Complaints Bring Free Parking Back to Dana Point Harbor

Responding to complaints from customers and merchants alike, the Dana Point Harbor Assn. has agreed to raise the mechanical pay gates and return free parking to Dana Point Harbor on a limited basis.

Starting Tuesday, there will be free parking throughout the harbor on Mondays through Thursdays until 4 p.m. However, the rate of $2 an hour and $18 a day for the popular Mariner’s Village and Dana Wharf parking lots will continue in the evenings and on weekends and holidays.

The association’s parking committee voted Tuesday to make the changes and the decision was immediately applauded by harbor merchants. Most merchants have said that their businesses have suffered since the pay-to-park policy began on April 15 after 21 years of free harbor parking.

Anita Moore, who owns three harbor retail shops, including the Downstairs Store, a card and gift shop, on Wednesday called the move “a wonderful step.

“I don’t see how anybody would be unhappy with this,” said Moore, a San Clemente resident who has been in business in the harbor for seven years. “I think this is fair, and it should work out really well.”

But Moore believes some sort of paid parking program will remain at the harbor, noting that nearly every harbor and beach community in the state charges its visitor for parking.

“I truly believe (the parking gates) will never go away,” Moore said. “I think we’ll have to learn to live with it.”

Merchant Peggie Pearson also applauded the move Wednesday. She said continuous complaints by local customers were responsible for the change.

“The local voices of the people of Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Clemente have been heard,” said Pearson, a Huntington Beach resident and owner of the In Thing shop. “They have been boycotting us. There weren’t 25 cars in the parking lots today.”

But Pearson said she would have liked to see more free time given to shoppers. The parking rules now allow restaurants to offer validations for two hours of parking, retail shops one hour and the sports fishing docks four hours of parking.

“Couldn’t they have given the retail shops just one more hour?” Pearson asked. “As it is, our customers are constantly checking their watches.”