The lack of resident-friendly parking and severe traffic congestion are preventing many of us from accessing and enjoying our downtown area. Instead of local-serving retail, our downtown is increasingly filled with tourist shops, offering little that residents need. Many residents no longer shop or spend time downtown for lack of parking, contributing to bankruptcies and record empty storefronts. The traffic situation has become unbearable. For example, on Saturday, May 10, it took 20 minutes to travel from Crown Valley to my home by hospital in bumper-to-bumper traffic. In another instance, a Playhouse employee reportedly spent 90 minutes commuting from Dana Point. Such delays are detrimental to our local businesses. It’s more convenient and far less stressful to travel to Dana Point for our needs.
When will the City Council acknowledge these critical issues? We’ve seen a significant loss of parking spaces – 122 spaces with the Village Entry Project in 2019, another 48 spaces, plus 10 parklet spaces, lost within the last five years. Replacing these 180 lost parking spaces could cost an estimated $21.6 million (at a minimum of $120,000/space if 11/2 Story – 2-level Structure is built on city-owned land). Meanwhile, tourism visits have increased to 7.4 million in 2024 and are projected to reach 10 million in 2025.
It appears the city is prioritizing a “Restaurant Row” catering to tourists at the expense of businesses that serve the everyday needs of residents. Many South Laguna neighbors no longer venture north to shop; the city has lost our business…