City’s Newest ‘No Parking Zone’--the Promenade

THOUSAND OAKS —  For Arlene Carter, the scene has already repeated itself several times:

It’s the weekend, and the Thousand Oaks resident is heading for the Promenade at Westlake, the upscale shopping center that opened last November. Looking forward to buying fresh vegetables at Bristol Farms and strolling through the bustling plaza’s outdoor courtyard, she pulls her teal BMW into the Promenade’s parking lot.

And there her shopping trip grinds to a halt.

Packed with parked cars, the lot is a hunting ground for shoppers searching for a space. Circling slowly, they look for signs of an opening: the flashing brake lights of parked cars easing into reverse, shoppers loading their cars and readying to leave.

Carter doesn’t play that game. She halfheartedly drives through the lot, then heads home.

“I’ll circle it maybe just once, but see other people waiting for spots,” she said. “It’s just not a situation I want to get involved in.”

Carter is not the only one concerned about parking at the Promenade.

City officials, acknowledging they can do little now that the private center is built, question their decision to let the developer get by with 130 fewer parking spaces than the city code required.

“I think we’ll be more careful in giving waivers,” said Councilwoman Linda Parks, who sat on the Planning Commission when the project was considered. “With other developments in the same area, we’re going to have to make sure there’s adequate parking.”

And store managers there realize that customers are fighting for spaces.

They say the upside to the traffic congestion is that it demonstrates business is booming. Shoppers are flocking to the $40-million project, which has been widely praised by Thousand Oaks officials and residents as a tasteful addition to their city.

But store managers also say that despite steps the Promenade’s managers have taken to alleviate parking congestion, finding a spot can still be tough, particularly on weekends.

“It’s one of those mixed blessings,” said Timothy Kirk, manager of Cost Plus World Market, a furniture and home furnishings store. “The people who do get a parking spot stay longer. And that compounds the problem.”

The Promenade’s developer, Rick Caruso, said the popularity of the shopping center has far surpassed expectations. Attracted to its pedestrian-oriented outdoor courtyard, entertainment centers including Club Disney and numerous shops and restaurants, entire families are shopping at the new plaza--with many staying between three and five hours per trip, he said.

“If you look out there, it’s the stroller patrol,” Caruso said. “That’s what we wanted.”

Extended shopping trips, however, have made turnover in the 1,200-space parking lot less frequent, Caruso said.

Parks said she expects crowds at the Promenade to decline in coming months, as the newness of the shopping center wears off. But, she said, the parking situation should give council members pause.

Parks noted that the city code required that the plaza have more parking spaces. But council members decided to require fewer stalls after considering a report that said different stores would attract shoppers at different times of the day, making parking problems unlikely.

But the city now has little control over the parking situation, Councilman Andy Fox said. Fox said parking difficulties at the Promenade could increase as summer approaches, because more movie-goers and people wanting to spend the night in the center’s outdoor courtyard will go there.

“We can’t do much, because it’s a private property issue,” he said. “It’s really going to be up to the developer and the tenants to develop a plan that best meets their customers’ needs.”

Caruso said he has already taken several steps to make parking easier on weekends, including:

* Increased valet parking on weekends. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, shoppers can use valet parking at one of four places: In front of Club Disney, the entertainment giant’s new center for parents and children; Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurant; Bristol Farms, the upscale grocery store; and the Mann Village 8 movie theater. Valet parking costs $3, though some businesses, including Bristol Farms, have begun validating parking. “I know there’s a cost involved . . . but it’s convenient,” Caruso said.

* Putting time limits on about 140 of the mall’s parking stalls. About 100 spaces near Bristol Farms have one-hour limits; about 20 spaces near Hollywood Video and the GTE phone store have 20-minute limits; and a total of 20 spots near a Wells Fargo ATM and Fazio’s Cleaners have 10-minute limits.

* Moving employee cars off the lot on weekends. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, employees are required to park in a lot off Thousand Oaks Boulevard. That frees up about 200 spaces during the plaza’s busiest days, Caruso said.

And Caruso said he expects to acquire property within the next month near the Promenade so parking can be expanded by about 130 spaces.

Workers at the shopping center say the parking changes have helped. Mark Adler, the manager of Fazio Cleaners, said the temporary spots have made things easier for shoppers who just need to pick up the laundry and can’t afford to waste time, he said.

“If it’s not convenient for a customer to park, they’re not going to circle around for 20 minutes,” Adler said. “They will for the movies, but not for the dry cleaners.”

At the GTE Phone Mart, customers who just need to run in and pay their phone bills are happy with the temporary parking spots, said store manager Gus Berenger. “They’ve taken steps to react [to the parking situation],” Berenger said. “That gives you confidence.”

But for some customers, the timed parking spots have made their trips to the Promenade harried.

“They come in here and say, ‘We’ve got five more minutes, can you help us find this?’ ” said Kirk, the manager of Cost Plus World Market. “And we’re rushing to service them.”

Caruso said the recent parking changes should make shopping at the Promenade easier.

“The problem would be if there’s a lot that’s empty,” Caruso said. “Filling up a parking lot is harder than providing extra parking.”