Game day parking in Inglewood can be tough. Soon, more churches could get in on the action

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Game day visitors to Inglewood could soon look to churches for help with parking.

The Inglewood Planning Commission voted earlier this month to recommend a change to the city code to allow properties with large lots near the city’s stadiums to sell parking spaces to visitors. The code amendment will go before the City Council for a vote, though no date has been announced.

Since 2021, the city has allowed some non-residential properties on major arterial roads to charge visitors for parking during major events at the city’s large venues.

The updated code would expand the permit zone to allow the same right to houses of worship and commercial businesses within 1,500 feet, or about a quarter mile, of any venue with more than 6,000 seats.

Bernard McCrumby Jr., the city’s development services director, said the tweak opens a financial opportunity to a new crop of businesses and churches, while ideally reducing the number of visiting cars that park in Inglewood’s neighborhoods during major events.

“These parking lots are sitting empty and underutilized,” McCrumby said during the March 4 meeting.

Planning Commissioner Cheryl Shaw-Williams said she hopes the newly opened lots charge a reasonable amount. She said game day visitors have told her in the past that they’ve chosen to “bite the bullet” and park in residential areas because it can be cheaper to pay a parking ticket than pay for stadium parking.

Inglewood issues an average of about 41 parking tickets during each major event, according to meeting documents.

The city has received inquiries from several houses of worship and businesses that want to sell parking spots and are located near, but not within, permitted zones.

Churches and businesses with lots in the newly expanded zone would still be required to apply for permits and meet some basic standards.

Lots must have more than 25 spaces to start, can only rent out excess spaces and can’t be rented out within an hour of a property’s regular business hours. Permit applicants will be required to commission a parking utilization study.

Planning Commissioner Aidé Trejo said during the March 4 meeting that she is concerned, in spite of the restrictions, that churches will ask Sunday service-goers to park on the streets in order to make a profit off of their lots.

“I’ve seen it happen,” she said.

McCrumby replied that some churches may alter their service times to get parishioners in and out before game day traffic and to take advantage of the new parking code.