The World Newsstand, a Downtown Laguna fixture for about 40 years, folded Friday after losing a commercial loading zone to a parklet intended for outdoor dining, the business owner said Monday.
Heidi Miller, owner of the World Newsstand, added Monday that the closure would be permanent unless city officials remove the parklet in front of the Newsstand. Since the parklet’s installation, her drive-up traffic for magazines and newspapers largely disappeared.
“All of my local residents, that’s what they used to pull in and pull out,” Miller said. “It’s serving only one use but it’s taking away a use from dozens of other businesses.”
The loading zone was previously used by box trucks dropping off orders at restaurants and drivers for food delivery services. Now truck drivers park in the middle of the street or circle the block to find a parking space.
Earlier in the pandemic, the outdoor seating provided a lifeline to restaurants that couldn’t seat diners inside. But now that state officials have entirely relaxed COVID-19 regulations on eateries, Miller questions if the Ocean Avenue parklets are actually fulfilling their intended use.
Wild Taco patrons previously dined at tables on the sidewalk. Miller supported this set-up, the Promenade on Forest Avenue, and parklets on less-trafficked streets.
Additionally, the city built a parklet in front of a new restaurant still under construction at the former home of Ocean and Main, 222 Ocean Ave. Miller said removing a parking spot to provide extra seating to a closed restaurant doesn’t make sense.
“I’m probably in favor of removing the parklet in front of Ocean and Main [restaurant],” Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf said.
Miller claims this move won’t help “one iota” because it’s not a commercial loading zone, which allows someone to park there all day.
On Tuesday, the City Council will consider spending $34,000 to lease 35 spaces in a private parking lot at 232 Ocean Ave. Laguna Beach residents with shopper permits on their vehicles would be able to park there for free through September, according to a staff report.
City Manager Shohreh Dupuis didn’t respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.
I am particularly saddened to learn of our town’s loss of the old newspaper stand. It stood as a memory of times long past when hard-copy reading was a part of everyday life. This closure ensures the loss of jobs, eventually reducing the numbers of magazines and newspapers printed. Slowly but surely this single council’s decision will have an impact on the publishing industry, which must
rely on making a small profit by going to press. Another iconic business lost to a parklet which caters to tourists and takes a bit of convenience away from residents. I want my newspaper stand back.
I left Laguna Beach a year ago because it had lost most of the things that had attracted me to move there in 1995. No more diversity. City council out of control. Too expensive for anybody to dine out. And instead of being crowded only the three summer months, it was just too crowded all year around due to all the condos built in Irvine and MV. Not surprised the magazine stand is closing. City council is packed with idiots.
Great….the new city manager didn’t respond the REQUESTS from the local paper of local people…..HOW much is she getting paid again?????
Te answer to this fiasco is NOT using city dollars( our tax money peeps!)paying for remote parking at another business…..
A few parklets:awesome. All parklets everywhere NOT awesome.