Smaller spaces or illusion?

Suzie Harrison

Along Ocean and Forest avenues where the resurfacing project has been

recently completed, conversations are buzzing with complaints about

parking spaces being smaller and tighter.

But according to city officials, the spaces are no smaller and

such observations may be caused by an optical illusion.

But Len Weinstein, who with his wife has owned a business in

Laguna since 1997, said that since the repaving he has been hearing

complaints.

“Customers and sales reps, they’re finding spaces seem to be

narrowed and it makes it more difficult to get in and out of the car

in some spaces,” said Weinstein, whose shop was moved from Forest

Avenue to Ocean Avenue last year. “There’s also concern about damage

being done to their cars because adjacent car doors are being

opened.”

Michael Evans is another person who begs to differ. He has lived

in Laguna Beach for 20 years. “They’re horrible, my car has three

dents in the side,” Evans said. “I’ve lived here [Downtown] for 10

years and I know -- it’s terrible. Whatever they did it’s a lot worse

than it was, plus there’s no handicapped parking anymore.”

One businessman on Ocean Avenue said that he has a delivery van

that opens from the side and now the door can’t be opened enough.

Laguna’s Director of Public Works Steve May said the parking

spaces are the same size as before and that parking meters had not

been moved, though some had been added in front of Video Laguna on

Ocean Avenue.

He also said that though he hadn’t heard any complaints, he would

look into it.

After some investigation on Thursday morning he said his findings

supported his previous statements.

“They are between 7 and 8 feet in width, 7 feet is about the

minimum we like to have in width, some locations in other cities get

as small as 6 1/2 feet,” May said.

That’s between 84 and 96 inches wide.

For comparison, the 1988 Honda LX Accord is 66.7 inches wide; the

Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo is 72.3 inches wide; the Chevrolet

Suburban is 78.9 inches wide; and the Hummer is 81.2 inches wide.

May said they try to balance the adequate number of parking spaces

with the adequate width.

“It has to do with distance, two fixed points at the end of the

block, one end to another,” May said.

May suggested it could be an optical illusion.

“[We] made the lines longer -- they might appear narrower,” May

said.