Parking

By Lawrence J "Larry" Kramer, Capt, USN (Ret.)

There is both a short term and a long term parking problem in the center of town.

The parking situation could become more difficult if proposed projects are approved. Examples are:

Urban Village, which would remove existing private parking.
Goveia Project, which would remove existing public parking and chapel parking.
The forced sale of redevelopment land, which is currently serving as public parking lots.
The continued growth of downtown business.

A lack of parking hurts all of the business in the city. People tend to go elsewhere if parking is difficult or decide not to even travel to San Juan Capistrano if they perceive that finding an adequate nearby space will be difficult.

The city staff has been directed by the City Council to examine the parking situation and provide both near-term and long-term solutions.

During the weekdays, parking is usually not a problem. Parking can be difficult on weekends, particularly during weekend evenings if there are major events occurring downtown. Examples of these events are weddings, San Juan Summer Night Concerts in the park, and Mission San Juan Concerts.

Some of the short-term solutions might involve:

Examining red-curbed areas to determine if parking should be allowed.
The use of specific event valet parking.
The restriping of the multi-module parking lot adjacent to Sarducci's and The Vintage.
Better signage about location of parking lots.
The requirement for a parking plan for special events.

Some long-term solutions might involve:

The construction of a parking structure.
The establishment of a downtown-parking district, which could help to pay for a parking structure.
The installation of parking meters at strategic locations.