BUENA PARK : Beach Blvd. Parking Ban Set to Begin on Saturday

As of this weekend, there will be no parking anywhere on Beach Boulevard.

Despite pleas from business owners to continue to allow parking from Manchester Boulevard to Franklin Avenue, the City Council voted 4 to 1 this week to impose a ban effective Saturday on the final stretch of the boulevard where on-street parking was allowed.

The move had been in the works for years, but the city decided to wait until Caltrans repaved the thoroughfare, a project completed in April, said public works director Donald K. Jensen.

Parking had been allowed during off-peak hours, but accidents were a constant fear because motorists suddenly encountered parked cars while cruising in the lane closest to the sidewalk, officials said.

Merchants said the change would hurt business. “If there is no place to put our customers, you’ll have a lot of boarded-up buildings there,” warned Dan Mangone of Discovering the World, a Frisbee shop.

About 35 businesses will be affected by the change, but many of them have areas in back that could be used as parking, officials said. The city will install one-hour parking signs on nearby side streets to ease the transition and officials plan to meet soon with business owners.

Mayor Don R. Griffin voted against the ban, because he wanted to wait two weeks to begin enforcement, he said.