Maps, not meters
Promote La Jolla could negotiate a parking solution by working with large village employers (e.g. Jack’s, George’s and Top ‘O’ the Cove) and the three parking providers (Ace, Sunset, Diamond) so that employees have a place to park AND there is available on-street parking for customers. PLJ could provide parking maps to tourists, residents and employees which highlight the parking regulations on various streets and show all of the available parking garages.
Promote La Jolla could work with the city to identify 30-minute zones in front of destination businesses which need them. Promote La Jolla could negotiate a resident’s pass for many of the village’s (private) parking garages. Promote La Jolla could work with the city to coordinate a city bus stopping at a perimeter parking lot to bring employees to the village.
Promote La Jolla could. Could. Could. Could.
But why should they when they can simply work with the city to install parking meters which generate substantial revenue (fines) for the city and themselves (fees) and get 10 percent of the patrons to stop coming to LJ.?
Parking spaces for restaurant patrons doesn’t have to mean ‘get out of town’ for everyone else.
Encourage Promote La Jolla to seek an appropriate solution for all businesses and stop catering to the few.
William A. Shirley, La Jolla

Parking meters in La Jolla could become a reality
Every few years, the various boards, primarily the Promote La Jolla Board and Parking and Transportation Board, have raised their ugly heads about the lack of parking in our community.
I had the privilege of being born and raised in this beautiful community and I now reside here as well as run a third-generation business called Adelaide’s in La Jolla. I have twice been a board member of Promote La Jolla as well as a member of the La Jolla Coastal Access and Parking Board representing Promote La Jolla. I am not involved anymore because of the issues with the pay-to-park meters within the shopping areas and along the coastline (which draws people from everywhere in the county to our community), as well as trying to change residential streets into limited timed areas around the village which makes it impossible for employees to find parking.
Adelaide’s is one of the businesses in La Jolla that subsidizes our employees with parking in the garages because we feel it’s important for our customers to find parking. Shame on the businesses that allow their employees to park in front of their and other businesses and move their cars every one to two hours, mainly when there is parking available on surrounding residential streets and through the Parking and Transportation Board. Owners need to set an example, and it does not matter if you are a retail business, accountant, Realtor, restaurant, office professional, mortgage broker, health professional, etc.
Tragically, it would be a death sentence handed down to independent business owners and building owners if we allowed this Pilot Parking program to go through. The first 30 minutes free is just dangling the carrot in front of the horse ” we all know that as soon as the meters are in for a few months, the price will start running as soon as we pull into the space. The BID (Promote La Jolla) should be more focused on making our business area more beautiful and expanding on the underground parking with the Parking and Transportation Board in order to negotiate reduced rates for employees to be able to park in the structures.
Part of living in the Village is having other people park in the nearby residential areas and at times it can be frustrating to find a place to park in front of your own home. I live by La Jolla High School and I chose to live there knowing that if I were to go home for lunch or take a day off, I might not be able to park in front of my own home. But to ask for special treatment and demand that all the streets around the school have timed parking would not only be unfair to La Jolla High School, but to the parents and students.
We have too many residents that shop and support our wonderful village and they continue to support us year-round. Don’t let Promote La Jolla take what precious few assets we can offer, which is free parking in our community.
Gina Phillips, Adelaide’s Florists and Decorators, La Jolla

Something is going to give again
The repair of the La Jolla Soledad Mountain slide is under way. The heavy equipment traveling to and from the site is scary. Equipment haulers and cement trucks weighing 20-30 tons are pounding on the sides of these slopes.
I am not a geologist but it seems to me the constant pounding of traffic, 8,700 vehicles per day, must have played a part in causing the slide in the first place. Many of those vehicles (maybe 10-20 percent) have been construction equipment rumbling up and down the slope to renovate homes in La Jolla.
This mountain was formed by layers of earth turned up at a 45-degree angle. When horizontal cuts are made in the side of such a structure, it can create a dangerous situation. Add to that the constant pounding of more than 3.2 million (3,200,000) cars and trucks a year and you have a tremendous constant downward energy on 45-degree strata which vectors into a horizontal pressure on the slope pushing the earth out and down. Something is going to give again.
Seventy-foot-long posts buried in a 100-yard area may be enough to support that 100 yards, but it won’t help the rest of Soledad Mountain Road to stay in place. If traffic were reduced in volume and in weight it might help. It couldn’t hurt.
It’s time to reduce the traffic in this area. There are other streets that could be used to move traffic in and out of La Jolla with relatively minor traffic control on the city’s part.

Roger M. Wiggans, La Jolla

Jewel’s response to tragedy
Regarding last month’s wildfires in San Diego County resulting in many tragedies: as a 32-year resident of La Jolla, I was frankly disappointed at the somewhat poor response of this community.
With so many places of worship, schools, business offices here, with the exception of a few, one could have expected an avalanche of financial, shelter, food and clothing offers. Some more of our hotels, motels and residents might have offered a token of shelter and restaurant meals at discounted prices.
Here was an opportunity to show being worthy of residents of a Jewel not only in name but to count our blessings for a happy Thanksgiving. In case I am mistaken due to insufficient coverage by the media, I would be happy to be corrected.
Alfonso de Bourbon, La Jolla

It’s outrageous
In response to Mayor Jerry Sanders supporting a pollution-law waiver for a waste facility: This affects us all over the county.
I think it is outrageous that our county’s waste facilities can get away with the loopholes that the Clean Water Act has created. It is unacceptable that a waste plant in our county is the country’s largest plant without a plan to meet the Clean Water Act.
San Diego’s beach’s are beautiful and will be destroyed if we continue to allow waste plants in San Diego to dump in the oceans we all swim in and enjoy.
I applaud Senator (Susan) Davis for sponsoring an important clean water bill and I urge the remainder of the California Congressional delegation to cosponsor vital clean water legislation.
Nicole K White, La Mesa

Walkers felt welcomed
I had the honor to participate as a walker in last weekend’s Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in San Diego. I would like to acknowledge and thank Mayor Sanders and all of the residents in the City of San Diego for showing incredible community spirit and support to all walkers (approximately 6,000). Words cannot express the kindness that so many residents showed us. Many residents were at their homes with signs, cold drinks, homemade treats, candy, cheering encouraging words, sprays of cold water, etc. Hardly a car drove by without honking in our support.
Every neighborhood and business district showed tremendous support to all of us. I cannot forget to mention your awesome public safety team who kept us safe as we crossed busy streets, etc. It was so empowering to have the support of such wonderful, warm and loving citizens. We truly felt welcomed and loved in the city of San Diego. My congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the mayor and to the citizens of San Diego. You truly welcomed us with love and open arms.
I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Kim Faaborg LaPerle, Newport Beach