Community Commentary: No. 8 — Providing parking

Editor’s note: Laguna Beach City Manager Ken Frank is retiring in December after 30 years with the city. In this column, he shares what he sees as the “top 10” most significant accomplishments of the city administration during the past three decades.

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No. 8 is the provision of additional parking. While parking remains a challenge during the summer months and on warm weekends, parking spots are generally available in the downtown and near the beaches most of the year.

The following public parking has been added in the last 30 years:

•Glenneyre Street Garage — 110 new spaces

•Former Edison substation across from the Festival of Arts — 75 spaces

•Forest Avenue/Laguna Canyon Road lot across from the Festival — 16 spaces

•Community Center, 380 Third St. — 74 spaces on nights and weekends

•Hagen Place on Mermaid Street — 25 spaces

•Alice Court on Glenneyre Street — 24 spaces

•Coast Highway/Sea Cliff Drive — 10 spaces

In addition, more than 50 additional parking stalls have been created by making the 300 block of Ocean Avenue and the 100 block of Cliff Drive one way traffic.

The city has secured 264 parking slots by purchasing the “Act V” lot on Laguna Canyon Road from The Irvine Company. That acquisition precluded private commercial development on that site and allowed for a permanent summer parking operation.

Furthermore, the city has assured the availability of parking spaces in the downtown by purchasing lots that had previously been leased from private property owners:

•Ocean Avenue lot No. 1 — 18 spaces

•Ocean Avenue lot No. 2 — 24 spaces

•Broadway lot — 26 spaces

Ken Frank is city manager of Laguna Beach.