Town takes a baby step toward parking solution

By Nathan R. Huff

It will make you laugh, it will make you cry! You will come back to see it again and again!

No, it's not a trailer for an upcoming movie release, it's the story of parking in Los Gatos. As Mayor Steve Blanton describes the issue, parking in Los Gatos is akin to the Hindu conception of the world's history; there is no beginning and no end.

But a baby step forward is still a step forward and the council took one Feb. 28, receiving a joint business-neighborhood resident report on parking solutions for downtown Los Gatos. The grass-roots group suggested, among other things, that the town's fast-track parking garage construction delineate residential areas from commercial, explore shuttle programs and "pay and display" parking, and specify areas for employee parking.

The report came following a Jan. 3 suggestion by Town Council members for downtown residents and business owners, who are often at odds over downtown parking policies, to meet and concur on temporary and long-term solutions. A petition by Almond Grove residents, who asked for 24-hour, permit-only parking, led to the suggestion by the council.

The groups of residents and business owners, with the help of volunteer mediator Rich Gardina, overcame what Councilman Joe Pirzynski described as a "hellacious task." The cooperation was evident Feb. 28, as the muttering and eyerolling that normally accompany discussions on downtown parking were absent and replaced with applause for the presenters.

"It's so unusual to see groups working so closely together; it makes our decision much easier," Councilman Randy Attaway said.

However, the council made no decision at the meeting, electing instead to send the report to the town's Parking Commission for review and to incorporate the information into their decision-making process.

Members of the group asked that the town give semiformal recognition as an advisory body to the grass-roots coalition. Participants first gathered at a Feb. 17 public meeting. More than 100 residents and business owners brainstormed possible solutions to maintain the economic vitality of the downtown commercial area. They also sought solutions to reduce the impact business has on residential parking, specifically in the Almond Grove and Edelen neighborhoods.

From that, Gardina, downtown business owner Ginger Rowe and Wilder Avenue resident Tom Boyce condensed the top vote-getting suggestions into interim and comprehensive plans for action. The long-term solution, which includes continuing cooperation by residents, hinges on a town commitment to build new parking structures. While Gardina said residents didn't specifically demand two new garages, the concensus was that one parking structure would be only a "Band-Aid."

Recognizing that the town must plan how to fund two garages, the group suggested that the town aggressively pursue "pay and display" parking as a revenue base. The pay-parking system is used in Aspen, Colo., and residents and council members are so interested in the idea that a representative from Aspen is tentatively scheduled to make a presentation at the council's March 20 meeting.

Another of the group's long-term suggestions was to engage members of St. Mary's Church and school in the ongoing dialogue. A number of Almond Grove residents are concerned that the church's large parish and activities, such as weddings, fundraisers, school and athletic events, substantially aggravate the already congested parking situation.

Representatives from the church said they thought their impact was overestimated, but agreed to work with residents in developing long-term solutions.

The one issue which still lacks consensus appears to be the very one which led to the group's formation in the first place--24-hour permit parking in Almond Grove. While Gardina presented it as a consideration, it was not part of the "Consensus Solutions." However, several Almond Grove residents told the council that they still wanted the town to place the same parking restrictions in their neighborhood as in the Edelen area.

Council members expressed varying sentiments on the issue, but a general hesitancy to expand restrictions was evident. Councilman Jan Hutchins said that, since all the town's taxpayers paid to maintain the street parking in the neighborhoods, restricting the parking to residents amounted to a type of subsidy.

Councilwoman Linda Lubeck said she strongly opposed extending 24-hour restrictions to additional neighborhoods, and advocated the town revisit Edelen. "If this council was brave enough to make a finding of overriding consideration," Lubeck said. "I believe we can still go back to daytime [public] parking."

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