SEAL BEACH : Parking Deck Above City Lot Proposed

City officials have suggested easing the Main Street parking shortage by building a deck above a city-owned lot at the corner of 8th Street and Central Avenue.

Such a move--one of more than a dozen suggestions contained in a two-part report released last week--could provide an additional 50 parking spaces near the Old Town shopping district.

The idea was discussed last month during a town hall meeting on the parking shortage which was attended by City Council members, planning commissioners, residents and merchants.

The city report, a byproduct of the meeting, attempts to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of the various suggestions offered for solving the Main Street parking problem.

Planning Director Lee Whittenberg stressed this week that the report is designed only to outline some possible approaches to the parking shortage. Before any suggestions are implemented, funding would have to be secured and the City Council would have to approve the idea.

The exact cost of building a second-story parking area has not been determined, but Whittenberg said the idea is probably more viable than attempting to acquire costly private land for a new parking lot.

Other suggestions in the report for easing the parking crunch include:

* Providing a tram service between Main Street and shopping centers on Pacific Coast Highway.

* Installing parking meters on Main Street.

* Restricting non-residential parking on 8th and 10th streets.