Escondido council to weigh project's parking issues

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer | Tuesday, June 19, 2007 12:12 AM PDT ∞

ESCONDIDO -- A proposed downtown apartment and commercial development that was rejected by the Escondido Planning Commission for having too few parking spaces will be considered Wednesday by the City Council.

The commission's decision raises the question of whether the council will view the proposed development at Escondido Boulevard and Third Avenue as being in conflict with its recent efforts to create an overnight parking ordinance meant to remove cars from residential streets.

City staff members are recommending that the council approve the project, called City Plaza, despite the planning commission's 4-2 vote last month against it. The council will consider the proposal at its 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 201 N. Broadway.

The council has said it wants to create an ordinance that would restrict overnight parking on all residential streets from 2 to 5 a.m., although council members indicated last week that residents should be allowed to park one car park on the street, or two in special circumstances. Some council members have said the new ordinance would reduce overcrowding caused in part by illegal immigrants sharing houses. They said it also would reduce crime and improve the city's appearance.

The mixed-use City Plaza project is on 0.8 acres at 328 S. Escondido Blvd., where the Enchanted Gardens reception hall and former antique store is located. It would have four stories above ground and one story below ground to accommodate 55 one- and two-bedroom apartments, 5,128 square feet of commercial space, 4,158 square feet of office space, and a parking garage, according to city staff reports.

But the project's parking plan relies on residents sharing parking with the businesses located there, which some planning commissioners didn't like. The development provides 126 vehicle spaces for both residential and commercial, but just over 148 spaces normally would be required for such a project, city staff reports said.

"I objected to the project based on the fact that it's under-parked in a lot of its projections," Commissioner Bob McQuead said Monday.

He said the commission was told at its May 22 meeting that residents living there are expected to walk or use public transportation because of the apartments' proximity to downtown and the Escondido Transit Center. Residents wouldn't be allowed more than one or two cars, according to staff reports.

The city of 141,000 people isn't urban enough to rely on people walking, biking and using public transportation, he said.

"Escondido might be headed in that direction, but it isn't there yet," he said. "If people live there, they have cars."

But Commissioner Jack Campbell, who along with Commissioner Barry Newman voted in favor of the project, said there should be enough parking.

"Usually, I'm opposed to underparking," Campbell said. "In this case, I didn't really think it was underparked because it's a large amount of retail and office combined with the residential. The residential would be busier on nights and weekends, and the commercial will be busier (during) days."

Even if the council passes its overnight parking ordinance, residents should have plenty of parking available in the parking garage during the restricted hours of 2 to 5 a.m.

Commissioner Darol Caster, who voted against the proposal, said the overnight parking ordinance still could create problems at the site.

"If that gets passed, then none of these people would be able to park on the street without an exception," he said.

Also at Wednesday's council meeting during the 4 p.m. session, the council is expected to approve a $418.3 million, five-year capital improvement program for the city. The lion's share of the funds will go to street and utility construction and maintenance, as well as for the construction of new police and fire facilities provided from a $84.3 million bond passed by voters in 2004.

Other notable uses include: $15.2 million to help fund a $56.3 million luxury hotel next to City Hall, $8 million for the replacement of Reed reservoir in northeastern Escondido; $1.3 million to place utility lines underground along East Valley Parkway; and $1.3 million to refurbish the downtown Escondido Public Library.

The meetings are broadcast live on Cox Communications Channel 19 and can be viewed live at www.escondido.org.

-- Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com.