Should beachgoers feed the meter if they want to park near the sand? Would permits help residents find parking near their homes or become one more hassle? Does Pacific Beach even have a serious parking problem?
Residents and businesspeople with strong opinions on these questions can now help shape the parking policy in Pacific Beach.
Under a city ordinance that allows individual communities to determine their own parking rules, the Pacific Beach Community Parking District (PBCPD) has been working for the past year and a half on a comprehensive plan. They hope to increase the number of available spaces at the beach, in commercial districts like Garnet Avenue and in residential neighborhoods.
“This is an opportunity if you care about parking and want to make changes, or if you think parking is great right now and no problem at all. You should get on this committee and tell people your ideas,” said Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of Discover Pacific Beach, the group that administers the PBCPD on behalf of the city.
The parking advisory board is holding elections at its April 10 meeting at the Pacific Beach Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond St. Officers will be named and four representatives from the community at large will also be elected, one from each of Pacific Beach’s quadrants, as divided by Ingraham Avenue and Cass Street.
To be eligible, persons must reside, work or own a business in the quadrant they wish to represent. They must also obtain 25 signatures from residents or businesspeople in their quadrant. Forms are available at Discover Pacific Beach, 1503 Garnet Ave. They will also be on the PBCPD Web site, www.pacificbeachparking.org.
Aspiring at-large candidates can drop their form at the Discover Pacific Beach office or bring it to the April 10 meeting. If an area has more then one eligible candidate, residents and businesspeople from that quadrant and present at the meeting will elect their representative. The board will break any ties.
The at-large candidates will be joining nine appointees who represent businesses and residents, the two major stakeholders in the parking puzzle. The board includes three business representatives from Discover Pacific Beach, one residential and two business representatives from the Pacific Beach Town Council and one business and two residential representatives from the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee.
The interests of board members and opinions of the community have produced spirited debate on meters, permits and other proposed solutions.
“Despite all the discussion and rancor, when you peel away all the rhetoric and silliness, you find at the heart of it a really good community discussion,” Nicholls said.
“People are passionate and get their point across but in a very civil way,” he said. “This is how you get things done in a neighborhood and theoretically in a city.”
City Council must approve the PBCPD’s plan before it can be implemented.
The parking board decided at its March 13 meeting to further consider meters near the beach and other high-traffic areas, permits for employees and some residents, enforced time limits and special programs for surfers and other local groups. The overwhelming majority of attendees opposed meters and permits. Increased enforcement of existing laws would be a more effective solution, many said.
“It’s a good conversation and that makes me optimistic,” Nicholls said. “I hope we’re going to get some problems solved.”
Before it hammers out a final plan, the advisory board will hear additional input from the community. Residents and businesspeople are encouraged to attend the PBCPD’s regularly scheduled meetings at 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the Pacific Beach Recreation Center. Call (858) 273-3303 to confirm, as time and location are subject to change.
For more information on the PBCPD and upcoming elections, call (858) 273-3303 or email [email protected].