Residents in the Belle Air neighborhood often have trouble parking since limousine drivers waiting to be called to the airport choose to park in the area. The neighborhood is located off of San Bruno Avenue on the other side of Highway 101. After months of working with airport officials, San Bruno decided to take matters into its own hands by banning the big limos from residential streets.

“I am very happy the council is going to put something on the books that will make it more enjoyable for the residents around the park,” said Belle Air resident Robert Riechel.

Limo drivers often park their cars along Seventh Avenue and close to the park at Walnut Avenue for quick access to San Bruno Avenue. The cars crowd the street and provide an unsightly crowd. Riechel and his wife documented 62 limos in the area during 18 days in February. The large vehicles are cumbersome on the small neighborhood streets often not abiding by parking regulations, Riechel said.

In addition to overloading small streets, limo drivers are seen urinating, smoking and loitering in the area, Franzella said.

“I defy anyone to say ‘we want that in our neighborhood,’” Franzella said.

Problems began about a year ago when residents complained about the limos. City officials began working with the airport to create a solution.

In January, the airport opened a limo staging lot with a real-time flight monitor, beverage vending machine, space for a mobile catering truck and portable rest rooms, according to a Feb. 27 letter written by Henry Thompson, assistant deputy airport director of operations management. Information about the new lot was mailed to over 1,200 limo operating services, he said.

Once the limos leave the airport, however, the management has no control over the drivers, Thompson wrote.

The new ordinance will be brought back to the council for review in April and will likely go into effect early this summer, Franzella said.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.