The Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) asked the community to air their concerns ” and more than 60 residents and business people answered the call at the advisory board’s Jan. 16 meeting.
“This is an opportunity at the beginning of the year to express what your concerns are so we can focus on them right at the beginning of the year,” PBTC director and Safe and Beautiful Committee Chairperson Jerry Hall said.
Attendees overwhelmingly supported increased enforcement and strongly opposed paid parking.
“Meters are about one thing ” raising money,” said Bob Manning. Enforcing time limits would be a more effective solution to Pacific Beach’s parking problems, he said.
“I think paid parking is a money plan,” another attendee said.
Walker Parking Consultants, a Los Angeles-based firm that the Pacific Beach Community Parking District (PBCPD) hired to evaluate the area’s parking problems, has suggested metered parking in beach, commercial and some residential districts as well as permits for employees and residents in certain neighborhoods.
“There’s more to go on parking. This isn’t a done deal,” said PBTC director Patrick Finucane, who represents the town council on the parking advisory board. The PBCPD plans to use feedback from residents and business people in a community plan. If they vote to approve that plan, it would go to the City of San Diego for final approval.
The PBCPD will hold its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Pacific Beach Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond St.
“There are too many cars,” said PBTC director and PBCPD member Jim Menders. “Our streets are becoming parking lots.”
Lawns are also becoming parking spaces. Vehicles parked in yards devalue property and “make (the neighborhood) look like a trailer park,” said one attendee.
Recreational vehicles ” many with Arizona license plates ” are often parked on city streets illegally without receiving tickets, PBTC member Arv Larson said.
Residents strongly agreed that police need to more consistently enforce parking regulations, public intoxication and other laws regarding alcohol, boating rules on the bays and code compliance violations such as renting out garages and other units illegally.
“Our front yards and streets are turning into storage,” said PBTC member Lou Cumming. “Molasses in January moves faster than something going through City Hall.”
The city helped put a stop to illegal garage rentals in her neighborhood, said PBTC Vice President Rose Galliher. “Code compliance does work,” she said. “You just have to be persistent.”
Residents may also need to be patient. Police respond slowly, if at all, to noise disturbances and other quality of life crimes, PBTC member Nicole Larson said.
The police do a lot with very limited resources, noted Pacific Beach resident Kevin Gray.
The San Diego Police Department is currently 11 percent understaffed, said outgoing Northern Division Capt. Boyd Long.
Attendees gave Long a standing ovation for his efforts and those of his fellow officers.
“We can’t do it by ourselves,” said the newly promoted assistant chief of police. “You have a lot more power than you think.”
Many residents want to use that power to repair Fanuel and other city streets, limit the number of liquor licenses in the area and install security cameras as well as cliff signage at the beach.
Additionally, many attendees want to create a community field and other recreational opportunities, hold more community events like BeachFest and improve the image of schools in Pacific Beach.
Diversifying and beautifying Garnet and Grand avenues also were identified as top priorities.
Pacific Beach’s business district “seems to be becoming a tattoo district,” said Sarah Chapman.
Others said they would like bicyclists to be fined for illegally riding on Garnet Avenue’s sidewalks. PBTC member Chris Olson’s suggestion that Garnet be permitted as a pedestrian mall received enthusiastic agreement.
Other suggestions included occasionally closing the busy business area to vehicular traffic, like Palm Springs does, and holding a farmers market there.
“The sidewalks are atrocious and we need to address that,” PBTC President Ruby Houck said.
Glass, graffiti and litter ” especially from news racks ” also are concerns.
Crews clean Garnet Mondays and Fridays, said Discover Pacific Beach Executive Director Benjamin Nicholls.
Attendees asked Nicholls whether the Hospitality Task Force ” a organization made up of restaurant and bar owners and staff ” could be enlisted to help manage unruly bar patrons who destroy property and wake up residents as they return to their cars.
Task force members are able to deal with patrons at their respective establishments, Nicholls said. Handling illegal behavior after customers leave is a law enforcement issue.
Thyme Curtis of Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s office urged attendees to report any concerns to her office.
“You can always call me,” she said.
Security cameras similar to those recently installed in Mission Beach could be in Pacific Beach by the summer, she said.
The City Council could weigh in on the oversized vehicle ordinance by the end of February, said Curtis. The last time the City Council considered the issue, only recreational vehicle owners showed up to voice their opposition, so it was voted down, Curtis said. She urged supporters of the ordinance to attend the meeting, which will be announced at a later date, so that council members know how strongly the community feels about the issue.
For information on getting involved with the Safe and Beautiful Committee and other PBTC groups, visit www.PBTownCouncil.org or call (858) 483-6666.
The business community can learn more about getting involved with Discover Pacific Beach by calling (858) 273-3303.
The PBTC will hold its next general meeting Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m., at the Taylor Library, 4275 Cass St.