Residents living just north of Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria say student parking in their neighborhood has been a long-standing issue, and now, a new city-approved permit system aims to change that.

Neighbors say that for years, students have filled residential streets during school hours, sometimes blocking driveways, hydrants, and street corners. Santa Maria resident Gaylen Clark says the congestion got so bad that she and others decided to take action.

“It was getting very bad. We had students parking in front of the hydrant, around the corners,” she said. "They were illegally parking from about 7:30 until 4 when the school was dismissed.”

Clark says she went door to door, collecting signatures to bring the issue before the city, ultimately gaining support from about 85%

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