Until someone develops the skyhook that elevates cars out of the way, it seems that Los Angeles won’t stop the cry for more parking. Los Angeles, Venice and now Venice’s neighbor, Westchester has a problem.

Westchester is the home to Loyola Marymount University—the university that sits on the hill overlooking Playa Vista, formerly Hughes Tool and Hughes Aircraft Company.

Starting in June 2013 LMU will begin charging staff and students a parking fee to park on campus. LMU started charging visitors the fall of 2012.

According to Director of Community & Government Relations  Clarence E. Griffin, the university agreed to conditions of a 35-million dollar bond for building 190 more  parking places where 200 already exist for the Life Science Building, bringing the total to 390.  The bond was issued 15 March 2013.  It was agreed that the bond would be paid off by student, staff, and visitor parking revenues over a 30-year period and this revenue would also pay for equipment necessary to support the charge.

The City Council office and the university have agreed to help with a preferential parking district plan for Westchester community and the university has agreed to pay each neighbor for two parking passes.

Griffin sent a letter out Wednesday to 9000 residents within a one-mile radius of the university explaining the situation.  As of Thursday, he said the comments were positive–more for preferential parking than not.

There is a group adamantly opposed to a preferential parking district.

The LMU specific plan states they can charge students to provide a disincentive for driving to school and that the university has to maintain a certain parking to student ratio.  Without certain amount of parking, the university cannot increase the number of students.  The plan also has provisions for providing preferential parking and paying for applicants up to $24K.

Griffin’s letter said “We will help our neighbors set up their preferential parking districts; and if needed, we will expand our agreements to cover additional streets.”  Griffin asked for those interested in their street becoming a preferential parking district, to contact him.

The one thing the director said was that because more than 80 percent of students are on financial aid and many do not bring a car to campus, LMU did not want to “hide” a parking fee in the tuition.  The director wrote that LMU will not charge students for parking if they do not have a car.