The Planning Commission asked city planners last week to go back to the drawing board on a parking policy that would have reduced the amount of parking needed for future development.
So, this week's Q-Line question asked:
Should parking spots be reduced for new buildings? If so, why?
Here are your responses:
"The more parking, the more cars and the more complaints about the traffic. Oddly, the same people who complain about the traffic complain about the parking. None of this bothers those who walk or take the bus. These (smarter) people don't even notice the traffic or the number of available parking spaces, except when they have to listen to complaints from drivers."
"Every apartment should be required to come with a parking space. If the developers can afford the bribes needed to get their projects approved, they can afford to include parking."
"We already have horrendous parking problems. New buildings should be made to provide adequate parking spots. This is a no-brainer."
"No, I think it's a terrible idea to reduce parking spaces for new buildings. If you are going to do that take away the parking spaces from other buildings. That's like putting the car before the horse. Hell no! It's a bloody awful idea."
"Have you ever heard of the phrase ass-backwards? That best describes this, another idiotic idea, from the slow people at City Hall. Every dimwit knows that when you build something you start at infrastructure and then work backwards. Many people would typify City Hall bureaucrats as imbeciles. I also think they are devious. Most members of the City Council have been to Europe on the taxpayers' dime. What do these European-socialist model countries promote? Bicycling. They over-build so they can over-tax. They then enact policies that make it impossible to drive a car. Santa Monica is at the beginning of "it takes a European village" sans car parking structures. Developers can build more and cheaper crap and we can ride more bicycles. Very soon we will all be wearing those funny hats that the Vietnamese wear when riding a bicycle. City Hall comrades will have a special car lane for driving, just like in Moscow."
"They say they want us to live, work and play in Santa Monica. Well hamsters live, work and play in their little cages too. A person should be able to hop in their car and drive to Tahoe or the mountains in Big Bear. They're just doing it as a gift to developers and we're not fooled. There's not enough parking here as it is. Putting no parking from 3 to 5 a.m. on Santa Monica Boulevard, that parking is not even needed at that time and it's a $60 ticket, and guess who got one? I'm just upset that any reasonable person would try to cut down the parking in Santa Monica."
"Should we have less parking with more construction? Of course not. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. We need to get rid of the construction and build more parking lots and make it easier for people to come to Santa Monica and shop and spend the day and to relax and not have to worry about having to find a spot to work. I work in a store in Santa Monica and so many of our customers are telling us they're not coming into Santa Monica to shop except at places with their own parking. It's ridiculous to find a parking spot. Cut down on construction and increase parking."
