Raoul Villamar’s family has been cutting hair at The Encinitas Barber Shop for 43 years. Three generations of barbers have provided cuts and shaves through good times and bad.
Villamar thought it was bad when COVID forced the shop to close for 3 months, but he didn’t realize the worst was yet to come.
Now his barber shop is losing customers to a lack of parking that Villamar says is caused by the proliferation of “parklets,” outdoor dining spots built on parking spaces along the 101.
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“My customer’s can’t find parking,” he told us.
Villamar said the city of Encinitas has allowed local restaurants to take over a total of 126 parking spaces in a coastal town that already struggled with parking issues. At first, it was to allow restaurants to serve people outdoors during the pandemic, now the parklets have become so popular the city is working on ways to keep them.
“I personally believe that storing people is better than storing cars,” Encinitas Mayor Tony Kranz said.
“I think making use of public space that allows people to enjoy it as opposed to having a 2,000-pound automobile sitting there is better overall, but I recognize that there are still plenty of people getting around in their cars and so we still need parking.”
Kranz is aware that merchants like Villamar and his neighbor Vickie Bass, who owns Encinitas Coin and Jewelry, are unhappy about the loss of parking.
“It’s not possible to make everybody happy. What we’re trying to do is balance as best we can the needs of the different businesses in our city,” said Kranz.
The city has several studies going on to help figure out how to reclaim parking while keeping outdoor dining alive. The California Coastal Commission is requiring coastal areas to keep parking intact, according to Kranz.
Kranz said the city is looking for “creative solutions” but wasn’t able to say what those might be.
Villamar and Bass both complained about the fact that most of the parklets aren’t used during the hours that their businesses are in operation. Most of them sit idle until evening diners fill them up.
Restaurant staffers we spoke to said the parklets have been great for business.
“On a beautiful day this whole outside area will be filled,” said Erica Soto, who manages The Encinitas Café. “The restaurant inside will be empty, because who doesn’t want to sit outside when you eat on a Saturday afternoon having a mimosa?”
Soto said she sympathizes with retailers who want the parking spaces to return.
“Parking has always been an issue in Encinitas, and I think there could be a middle ground where everyone’s happy.”
The Mayor said decisions on new parking should be made before year’s end. He also said restaurants will soon have to pay for the extra space they enjoy in Encinitas’ public spaces. Fees are expected to be announced once the parking plans are finalized.
