The La Jolla Traffic & Transportation (T&T) board conditionally approved valet parking requested by Barfly sports bar and restaurant, located at 909 Prospect St., though at least one member expressed fear there is too much valet service in the Village already. At the July 26 meeting, board members voted 4-1 denying Barfly’s request, with one abstention. Keith Kelman, Tom Brady, chairman Todd Lesser and Michelle Fulks all favored a motion recommending approval of Barfly’s valet request, providing the restaurant provides proper street signage. Troy Martin of Finest City Valet, which contracts with Barfly for valet parking, addressed the board’s concerns. “We’ll have a sign that says, ‘Valet parking open, public welcome,’ ” he said.?Finest City, he said, has contracted for a year with Barfly using a passenger loading zone in front of the restaurant and underground parking. “We don’t want to obstruct traffic on Prospect.” After the meeting, Lesser said a master plan that has been in the works for some time is presently at a standstill. Previously, the group wanted to have comprehensive management in place before approving any additional valet parking spots in the Village. Critics claim valet service deprives the public of much-needed, on-street parking while causing traffic disruption. Lesser noted there have been problems previously with valet with the use of red cones extending out into streets in the Village which he said, “confuse people,” making them wonder, ‘Where do I drive?’” Nonetheless, Lesser said he thinks valet service can be useful. “If managed properly, valet parking is an effective way to help maximize the usage of the limited number of parking places that we have in the Village,” he said. “In coordination with the city, the La Jolla (Village) Merchant’s Association and the T&T board, I’m hopeful that we can come up with a comprehensive valet parking plan that will cover the entire Village.” Kelman agreed that valet could be an effective way to improve parking in the Village. “Passenger loading zones are an incredible waste of our parking space because you can only stay three minutes and you can’t leave your car or you can get a ticket,” he said. “This is a better utilization of that space, and it’s going to provide more parking for La Jolla.” Board member Dan Courtney disagreed with the group majority. “I feel there are too many white [painted curb] passenger loading zones and too many valet spots, especially along Prospect,” said Courtney before casting his “no” vote at the end of the meeting. “It’s important to keep open free parking. This is too long a stretch and too broad a spread of hours.”  The valet requested is for a maximum 30 spots underneath Barfly operating from 4 p.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays. T&T’s recommendation favoring valet at Barfly will be forwarded to the LJCPA for ratification before being sent to the city of San Diego for implementation. A 10-member committee of La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA), T&T is comprised of members drawn from five La Jolla planning groups. T&T makes recommendations on street issues (striping, stop signs, traffic calming) and parking (curb colors, time limits, valet service and special events).