As Parking War Flares Near Pico, Businesses and City Seek Solutions

By Lookout Staff

Efforts by residents to establish preferential parking near the eastern end of Pico Boulevard have business owners and city officials searching for solutions that could become a citywide model.

Rather than simply imposing parking restrictions, the city is looking for ways to identify specific problems, then find unique solutions. Among the proposals being explored is pairing up parking lot owners with nearby businesses who cannot accommodate all their customers.

"We're trying to work out solutions that will be beneficial for businesses and residents," said Gwen Pentecost, the city's senior administrative analyst for Economic Development. "The policies come from the top down, but the solutions come from the ground up."

The battle over rights to street parking near the eastern end of Pico is only the latest in a parking war that has pitted businesses and residents across the city, as street after street files petitions for preferential zones. The domino effect has resulted in some 50 preferential parking zones citywide.

A preferential parking zone for Urban Avenue - the block just north of Pico on the city's eastern border -- is expected to come before the council next month. In the wings is 27th Street south of Pico, and residents of most of the other streets near Pico on the city's east side also are gathering petitions for preferential parking.

In the midst of a major facelift, the east end of Pico is becoming a popular destination with three businesses --UnUrban coffee shop, McCabe's Guitar shop and Trader Joe's market -- all placing increasing demand on the scarce parking spaces.

Nearby residents complain that customer parking spills over into their street and clogs Urban Avenue. Business owners feel threatened because the scarce parking in the region may hurt their businesses if the restrictions go into effect. Some are afraid they will be driven from the area entirely.

With other preferential parking petitions in the pipeline, business owners and city staff near Pico have been trying to conduct a census of existing parking spaces and attempting to work with parking lot owners in the area to reach some agreement about spillover parking.

The battle over scare parking near Pico flared last month during a meeting at Santa Monica Airport brokered by the city. The September 9 meeting saw recriminations, accusations and a fair amount of shouting. As a result, transportation planners are searching hard to find answers before a city imposed preferential parking plan goes into effect.

"It going to take getting the residents and the neighbors together," Pentecost said. "I think we've got some real solutions we think will work out, but none of this is easy."

At issue behind all the petitions is the stretch of Pico between 25th St. and the city boundary, which is currently undergoing a $7.4 million facelift. Home to a number of prominent businesses and restaurants, the region is attracting large amounts of auto traffic. There are few parking lots, however, and those are restricted, leaving the diners, concert-goers and customers of auto-repair shops often scrambling to find off-street parking.

Last month's meeting largely concerned Urban Ave., where residents have complained of scarce parking and constant disturbances. They have sought, and apparently will get, some form of preferential parking.

Residents claim rowdy patrons of McCabe's exiting concerts leave trash and human waste behind. They also are upset that restaurant valets park cars on their street, allegedly blocking them in. They claim auto repair shops also park cars on their street for extended periods and that a parade of taxicabs follows to pick up the customers.

The businesses feel that preferential parking ordinances penalize their clientele. They also feel that all the resident complaints are law enforcement issues that can be handled by penalizing those who break laws.

In the spirit of compromise, Pentecost and the city's traffic staff are trying to find ways to better allocate existing parking. There are several lots in the area, and the city is meeting with owners to try and change the restrictions so visitors can use the lots more efficiently.

Meanwhile, a draft preferential parking plan has been developed for Urban Avenue. It calls for a two-hour parking limit during the day - but the plan does not satisfy either side and apparently will have to be amended.

City officials are hoping a cooling off period will allow tempers along the Pico corridor to quell while they search for solutions. Pentecost said that officials have decided to take early action on another nearby problem that is brewing.

Residents near Trader Joe's, a specialty market at 3215 Pico, are complaining about increased noise and parking problems. They, too, are petitioning for preferential parking. Pentecost recently met with store managers and the owner of the lots near the store to try and find ways to alleviate the parking crunch.

Trader Joe's is currently undergoing expansion and remodeling which will have an undetermined impact on the existing problems. On the one hand, the business has demolished two small buildings immediately adjacent to the store and intends to use that space for employee parking. Between nine and 20 spaces should be created, depending on whether the city permits the store to "double-deck" the parking. Company officials contend that removing employee vehicles from the surrounding streets will help.

On the other hand the expansion is likely to attract more customers to the store and the often-crowded parking lots beside it. The remodel is expected to be complete in November, about the time the adjacent portion of the Pico streetscape project is completed.

Business owners hope that they can persuade the homeowners to delay their appearance before the City Council until after the renovation of Pico Boulevard - which has taken up some metered street parking -- is complete. This would give them a chance to see if the return of all the Pico parking spaces will help resolve the problem and will give them time to try and mediate other solutions.

Following the sometimes acrimonious meeting in September, business owners and staff have met several times to examine parking options. Staff has warned business owners they need to mend fences with the neighbors, some of whom were angered and offended by the statements made at the September meeting.

Another city-mediated meeting between residents and business interests is scheduled for Oct. 28.

"We have to go in there and see if everybody can get what they want," Pentecost said. "It's a situation that's very much unfolding. It's not cast in stone."

Lookout staff writer Jorge Casuso contributed to this report.