Comments Sought on Rec Center Parking Plan

Many Pacific Palisades residents experience the daily musical chairs of finding a parking space at the Palisades Recreation Center. A conceptual design to reconfigure those parking spaces, as well as changing the hours allowed and other options like “pay and display,” will be discussed at the upcoming Park Advisory Board (PAB) meeting on July 23.

Members of the PAB Master Plan Committee are also soliciting comments on the parking study from the community. The city has final say on the reconfiguration.

If approved by the Department of Recreation and Parks, the proposed changes would provide a total of 53 to 55 additional spaces in the main lot accessed from Alma Real Drive.

Of the total number of new spaces, 23 to 25 would be added by relocating the sidewalk on the southwestern portion of the main lot in a westward direction and by expanding the center island.

An overlapping and more immediate factor to the discussion is the completion of the nearby Potrero Canyon project. Norm Kulla, senior counsel for City Councilmember Mike Bonin, recently told the Pacific Palisades Community Council that in order to receive final approval from the California Coastal Commission and open the park, a minimum of 10 parking spaces are needed. Parking for Potrero Canyon will be used jointly within the Rec Center’s master plan for parking.

In addition, 17 of the plan’s total parking spaces would be created through the conversion of the maintenance yard near the upper picnic area and 13 would be installed in the grove of trees located to the east of the maintenance area. None of the additional spaces would result in the loss of any of the park’s trees, and the opening of Potrero Canyon is not contingent on the maintenance yard talks.

The PAB is also proposing ideas like “pay and display” and reducing parking during the day from four hours to two hours.

The parking study, which includes an attached aerial map, was completed by architect Gustaf Soderbergh, a volunteer member of the Master Plan Committee, as part of its continuing effort to implement those aspects of the proposed master plan that have received widespread community support.

“The members of our committee are appreciative of the professional attention and fine effort that Gustaf Soderbergh has dedicated to the parking study,” said Robert Harter, PAB chairman. “The parking study locates new parking spaces in those areas of the park that the Park Advisory Board believes are best suited for that purpose. All members of the Park Advisory Board look forward to receiving comments from the community on this creative design.”

Harter and Soderbergh noted they will begin talking with neighbors immediately adjacent to the maintenance yard to see if that portion of the parking plan is compatible with their property.

The PAB Master Plan Committee welcomes the comments from the community at pppremap2013@gmail.com.