Monday’s scheduled Public Hearing item before the Big Bear Lake City Council, to consider a vehicle permit request to allow Big Bear Mountain Resorts to operate their inter-mountain shuttle on residential streets, including Evergreen Drive, on peak weekends did not receive consideration—however, this was due to the resorts’ withdrawal of their application.
Council did consider, and approve, all items on the Consent Calendar on November 9; among those, the Emergency Overnight Parking Policy will be implemented, incorporating Council suggestions from their October 26 meeting. As approved, overnight parking will be available during City-declared snow conditions, thereby allowing those, such as second homeowners, opportunity to unload and park—at either the Civic Center parking lot (at 39707 Big Bear Boulevard) or the Alden Road parking lot (off Big Bear Boulevard, adjacent to Sandy’s Sports Bar)—while driveways are cleared of snow accumulation. Temporary signage will be used, and will also identify that no parking will be available in these lots, from 9am to 11am and 5pm to 7pm, to allow for snow removal; existing transient private home rental ordinances dictate that TPHR owners and managers will still be required to maintain access to required on-site parking spaces, despite the provision of overnight parking during snow chain conditions.
This week’s City Council meeting also included a review of the City’s LiveGreen program (to be outlined in a future story); adoption of the Fat, Oils and Grease Ordinance (to reduce “FOG” to the sewer system) for food-service establishments; and recognition of three City employees within the Public Works Department: Socorro Negrete, Sergio Lopez and Frank Gerlette.
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Jahn, who serves on the San Bernardino Association of Governments (or SANBAG) as an extension of his City Council duties, noted that all funding is secured for the mountain rail feasibility study; the project, slated to begin in January, will investigate the possibility of a passenger rail line, for the benefit of both visitors and commuters, from Big Bear to San Bernardino, and including Running Springs and Lake Arrowhead. “It may take awhile,” Jahn noted, “but it’s underway!”
