, which include motorhomes, campers, boats, and trailers.

The pair presented the results of a departmental survey of local neighborhoods indicating some key problem areas where RVs and boat trailers are frequently parked for long periods of time (see map). Out of the 166 motor homes registered to Manhattan Beach residents by the DMV, Harrod said he and his officers discovered 30 of them parked along city streets on the day they performed a field inspection. Some locations—such as near the corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd. and John Street, adjacent to Pacific Elementary School—attract clusters of the vehicles.

"They come and go," he said. "We chalk the tires to make it obvious to the owner that it's been parked for more than 72 hours (the legal limit)."

The problem, however, is that under current parking regulations, motorists may simply move their vehicles a foot or two in either direction to avoid being ticketed. Harrod presented photos showing the tires of various oversized vehicles around town, striped with so many chalk marks that they have begun to resemble score cards.

Council members unanimously agreed that the current system isn't effective.

"This is a classic example where we've tried voluntary behavior choices and it hasn't worked," said Councilman Nick Tell. "Now we have to regulate."

Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery agreed. "Do you want to play cat and mouse all day or make them comply by passing an ordinance?" he asked rhetorically.

He also highlighted another local nuisance that a permit system might address. "We're known as the LAX parking lot," he said of the city's lenient parking restrictions. "The word is, 'Come drop your car off for days or weeks at no charge.'"

Ultimately, Uyeda recommended that council work out a permit system under which only city residents would be allowed permanent street parking for their oversized vehicles.

His report offered several other areas for consideration, including the definition of an "oversized" vehicle; time limits; possible fees; maximum number of parking days allowed; proximity to vehicle owner's residence; stricter restrictions near schools and intersections; temporary permits for visitors; and expected impacts to residents who own oversized or non-motorized recreational vehicles.

By unanimous council vote, the program proposal was passed on to the Parking and Public Improvements Commission for consideration. Once reviewed by the commission, it will come back before the council for approval.