2-Story Parking Cut From Main Street Plan

The City Council this week scrapped a proposal to build a two-level parking structure at the beach as part of the new Main Street plan.

Discussion of other aspects of the guidelines for the picturesque street will continue at the next council meeting, but the proposal for the parking structure was dropped after residents voiced opposition.

A second-level parking area above the current 8th Street beachfront parking lot would have been an eyesore that would lower property values and create a haven for drug dealers and gangs, residents said.

“These multilevel parking structures provide a nest for crime,” resident Bruce Stark said.

The council also killed proposals to buy land for a 28-space parking lot and to initiate a license-plate monitoring program to study Main Street parking habits.

The city is experimenting with variable parking rates to attract visitors to the often unfilled 8th Street lot.

The overall plan also drew fire from business owners who object to a proposal to raise parking fees. The plan would increase the annual levy to business owners for each required parking space that they are unable to provide.

Under the proposal, the annual “in lieu” parking fee would rise to $350 a space from the current $100. The increase would affect about a dozen businesses.

Walt Babcock, owner of Walt’s Wharf on Main Street, said that such a change would raise his in-lieu fees to about $20,000 a year from $5,000 now.

“We do contribute to the parking problems during certain times, but we bring a lot of good things to Seal Beach too, such as jobs,” Babcock said. “We employ 85 people. We can solve the parking problem by better utilization of what we’ve got.”