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Free parking is what makes American small towns great. Unfortunately every small town is filled with goofball busy bodies who just don't know when to quit.
DEMA has been proud lately, real proud of the charming pedestrian friendly downtown Encinitas they have helped reinvent. I have applauded their efforts in the past but deep down I always knew this day would come.
Given enough time some retard will always bring up PARKING METERS.
Behead parking meters, not people.
Yes, just as our lovely downtown Encinitas is picking up some real momentum these guys just have to start filching our loose change.
What a giant can of worms this parking meter scam opens. First you absolutely MUST issue some sort of employee parking pass because you can't have hair stylist running out to feed the meter or move their car during some poor women's appointment. Nor, can you have the poor women running out to feed her meter while she getting her hair done.
A 2 hour limit? Okay you micro managing control freak neo-Nazis! God forbid I go get some breakfast and do some shopping and take 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Then ya gotta hire all the wannabee cops to be meter maids and in order for them to justify their existence and pay for their little golf cart they gotta issue enough tickets to make it worth their while.
There are few things worse than getting a parking ticket, especially when you are spending your money in the area.
If this actually happens I am going to park in Jerome Stocks's parking spot at the city hall whenever I want to get a coffee and a scone in downtown Encinitas.
Not even Playboy bunny meter maids will make parking meters acceptable in my opinion.
If one single parking meter is installed I'm shoving Norby's beret down his throat.
ReplyDeletethey want to "free up" some parking.
ReplyDeleteHowz this for a slogan?
"More parking? Why not less people?"
Did dema support prop A? More the merrier but there is no place to park.
ReplyDeleteI have no trouble finding parking on 2nd street.
what about concerts and plays at the la paloma that last over 2 hours?
ReplyDelete"what about concerts and plays at the la paloma that last over 2 hours?"
ReplyDeleteI heard that Starbucks and Jamba Juice were joining forces to raize La Paloma and put in a new caffiene and sugar center since the one down by Swarmies is too far away for the city employees to get a quick enough fix, so no worries about parking there anymore anyway.
Encinitas is dead.
does anyone have her phone number?
ReplyDeleteThe Filiberto's drive-thru lane doubles as a parking lot from 11-1pm daily. Just make sure a toilet is near once you get your food down.
ReplyDeletewhen santa fe got permission to put the parking lot in behind roxy's the deal was that half the spaces would be reserved for encinitas downtown use. course that didn't happen. perhaps santa fe should put meters in that lot that would cost five cents an hour. this would at least provide a little relief, would not be a financial burden and could be policed by the uniformed train cop that already walks around the lots. then they could finish the other lot that remains unfinished and unused and do the same there, 1/2 for the sprinter riders 1/2 for the community. together that would provide about 100 spaces for the downtown area. three hours for 15 cents, cheap enough, long enough for most la paloma events, and long enough for most shoppers and eaters. if the la paloma and the businesses don't have some available parking then most of the business will be converted to drive thru businesses and then the historic downtown area is doomed.
ReplyDeleteBefore the dirt parking lot paving becomes another city council boondoggle project, serious discussion of the price tag should be considered. One newspaper article mentioned a cost of 2 million dollars years ago. What would be the going price today? Why isn't the NCTD footing the bill for its property? Doesn't the council have enough collective smarts to get NCTD to take care of its property?
ReplyDeleteWe sure don't need any more wanna be civillian cops policing our parking. No meters!!
ReplyDeleteJust recently when Chamber of Commerce wanted to move its info center location from Smart & Final parking lot to downtown, 2nd St., Council gave its ok, despite protests from nice "little old lady" volunteers who protested move. Director of Chamber was all for move, so he could hob nob with Council and DEMA. Plus that fluff piece for Yes on A in Encinitas First, a huge publication expense, that failed for Eckes and associates. By the way, when someone asked about parking, Chamber guy said, "we don't consider that a problem." What about the Community Resource Center and Clinic. Parking on Second is a joke, already.
When are we going to start distributing the NO on C literature? Will we get another poetry contest from Coast News?
Better be careful if new parking laws are passed. Mayor Guerin says she will "nail" violators.
I watched yesterday's Council Meeting on TV tonight. Whole lotta raised fees going on. Good luck if you want to remodel, or expand a mom & pop business. Permits are going way up. Not just inspection fees, but impact fees, on and on. OMG! Stocks was the only one consistently against the raises. Dalager came in against the raised permitting fees, too. Good for them.
Too many people think it's all us vs. them. Community character vs. developers. That isn't true. Those of us who may eventually want to remodel our homes shouldn't be penalized for desiring to make improvements, which result in increased taxes for the city, too. Maggie went on and on about how much the downtown landscaping has helped businesses. But residential building fees all went up, as well. Enough is enough!
We now have flyers and signs for the NO on C effort. We need to get them ditributed. Please contact me through our web site (linked from here)and I will personaly deliver as many as you can help with.
ReplyDeleteDEMA voted yesterday to stay neutral on the issue, much to Aceti's dismay and filibuster style protest.
We need your help!
"Those of us who may eventually want to remodel our homes shouldn't be penalized for desiring to make improvements,"
ReplyDeleteAgreed, but you must address the issue raised.
Should everyone else subsidize your impacts on the City's treasury and our infrastructure? Should we eliminate all the fees? Or is it a question of finding the right balance? Where is that balance and why?
Yes, balance is good. We cannot eliminate all fees. We can eliminate all illegally imposed taxes. Fees do not need to go up, as property taxes go up 2+% a year because of increasing "fees." If you paid over 200K for your home, as many have, then that is an extra $400 plus, per year, not counting rising utilities, food. Those without high incomes, fat government pensions, often, are being chased away, literally.
ReplyDeleteNo one should "subsidize" individual's wanting to add on a room. That is what the General Fund Fees should be used for. We need less planners, consultants, more humble public servants, who actually do the inspections! Why is that hired out????
The city is subsidized by development, and vice versa. Underneath it all the People are the City. Not Council and staff. Power corrupts. These yokels on Council can't see the forest for the dollar signs.
The remodel money will come back in the form of increased property taxes for permitted improvements. We already pay big property taxes; it's like renting a trailer space, or much more, plus paying your mortgage.
I want to keep my place small. But I have sympathy for those with growing families, who, perhaps, only want to add on a room. State law says the inspection fees for room additions should not be more than $200.00. Most of the other costs are govt. gravy, so they can hire more people, increase benefits.
Big Brother does not rule Leucadia.
"The remodel money will come back in the form of increased property taxes for permitted improvements."
ReplyDeleteYeah, but expansions mean more people and bigger impacts on common resources. Turns out that even Christy was willing to admit that property taxes from residential property don't pay for the liabilities generated by residential. It is not so simple.
I am saying that something should change in that balance, just that arguements should be based in reality, which is complicated.
The reality is that we are being taxed and "fee'd" to death.
ReplyDeleteThe city gets lots of bucks from sales tax, property tax, and fees. We did not need to raise fees. We need to decrease govt. corruption, decrease consultants, make those on the gravy wagon work hard, or go to another city.
We need an elected, dedicated City Attorney, willing to ferret out the pork and the lies. Right now Enc. Inc. is a corrupt govt. corporation.
Vote No on C! Vote out incumbents!