CITY COUNCIL WRAPUP

The following is from the Feb. 17 City Council meeting.

Committee seats open 5-0

Dawn Franz, Dorit Goosens, James Howard and Timothy Zevnik were appointed to two-year terms on Recreation Committee.

Curt Bartsch, Christopher Castro, Darrylin Girvin and Vic Opincar were re-appointed to two year terms for the Parking Traffic and Circulation Committee.

WHAT IT MEANS

The committees will be short a member until the council interviews and make appointments April 28. Applications are available in the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall.

PTC recommendations approved 4-0 and 5-0

A passenger loading zone on the inland side of the 2500 block of South Coast Highway was relocated about 46 feet south. Iseman owns property nearby and is obliged by law to recuse herself.

A request to restrict parking on the east side of 20-foot-wide Vista Lane was denied, as recommended by the PTC.

WHAT IT MEANS

The relocation of the loading zone will make for easier loading and unloading of vehicles at the Casa Laguna Inn and Spa. The request to eliminate parking on Vista Lane was opposed in seven letters to the committee and supported by three letters. With no parking restrictions the travel lane would be reduced to 5 feet. Limiting parking to one side, the travel lane measures 12 — still below the minimum standard recommended by the Fire Department.

Downtown parking options to be pursued 4-1

A parking consultant will be hired to develop a preliminary concept and cost estimate to add a deck on the Peppertree Parking lot. Rollinger opposed the motion.

WHAT IT MEANS

The deck could almost double the parking spaces now available at a cost estimated by Boyd to be $1.5 million, which could be tapped from the Parking Fund, he said. Care would have to be taken to protect the landmark pepper tree.

Small car incentives proposed 5-0

The council voted to ask the PTC to look for incentives to put drivers behind the wheels of smaller vehicles.

WHAT IT MEANS

Among the incentives suggested by Egly: less expensive shoppers parking permits for electric vehicles and smaller spaces reserved for smaller cars.

Un-permitted construction appeal denied 5-0

The council denied the appeal of the Design Review Board 3-2 approval of a project that was built without permits, with caveats. The property owner will be required to obtain an engineering sign-off and adequate inspections before the constructed is permitted

WHAT IT MEANS

The owner was put on notice that all or a portion of the work may have to be removed to facilitate the required inspections.

— Barbara Diamond