Despite Parking Shortage, Greenbelt Parking to Be Eliminated Today

Dozens of residents packed City Hall Thursday night all in agreement that parking in Old Town is miserable.

Agreeing to a solution, however, proved to be elusive.

At the heart of the meeting was whether or to allow for permanent parking along the Electric Avenue Greenbelt to alleviate the widespread parking shortage between 10th Street and Seal Beach Boulevard. A vocal majority at the meeting came out against the proposal, noting that parking narrows the street and visibility for drivers, threatening pedestrians, children, pets, cyclists and people turning in and out of the alleys. They also objected to the aesthetics of the proposal because the parked cars box in the park, which is valued for its open space in the middle of a densely populated neighborhood. Greenbelt parking would also eat up the bike lanes on Electric Avenue.

It would destroy property values and views, create blight and endanger the community, said Seal Beach Resident Carla Watson.

“I don’t want to see some kid or one of my dogs get killed because we didn’t see a car coming,” added Jim Klisanin, who lives on Electric Avenue.

An extensive storm drain construction project closed portions of Electric Avenue over the last year, prompting the city to make up for the loss of parking by allowing temporary parking on the greenbelt. For many residents, who return from work each night only to circle the neighborhood hunting for parking, the greenbelt parking has been a luxury. However, the city will eliminate the greenbelt parking as of today.

“Let’s put this to bed. We are not going to park on Electric,” said City Councilwoman Ellery Deaton, who represents the Old Town district. “That is an easy fix. That is not a good fix.”

Deaton asked residents to offer solutions to the parking problem, calling on them to have compassion for their neighbors who are hardest hit by the shortage of parking in Old Town.

Toward that end, residents suggested:

• Allowing greenbelt parking on special occasions such as the Christmas Parade
• Encouraging residents to use their garages for parking rather than storage either through a public relations campaign or enforcement of a city ordinance that requires garage owners to leave enough room in their garages for a car
• Opening up the 10th Street beach parking lot overnight to residents with permits
• Limiting the number of parking passes the city gives to each household
• Increasing ticketing and enforcement of one-hour parking
• Increasing the setback required for new building projects to create more parking spaces
• Making overnight parking in Old Town by permit only
• Eliminating hanging parking passes, which can be abused and shared with non-residents

Acting Assistant City Manager Sean Crumby said that the city will study several of these options, and city officials already plan to appeal to the California Coastal Commission for permission to allow permitted overnight parking in the beach parking lot.

The city recently eliminated 63 parking spaces by extending the length of red-painted curbs to make it easier for fire trucks to turn the tight corners on one-way streets, added Crumby. To make up for some of the loss of spaces, city officials plan to remove the red paint covering storm drains, adding another 15 to 20 parking spaces to the neighborhood.

“We need the parking. I don’t care where we get it, but we need the parking in this town,” said resident Pat Kearns. “For the last nine months, I have been able to park in front of my home four times. If that (greenbelt) parking disappears, I won’t ever get to park there.”

Another man who identified himself as a disabled veteran also complained of the hardship of having to park far from his home given his disability.

Instead of asking what the city can do to make parking easier for residents, residents should ask themselves what they could be doing to make parking easier for the community, suggested Old Town resident Shannon Levitt.

“I think there is a culture around us that we have to take responsibility for,” Levitt said. “We should be using our garages for parking or make responsible parking solutions.”