GO COUNCIL! wrote on May 26, 2007 12:08 AM:I support your efforts 100%!!!! Our neighborhoods are under seige with overcrowding and cars all over the place. The naysayers said the council needs to work on restricting overcrowding the way they legally can - code enforcement and parking. Way to go!!!! If 30+ other California cities can deal with this issue, so can we.

Paul wrote on May 26, 2007 4:39 AM:Until Escondido rids itself of the current council majority, it will continually be subjected to proposals that would NEVER be considered by rational, compassionate leaders.

Total Support wrote on May 26, 2007 6:34 AM:Sam and Marie have it right again!

Gross wrote on May 26, 2007 7:10 AM:Who would want to invest in housing in Esconmexico? No thanks.

Potholes wrote on May 26, 2007 7:14 AM:The appearance of Escondido is being judged by the cracked and deteriorating pavement of our city streets.

Not An Issue Except wrote on May 26, 2007 7:36 AM:I just walked my neighborhood of 30 houses and there is not a street parking issue except for one house. There were 5 cars parked in the driveway, and 4 cars parked on the street. The two car garage was closed so I do not know if there was another car or two in the garage. One of the cars parked on the street could have been parked in the driveway using stacked parking. If you count right, the house can park 8 cars in the driveway and garage without parking on the street and without paving over the front lawn. Yet that is not enough? Instead, 4 cars are parked on the street! Allowing 1 free street parking permit per dwelling, plus a second if the occupant can show special circumstances, should be sufficient. If more street parking permits are wanted, let the occupant pay for them.

Idea wrote on May 26, 2007 8:33 AM:Why not just ban parking on the main busy streets and only allow parking on one side of the street in residental areas. For that lady that has to walk further, either get a smaller car to park in your garage or look at the extra few steps of walking as exercise. Everyone knows us Americans, and Mexicans, could us some extra exercise.

pablo wrote on May 26, 2007 9:02 AM:Critics of Escondido's proposed Overnight Parking Ordinance should wait until they know exactly what the City Council intends to do. All members of the Council have said they want to be fair. No restrictions, costs or exemptions have been brought up, much less decided, as yet. But one thing is sure, nobody with any credibility has said that nothing needs to be done. Why is an ordinance necessary? Crime Prevention. A recent court mandated gang injunction area expansion indicates gang activity has become more prevalent. Recent traffic stops have indicated many vehicles traveling our streets are unregistered, uninsured and/or are operated by unlicensed drivers. Prostitution and drug sales activities and cars not belonging in the neighborhood will be more readily identified. Code Compliance. In the last several months numerous garage conversions to illegal living quarters have been cited. Such conversions are hazardous, unsafe, unhealthy and unsanitary. Street Cleaning. Federal mandates require the city to reduce the quantity of pollutants on its streets. Resident Complaints. Deliveries and visitors to their residences, and garbage pick-up from their residences etc. are blocked by parked vehicles unknown to them or belonging to neighbors from overcrowded housing who will not move them when requested.

THANKFUL wrote on May 26, 2007 9:12 AM:Our neighborhoods need a cleaning up. Just a few years ago there were very few cars on the streets at night. Now commercial vehicles and garages full of junk are everywhere.

Permit Parking wrote on May 26, 2007 12:48 PM:Institute a permit parking system and if anyone is parked without one, start fining the heck out of them until they get the hint- repossess their cars, through the car owners in jail when they fail to pay their fines, check their insurance and registration and just keep fining them until they go away and their cars are taken off the street...you will quickly see who the offenders are and they aren't going to be the homeowners in the neighbhoords.

Paul...what??? wrote on May 26, 2007 1:04 PM:Rational compassionate leaders allow for people to cram seven or eight people (and their vehicles) into a two bedroom house ?? The Escondido design guidelines are already clear that no parking should be allowed on Collector streets. Additionally, if you want compassion, consider the children (weep, it's always for the children) and the safety issue of cars lining both sides of a street. What better place for a child or small adult to not been seen by a driver...?

pablo wrote on May 26, 2007 2:23 PM:Mr. and Mrs. Harquist, with only 10 on-street parking spaces for 15 houses with 25 garages, you and your neighbors should pray every day that the City Council does enact some on-street parking controls. If Mayor Pfeiler, who feels for the multiple bread winner groups, gets her way you will only need one such multiple bread winner group to move into your developmemt to see all 10 spaces taken up.

I told you so... wrote on May 26, 2007 2:49 PM:When Mr. Newman was on the City Council, he asked hard questions about developments being allowed to use on street parking to meet parking requirement. No one listened to him, and permission was granted for this project to use on street parking. Others were permitted "tandem" garages and Mr. Newman pointed out that storage would probably negate the two car capacity of these front and back garages. In their hurry to create more affordable housing in Escondido, the council ignored his probing questions and approved the projects. Too bad Mr. Newman grew tired of asking questions no one wanted to listen to. He was one of the few council members who really understood what was going on in the City.

Kendra wrote on May 26, 2007 3:31 PM:This ordinance is not one that should only be voted on by the council it should be brought to a vote from the residents in Escondido. We are the ones living in the streets that are crowded by too many cars. My family has three cars, our garage has two quads in it and our backyard has a boat and a fifth wheel trailer. Where are we suppose to park our third car if not on the street. I understand that the council wants to eleminate the houses that are housing more than one family but there are already laws against that. Why not enforce the laws that are already in place before you make new ones. I hate seeing my neighborhood with as driveways packed with cars and the street surrounding the house cramed with cars bumper to bumper, but why should those of us who follow the housing laws have to suffer for those who abuse them and have WAAAAY to many people living in them.

pablo wrote on May 26, 2007 4:16 PM:Sorry Kendra, but there are no laws restricting the number of people that can live in a house. If you disagree please cite the laws, or even just one law, that does what you say. And Kendra, if you put your boat, fifth wheel and quads in a storage facility even you would have room to park your three cars off-street.

Reardon wrote on May 26, 2007 5:31 PM:Kendra: Has your family ever heard of "storage facilities?" If you live in an urban environment, garages are for automobiles. If you want "toys" -- more power to you -- move to a rural area where you can park cars up on blocks in your front yard if you wish. Boats and RVs in the back yard are not urban-friendly. Find a friend with acreage and ask them to hold the toys, put the two cars in the garage, and park the final car in the driveway. Your -- and your neighbor's problem -- solved. QED!

To Kendra wrote on May 26, 2007 5:52 PM:If you would PERSONALLY like to pay for a special election, then go for it. The reason cities have ELECTED council members is to act in the interests of the residents. We are delighted that our city is preparing an ordinance to control parking, it will improve our living conditions, and we THANK OUR COUNCIL!

HEY SAM ABED wrote on May 26, 2007 6:21 PM:Hey Sam Abed! WAKE UP! You think? Do you think people really value what YOU think? You think this parking restriction "is going to improve the neighborhoods; it's going to improve the quality of life, and it's going to improve the property values, and that's going to encourage people to come here,". You think too much and yet not enough. What about our failing schools? What about (as you keep screaming) all the illegals? What about the crime? What about the constant traffic stops because of "unlicensed/uninsured" drivers? What about the fact that there isn't much for kids to do around here? Sam Abed you are out of your mind - this restriction is going to complicate lives. The more you "think", the more reasons I find that I want to leave Escondido - soon!

Ace Parking wrote on May 26, 2007 8:10 PM:Midnight car valet....shuttle services....smaller cars, golf carts, bicycles,motor scooters....walk to work....where there's a will there's a way...3rd shift jobs.....etc.

Then leave wrote on May 26, 2007 8:15 PM:All I hear is people complain about Escondido. You don't like the city, then get out of the city. Go live in Temecula. I belive in the city. And to GROSS. You don;t have to call it Esconmexico. Escondido is already a spanish word or does that bother you too? AHHHHH. Whats the point of reading these blogs!

Randy M wrote on May 26, 2007 8:55 PM:If the Mexicans had limited the number of horses on the streets of California more than a century ago, maybe they could have eliminated the problem of future generations dealing with Anglos.

The sooner the better wrote on May 26, 2007 9:28 PM:The sooner this odinance takes effect the better. I cant wait to see the streets clear of all these unwanted cars. I hope it's the slumlords that suffer the most here, renting to multiple families and providing NO off street parking for them. Maybe once these cars are off the street we can get the benefit of the street sweeper that our taxes pay for. I'd like to get something in this city for the taxes I pay.

Street Sweeping wrote on May 27, 2007 11:05 PM:So...one of the "reasons" for this proposed ordinance...is to accomodate street sweeping. First, of all, I think that's a load. In the three years I've lived in my home off Rincon Avenue, I've seen a street sweeper one time. Second, if cars on the street are a problem for the street sweeping, then I would suggest designating a certain day of the week/month for such and require all vehicles to be off the street for the cleaning. The penalty for vehicles left on the street would be a parking citation - the ACT personnel could "patrol" the scheduled neighborhood (designated for street sweeping) and write the citations for violations. My neighborhood does not have a parking problem - and I am extremely annoyed that I will essentially pay the price for "your" problem.

To: "Then Leave" wrote on May 28, 2007 12:53 AM:I understand why you wrote what you did...re: people complaining about Escondido & if we don't like it then get out. To tell you the truth, when I moved to Escondido 10 years ago (a former military dependent), I was happy to move & live here. It was an affordable place with a small-town feel. Unfortunately, now in the year 2007, our streets are constantly bustling with traffic, our schools are over-crowded, crime is up, etc... Every time I turn around the city council is imposing some other fee increase on my household. Almost daily there are articles in the paper telling us the woes of Escondido (these days most of them are true). There seems to be no end to the insults, challenges, arrogance and offensive remarks made by Waldron, Abed, Gallo & Daniels to the residents and even community leaders and public officials. And to top it off, I have come to know that there are many residents in Escondido that are BIGOTS. Residents who point their fingers at the homeless, at the poor, at smokers...they point their fingers at anyone who is not like them. They see people in color and in classes. Personally, my stomach turns by the endless display of "my way or the highway". Well, I choose the highway...one day soon...my upper middle class family will bid adieu to Escondido...because it has forever lost it's old town charm and its class (style).

mj wrote on Jun 13, 2007 9:14 PM:Planning is not planning. People need parking. Kids need space. You can not cram as many buildings as you want in a space and not have it turn into a future ghetto.

D wrote on Jul 23, 2007 8:57 PM:Go live in L.A....I mean West L.A. and tell me how much you will love to pay for the parking tickets...don't let Escondido lose it's small town charm.....that's one of the reasons why I decided to attend UCSD over UCLA....I love living in Escondido.

Dk wrote on Dec 30, 2007 2:00 AM:On the very Southern part of Escondido Blvd and Center City Parkway intersection there are always some big rigs/18 wheelers parked overnight there on the street. There are three problems here: 1. It makes the community looks like a construction site or as if it's some heavy industry area rather than a residential area. 2. The truck owners always turn their engines on at night from 11pm till 3am or so, for god-knows-whatever reasons. 3. These trucks parked in a way such that people who live at the apartments are having difficulties seeing on coming traffic coming from behind the trucks, while trying to exit their apartment.

While that maybe one specific example. I think we can just throw in meters and allow residents to have special permits to park on the streets. Do what downtown San Diego is doing. Builders aren't just going to build cheap condos to make money.