Message from discussion State Coastal Commission vs. The Public?

From: john4s...@aol.com (John4Surf)
Subject: State Coastal Commission vs. The Public?
Date: 1996/02/26
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The California Coastal Commissionwill have a hearing/vote in Santa Barbara
at the Radisson Hotel Friday March 15 to determine if Cardiff State Beach
should give 80 public parking spaces to a local valet parking service that
parks cars for a near by restaurant.

For those of you not familiar with the geographics, Santa Barbara is
probably 5-6 hours drive away from Cardiff.  Of course the Commission will
not have the hearing in Cardiff because the public will have as easy
access to the Commission as will the lawyers and agent for the applicant
valet service.

Application 6-98-8 is a request to renew Application 6-94-68 when in June
1994, the Coastal Commission first allowed the local valet service to take
80 spaces on a first come first served basis from 6 to 11 p.m. each
evening.  The valet service pays a small monthly fee for these public
spaces and parks commercial restaurant patrons cars after sun down without
the benefit of paying the $5 parking fee that is required of the public.

If you are a member of the PUBLIC and want to park your car in the Cardiff
State Beach while you surf or walk the beach when the sun goes down, you
will receive a ticket for about $60, unless you are a patron at the
restaurant!  Remember, this is supposed to be a PUBLIC parking lot at a
State Beach where patrons are supposed to display a receipt from the iron
ranger parking dispenser or, have a State Parks pass attached to the
windshield.  The public is not permitted to park in the lot and illegally
parked "public" cars (even with a parking permit) will be cited.

Why am I pissed?  I bought an annual  State Parks sticker and was parked
in the PUBLIC lot and got a parking ticket for being parked in the lot
after sundown while the valet parked restaurant patron cars were not
ticketed!  

I frequent the State Beach at Cardiff almost every evening.  The valet
traffic, especially on Fridays and on weekends adds significant traffic to
the public parking lot (at least 80 round trips with guys driving who are
in a hurry).  This is just what I want at a State Park where I come for
recreation.  The valet service is supposed to monitor its self but has
done a poor job. 

For most of the summer, valets parked in the lot before 6 pm.  One
afternoon, we counted 29 cars improperly parked between 5:40 and 5:45 pm. 
A complaint was faxed to the State but no reply was ever received.  

I can't travel to Santa Barbara.  I've protested what I consider the
commercial abuse of the parking lot at one of the finest Southern
California surfing spots we have going for us with letters and faxes.  I
guess I am on a soap box because this may end up spreading to other State
beaches.  This is just another example of the State taking away something
from the public for the benefit of a politically connected business.

If you agree that the commercialization of a recreation parking lot will
not benefit public users of our State beaches, why not send a fax
expressing you opinion to the valet company's agent, Department of
California Agent Paul Webb at 619.298.6241.

Perhaps they will reconsider extending contract 6-96-8.  It really is not
in the interest of the people of california (unless you decide to have
dinner at the near by restaurant).