City Lures Shoppers With Free Parking
A plea from a member of the public for an economic stimulus provoked a firestorm of ideas and deeds Tuesday by the City Council, which acted to drop parking fees in a large public lot near downtown through June 1.
Arnold Hano, an officer of Village Laguna, an association and political action group that seeks to protect the downtown business district, told council members some type of business stimulus was needed in light of recent business closures, citing the latest victim, Tippecanoe's vintage clothing store.
Tippecanoes' website currently advertizes a "going out of business" sale through Dec. 31of "50 percent off and more."
"We need an emergency business oversight committee," Hano said. "We need a jolt to get our economy moving again. We need to take these steps tonight."
Newly elected councilmember Verna Rollinger said, "Add my voice to a committee to help merchants."
When asked for ideas, Hano suggested rescinding parking fines and meter fees along Forest and Ocean Avenues. And in a reversal of sorts for a staunch supporter of village character, Hano suggested loosening sign regulations, which he said, "put a heavy burden on shop owners."
"I never thought I'd hear you come here and say that," Mayor Kelly Boyd replied.
Local kayaking operator Billy Fried reiterated his suggestion to close Forest Avenue to vehicular traffic between Coast Highway and Glenneyre Streets. "Put in planters and benches and a stage on one end," he said, proposing a trial during a First Thursday's Artwalk.
Councilmember Elizabeth Pearson redirected the conversation from how to reduce commercial rents and the viability of pedestrian malls to Hano's point. "What can we do this month to help business owners with this Christmas season?" she asked.
Councilmembers Toni Iseman and Jane Egly debated the unintended consequence of a meter fee holiday. "People gobble the spaces up and don't move," Iseman said.
City manager Ken Frank offered a solution that addressed the twin issues of creating an economic stimulus and moving cars of employees and business owners off Forest and Ocean Avenues. He offered free parking initially through Jan. 1 at the far end of the city's festival-adjacent parking lots. "The economy won't change, though, in two weeks," he said, later extending the offer through June 1.
A flyer was to be circulated to businesses this week alerting them to the parking windfall. Business parking closest to city hall will remain $55 per month.
Tuvalu home décor store manager Emily Hall reacted to the freshly minted relief measure by saying, "We now have two to five employees that park on Forest or Glenneyre. They have to move their car every three hours. I'm sure free parking will help to an extent."
The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce's executive director Rose Hancock said, "I think the parking is a good start! We have been talking to businesses about utilizing the parking pass at the city lot. And we hope that it being offered at no charge will motivate employees to utilize it."
Hancock said the chamber also plans an shop local marketing initiative. "We are asking residents to shop local and support the community in which we live!" she said.
Yet another citizen-generated stimulus came to light from Mayor Boyd. He reported learning that two commercial property owners had scaled back their tenants' rent by 50 percent and 25 percent, respectively. "This suggests that these property owners know that half or three quarters of the rent coming in is better than nothing," Boyd said.
"I'm seeing movement along that line," Frank added.
"We don't want to see Laguna Beach become a ghost town in our commercial districts," said Boyd, who owns the Marine Room, a downtown bar.
