Meters debated for Wesley Drive

Mike Swanson

City officials hope the addition of 16 metered parking spots on

Wesley Drive and 20 on South Coast Highway will alleviate mounting

parking problems near the Montage Resort and Spa and Treasure Island

Park.

The council will vote on the addition of meters at their next

meeting.

The 409 striped parking spots on the Montage site were deemed

sufficient to its permit, but city staff recommended that 145

overflow spots, used for valet parking, be studied during prime hours

to ensure their best use.

The City Council approved a motion to move the bus shelter from

the ocean side to the inland side of the street.

City Manager Ken Frank said it appears Montage employees have

plenty of spaces to park on site and the temporary lot next to

Ruby’s, so staff is trying to find ways to force them to park there.

Resident Jeanie Bernstein said she didn’t see how metering Wesley

Drive was going to make parking easier for residents.

“It’s easy for employees to pull up to those spaces [on Wesley

Drive],” Frank said. “If we put [meters] there, then they might as

well park where they’re supposed to park. Meters open up space for

residents to park overnight.”

Bernstein was afraid employees and beachgoers would just advance

farther up the hill and onto side streets in front of houses, where

parking is free.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman said they won’t know what they’re

dealing with until a summer study is conducted to see who is parking

where.

It’ll be interesting to see how far people are willing to walk to

avoid paying for parking, she said.

The city wants to add meters to 12 spots on the south side of

Wesley Drive and create four metered spaces on the north side that’s

now a no-parking zone.

The inland side of South Coast Highway has historically been a

no-parking zone, but Caltrans has authorized its conversion, and the

city plans to install meters before summer.

Included in the report submitted by the Montage Resort was a

requirement that 15 spaces be kept open for bicycles, and that it

would purchase bus passes for its employees who ride the bus to work.

Councilman Wayne Baglin wants to make sure the bicycle spaces will

be used and that there really are employees using their bus passes.

“I’d like to make sure they’re not just window dressing,” Baglin

said.

Baglin amended the motion to include a requirement that Montage

officials report back to the city with proof that bicycle spots and

bus passes will be useful before the final ordinance is adopted.

The Montage also has access to 25 spaces under Albertson’s through

lease to replace on-street parking, but city staff advised Montage

officials need to post clearer signage there to inform people that

it’s a public parking area.

With the actions approved by the council, there will be 203

metered and free public parking spaces available in the area around

the Montage Resort.