Letters to the Editor: February 21, 2008

Opposition Mounts to Parking Meters

Are you being represented on the La Jolla “Community” Parking District Advisory Board?

We are living in interesting times in La Jolla. The community is having an awakening as to how a select few are influencing the La Jolla community and its very life style. Two of these small groups of people are the Board of Directors of Promote La Jolla, the Business Improvement District (BID) and the Parking Board. Several of the people involved are members of both.

Recently, the members of the Parking Board were advised by the city attorney’s office that they are required to file a “Disclosure of Economic Interests” in order to be in compliance with state regulations regarding any conflict of interest prior to this city attorney advisory, two members of the Parking Board had resigned due to an expressed concern by the public regarding a potential conflict of interest on their part. One of the open positions was immediately filled with another member from Promote La Jolla, to support paid on-street parking in La Jolla.

The Parking Board consists of nine members. Three are appointed by Promote La Jolla. The La Jolla Town Council, the La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA), the La Jolla Shores Association and the Bird Rock Community Council each appoint one.

The remaining two positions, the residents at large and the businesses at large, are there to represent the entire La Jolla community. When the Parking Board is free to take action again, it will be time for these two positions to be filled, since the one-year terms of both expired in January. These two positions will be filled, not by the community, but by the Parking Board itself, which is presently dominated by the members that favor paid on-street parking.

Recently, the business at large position, the resident at large position and the Community Planning Association position have been filled by individuals who were in support of paid on-street parking. Thus, with the three members from Promote La Jolla, six of the nine board members have supported paid on-street parking.

The La Jolla Parking Board has an opportunity to take a positive step forward and demonstrate a commitment to represent all of the viewpoints in the La Jolla community fairly. Nearly 5,000 people have signed petitions to oppose paid on-street parking and many more merchants and residents are willing to sign petitions.

The Parking Board should now elect two representatives at large that are not advocates of paid on-street parking and give the community some equality and an “at large” voice, to consider an alternative plan.

Ed Ward,

La Jolla

Paid on-street parking would end La Jolla’s small town charm

On Wednesday, Feb. 6th, I had a visit at our family-owned gallery from one of America’s finest landscape painters, Clive R. Tyler. Clive lives in Colorado and noticed the “No Paid On-Street Parking” T-shirt hanging in our window. He proceeded to tell me how much La Jolla reminded him of a small upscale town in Colorado named Cherry Creek, which had had very similar circumstances to La Jolla with the city of Denver pushing for, and finally getting, paid on-street parking with the help of a local advisory board.

Clive said that since that time several of the local small businesses that helped give the community its charming “village” character have closed and that the town has heavily changed to office buildings. It seemed the inconvenience and aggravation of the new paid on-street parking had driven many of the town’s patrons to its local malls. With the loss of business, quite a few local longtime family-owned shops had closed.

It’s a shame that our local La Jolla Community Parking District Advisory Board, in failing to represent the wishes of La Jolla’s citizens, has apparently decided that paid on-street parking revenues are more important than preserving the character and charm of our community.

Keith Kelman

K. Nathan Gallery, La Jolla

Time to answer some questions, Parking Board

The La Jolla Town Council and the La Jolla Shores group have come out unanimously against the parking proposal by the La Jolla Community Parking District Advisory Board.

The petition being touted by Martin Mosier as proof that he has the support of the businesses of La Jolla contains such claims as: 75 percent of the parking revenues will come back to La Jolla, one-hour free parking is destroying the quality of shops in La Jolla, and the Advisory Board will be able to build a five-story subterranean parking structure on free land on Herschel Avenue.

Is it possible that the membership of Promote La Jolla is entirely in accordance with these ridiculous claims?

Why has there been no unbiased poll of Promote La Jolla members to see if they are in favor of this proposal? This Parking District Advisory Board has three members belonging to the Promote La Jolla organization. All other organizations have only one member. That seems eminently unfair. How did that come about and why?

Promote La Jolla and the Parking District Advisory Board should answer these questions.

Betty W. Hosie

La Jolla

Informative surf column

I read Linda Van Zandt’s column on wetsuits in the Feb. 7 Light with interest as it is getting time to replace mine. Her article was rather comprehensive with a lot of information I was unaware of. For example, like many La Jollans, I know Matuse and his suits, but I was unaware of the unusual type of limestone derived neoprene he’s using; and the electrified Rip Curl and Merino-wool lined Patagonia sound like the designers have been listening to my carping about the super low water temperatures around here the last two years. The only thing I could add would be regarding minimizing wear and tear by putting a plastic shopping bag over your hands and feet before putting them into the sleeves and legs of the wetsuit. That also prevents tearing.

Now, just so this won’t be a controversy-free letter to the Editor, I challenge Scripps Oceanographic Institute to publish the averages of the water temperature they’ve been measuring off the end of Scirpps Pier for more than 100 years. I’ll bet you a big fat global-warming grant that the average winter temps have dropped two to three degrees just since the 1970s. Is it getting warmer every place except La Jolla? Just a question.

Joe Guiney

La Jolla

Bad example on seals?

I would like to thank the marine mammal research panel from the Monterey area, which helped the city of Pacific Grove keep Pacific harbor seals from colonizing and pupping on the Lovers Point public beach earlier this year.

The local marine mammal researchers made it clear to the city of Pacific Grove that they should follow the instructions from the National Marine Fisheries Service to deter the harbor seals from the beach so there would not be a conflict between humans and the harbor seals on the Lovers Point public beach in Pacific Grove.

The city of Pacific Grove was informed of the mistakes that the city of San Diego had made in allowing Pacific harbor seals to colonize the Children’s Pool public beach in La Jolla. This was an excellent example of wildlife mismanagement by a coastal community and the city of Pacific Grove did not want to make the mistakes that the city of San Diego had made.

I also want to thank the marine mammal research panel that also told the city of Pacific Grove to ignore the actions of any so-called seal activists with regards to the situation at Lovers Point public beach.

The panel made it quite clear to the city of Pacific Grove that any group of seal activists, outside a local community docent group, would try to take advantage of the situation for the purpose of making money off the seals at the beach.

Kent Trego

La Jolla