City leaders in La Mesa are considering a collection of parking solutions for the downtown village to address a shortage of available spaces.
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The La Mesa City Council unanimously directed staff last week to measure the feasibility of five proposed parking notifications, which officials say could provide “immediate parking relief.”
“Downtown La Mesa is actually having a good problem; it’s becoming so popular and so crowded that our parking infrastructure hasn’t kept up,” Councilmember Laura Lothian said.
Affordability and housing supply needs have landed an increasing number of apartment complexes in the downtown corridor, many of which do not supply parking for every resident due to their proximity to transit options.
This has only highlighted the need for short-term solutions, officials say.
“Right now, a parking structure is just not in the cards, Lothian said. “It would cost millions of dollars. But it might be down the road,”
In an effort to ease parking constraints, Lothian said she and Vice Mayor Lauren Cazares surveyed the city’s downtown village area in search of potential parking spots that were “hiding in plain sight.”
Low-cost solutions were the priority, Lothian said. On any given weekend or during events like the farmer’s market, immediate additional parking spots would make an impact, she continued.
One idea would be to reduce the red curb on Allison Avenue to create more room for metered parking. Another would be to relocate bike racks on La Mesa Boulevard to create dedicated parking spaces for golf carts.
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Their proposals also include removing trees behind Pete’s Place to create an estimated five to six additional parking spots. Converting the loading zone in front of Turpin and Rattan Engineering was another proposed solution.
Finally, officials proposed painting parking spots on streets approaching downtown, between Allison Avenue, Spring Street, 4th Street and Fresno Avenue.
“The number of spaces gained is unknown but anticipated to be substantial,” a staff report said.
“This is our attempt to be creative and find low-cost, minimal-effort improvements because we do need parking in the village,” Cazares said. “Long-term, I would love to see us less dependent on cars… but this specific item is really crucial for our businesses.”
The parking shortage is an everyday struggle for Ryan Umbenhaur, a resident who owns a financial advising business anchored in La Mesa’s downtown village.
“One of the biggest challenges we have is parking,” Umbenhaur said. “My clients often consider parking availability when considering how and when they are going to visit my office.”
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Staff will analyze the proposals and return with recommendations in 60 days.
