Roughly two dozen people voiced concern over parking meters, residential parking permits and other proposed parking solutions at the Pacific Beach Community Parking District’s (PBCPD) general meeting Thursday, July 12, at the Earl & Birdie Taylor Library, 4275 Cass St.
In response to questions on where meters would be installed, committee chairperson Mike McNeill said, “There’s nothing on paper yet.” What is on paper is a proposal submitted by Walker Consultants, a parking firm with offices nationwide, including two in California.
One of the main reasons the PBCPD selected Walker’s bid was its strong emphasis on community input, committee vice chairperson Patrick Finucane told the Pacific Beach Town Council (PBTC) when the plan was unveiled at its June meeting.
However, according to a review of Walker’s proposal on the parking committee’s Web site, www.pacificbeachparking.org, the firm failed to solicit input from residents before preparing its proposal. Walker stated in its bid that it would first consult the community.
So just how much influence does the community actually have?
“Community input will almost completely dictate the final proposal,” said Benjamin Nicholls, PBCPD member and executive director of Discover Pacific Beach.
The proposed plan is largely based on the solutions residents first suggested at a public forum on parking held two years ago, Nicholls added.
The real issue, he said, is not the solutions so much as whether people even think there is a problem.
“You don’t have a problem if nobody cares,” Nicholls said.
Residents who attended the July parking meeting cared a great deal about how meters, residential parking permits and other proposed solutions could affect their neighborhoods and businesses.
Debora Torkington, who works as a masseuse near Hornblend Avenue and Cass Street, expressed concern about whether parking permits would discourage her customers from visiting that location.
McNeill believes paid parking could give local businesses a boost. “We’re currently at 120 percent of our parking capacity,” he said.
Meters are designed to keep parking capacity at approximately 80 percent.
“If people know they can find parking, it’s going to revitalize the area,” he said.
Residents also have concerns about paying to park in their neighborhoods. Proposed parking permits for residents and their guests could have an impact on residents’ social lives, said resident Mary Summerday. The proposed measure would essentially force her to pay to have friends over, she said.
Others objected to how meters could affect their ability to visit the beach.
“You can’t restrict access to the beach,” said Pacific Beach resident William Merrill. “We don’t need to charge people for access to our beach.”
The area’s beaches, bars, restaurants and shops are a magnet for visitors, leading some to believe that parking in Pacific Beach will always be a challenge.
“Demand for this area is going to grow,” said Mike Staples, PBCPD member and general manager of the Catamaran Resort Hotel.
“There’s never going to be enough parking in PB,” said Pacific Beach resident and PBTC board member Jan O’Connor.
In light of limited parking spaces, public transportation to the beach is crucial, she added.
More consistent enforcement and better signage are also needed, attendees said.
While the beach and surrounding areas have the most congestion, many neighborhoods do not have parking problems, said English Bryant.
“Are we solving problems?” Bryant asked. “In the majority of areas, the problem doesn’t exist.”
People need to look beyond their immediate environments, Nicholls said following the meeting. Many people view parking through a “me-ism” perspective, he said, and “just care about the parking space in front of their condo.”
It is a bigger issue than that, according to Nicholls.
“We want to solve parking on a grand scale. We need to solve it as a community,” he said.
An informal poll of meeting attendees found that the overwhelming majority was against paid parking.
Are meters inevitable?
“It’s a little up in the air,” Nicholls said.
In addition to attending meetings of the PBTC and the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee (PBCPC), the parking committee plans to hold three more community meetings to solicit feedback from the public.
“The more community input we receive, the better,” Finucane said.
A meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Discover Pacific Beach offices, 1503 Garnet Ave.
To see a complete draft of Walker’s parking proposal, visit www.pacificbeachparking.org.
To request a survey on parking-related issues, e-mail [email protected].
For more information, e-mail Finucane at [email protected] or call (858) 273-3303.
The parking committee meets the second Thursday of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the Taylor Library.