La Mesa's city council has signed off on a handful of quick fixes for a downtown parking shortage that's been squeezing shoppers, diners and residents alike, including a new metered spot on Allison Avenue and dedicated street parking for golf carts.
The parking modifications, approved the week before publication, are meant to offer what the San Diego Union-Tribune describes as immediate relief in the Downtown Village, an area long known for its walkability and cluster of locally owned shops and restaurants. Among the approved changes: an additional metered spot on Allison Avenue west of Coin Haus and the relocation of five city bike racks on La Mesa Boulevard to make way for golf cart parking. The proposed conversion of the loading zone in front of Turpin and Rattan into two metered spaces remains a recommendation under staff review.
A Petition Process for New Neighborhood Parking
Beyond the immediate tweaks, the council authorized city staff to begin the groundwork needed to add designated street parking in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown, according to the same report. That designated parking is expected to create more spaces and encourage turnover, but it won't happen automatically — residents have to petition for it, and at least 66 percent of affected households must approve installation of any new designated spaces.
The council also authorized staff to start engaging downtown residents on that petition process. The petition area is bounded by Allison Avenue, Spring Street, 4th Street and Fresno Avenue, per the Union-Tribune's reporting. Concerns about apartment construction and parking have also figured into debate over the downtown squeeze.
Golf Carts Get Their Own Turf
Councilmembers Laura Lothian and Lauren Cazares laid out the parking recommendations back in May 2026, and Lothian has since touted the golf cart provision as a regional first. According to a Facebook post from Lothian's council page, the designated golf cart spaces make La Mesa the first municipality in San Diego County to offer street-legal golf cart parking on the public right-of-way, repurposing small curb spaces that can't accommodate standard vehicles.
Councilmember Mark Arapostathis abstained from the vote on the parking recommendation. Lothian, for her part, said the city doesn't have the money for a new parking structure.
Why the Squeeze Keeps Getting Worse
La Mesa's downtown parking pressure has been building from multiple directions at once. Parking meter rates in the Downtown Village Parking District rose to $1.50 per hour starting January 1, 2026, from rates that ranged from 50 cents to 75 cents, according to Times of San Diego. Those meter and permit fee increases are expected to generate roughly $308,000 for maintaining and improving public parking facilities, streetscapes and shared community spaces.
New housing has also eaten into the available supply. In July 2026, the council approved CityMark Palm, a five-story, 114-unit mixed-use development at Palm and Allison avenues that eliminates a 0.87-acre private paid parking lot in the village core — a project the same outlet reports council members felt powerless to deny outright because of state housing legislation limiting their ability to reject high-density projects over parking deficits.
Trolley Lot Closure Adds to the Pressure
Compounding the crunch, construction began this month on Spring View Apartments, a 147-unit affordable housing project at the Spring Street trolley station that has forced the complete closure of its transit park-and-ride lot for two years, as Hoodline previously reported. MTS is redirecting daily riders to the Grossmont, Massachusetts Avenue or 70th Street trolley stations.
The quarterly fee for the Downtown Village Parking Permit Program rose to $80. Meter enforcement runs Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and parking is free on holidays.
With no funding in sight for a multi-million-dollar parking structure, the council's latest moves reflect a broader pattern: small, low-cost adjustments meant to squeeze a bit more capacity out of a historic downtown that state housing mandates and fiscal limitations have left with few other options.
