Preserve village, keep it prosperous
Mayor Toni Iseman said it best when describing Laguna's Downtown.
"There's a there," she said, referring to it's unique liveliness.
Preserving the village also means keeping it prosperous. Several
events have occurred lately that severely threaten the prosperity of
downtown.
In response to isolated cries that business was down dramatically
and that newly instituted $1.50 per hour parking fees were driving
business away, I personally canvassed at least 40 business owners and
managers and toured the Downtown for four hours with a nationally
recognized retail business consultant. Here's what I heard:
Many businesses during the past year are down 10% to 20%, and
during October and November many were down 20% to 35%. One business I
know very well, established here for 18 years, was down 50% to 60%.
Some shops have reduced employees and lowered sales commissions. The
high rents are driving away some of our most unique businesses, and
merchants complain about working for the landlord. Several businesses
popular with locals are on the verge of closing. North Laguna and
Emerald Bay customers are absent lately, and many business people
think the new Crystal Cove center is drawing them away.
Customers vehemently complain about all the quarters they need for
the meters, and many leave irate, vowing never to return. However,
the most prevalent and virulent complaint I heard was that shoppers
are rushed by the two-hour meters. One dress shop owner told about a
resident -- not a visitor -- who left a big purchase on the counter
to go move her car and who was last seen driving away waving a
parking ticket. Similar stories are told by galleries, clothing
stores, restaurants, gift shops, the theater and nearly every other
business. Shoppers do not have enough time to linger and complete
purchases. These two complaints are repeated often and told with a
vengeance.
Laguna enjoys a truly remarkable Downtown that we all treasure.
However, there are not enough of us residents to support the
diversity and uniqueness of the local businesses, who rely on
tourists and increasingly on regional customers from nearby inland
cities. Other visitor-oriented cities that have ignored parking woes
and allowed rents to sky-rocket have seen their Downtowns deteriorate
to tourist traps that residents avoid. Many of these cities are
struggling to bring back an atmosphere that Laguna now enjoys. Many
of the programs these cities employ can be studied for their
