Residents of Pacific Beach are still winding down from the fight against the ban on beach drinking. But, they may need to rekindle that fighting spirit if they wish to stop a parking fee initiative currently being considered by the Pacific Beach Community Parking District.
The test area in question covers the popular Garnet Avenue and surrounding streets west of Ingraham Street and expands as it gets closer to the surf. The initiative has a tiered system of parking rates that vary anywhere from $.25 to $3 an hour that would last between 10am and 7pm.
Pacific Beach residents would be able to purchase parking permits at a rate of $5 to $10 a month. People who work in Pacific Beach would also be able to get permits, but at the inflated rate of $15 to $20 a month. All street parking rates would vary based on proximity to the beach.
Experts believe that instilling parking fees will reduce traffic congestion and increase parking turnover - preventing all day parking, and allowing more spaces available at all times. They also argue that the revenue from paid parking can help the community with improvement projects such as pothole repair, tree plantings and improved public transportation.
However, many residents do not share this optimistic point of view and have already started to show up at the parking committee meetings to object to the idea. Complaints range from the belief that paid parking will decrease tourism revenue at local shops and bars, and the belief that paid parking would change the fundamental vibe of the laid back beach community as a whole. Other people worry that the difficulty of accessing parking permits will end up taxing locals more than tourists.
From the newly implemented ban on beach drinking to the proposed paid parking initiatives, Pacific Beach is taking a turn from mellow to melodramatic as we enter spring of 2008.
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