Monterey Park : Jury Won’t Rule on Garage

The Los Angeles County grand jury has decided not to get involved in a long-standing dispute between Monterey Park and several residents over a parking garage, city officials announced this week.

In July, the City Council asked the grand jury to look into residents’ complaints that a new parking structure at Garvey Medical Center violates the city’s three-story maximum for that area. City officials say it is legal because it is a parking structure, not a commercial building, and is exempt from the three-story rule.

But the grand jury’s Government Operations Committee said that although it found no misconduct when the city approved construction of the parking garage, ruling on its legality isn’t within its jurisdiction, Mayor Judy Chu said Tuesday. Grand jury officials couldn’t be reached for comment.