Editorials

Town ought to share cost of valet parking

Everyone loves downtown Los Gatos. Especially during the holiday season. It's an important time for local merchants, many of whom realize a substantial amount of their annual income at this time of year.

But holiday shopping isn't just about merchants and cash registers in Los Gatos. Local residents enjoy coming downtown just to enjoy the festive atmosphere of the holidays in a small town that actually boasts a Main Street. Certainly, the town benefits from the sales tax that the busy shopping season generates, as well.

The downside of having a popular holiday shopping destination is traffic congestion--the kind of congestion that turns happy outings into drudgery.

Thanks to the town and the tireless efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, long-term parking solutions are in the offing. Meanwhile, the best we can hope for are short-term solutions, such as valet parking.

Last week, the Town Council reluctantly agreed to pony up half the cost of valet parking for the holidays if the Chamber would cover the other half. At first, council members refused to pay anything at all, and they strongly suggested it was the last time the town would spend tax dollars so foolishly.

Councilman Steve Blanton even suggested that the town's financial support of valet parking amounted to a town subsidy of the business district.

Perhaps the town should take a closer look at the results of the survey it commissioned last summer to learn resident attitudes about parking conditions downtown and the level of support among residents for various proposed solutions. Godbe Research & Analysis said in its conclusion, "The results of the survey clearly indicate that Los Gatos voters perceive the availability of parking in downtown Los Gatos to be an important problem that needs to be addressed."

Somehow we don't think the residents are pointing their fingers at the merchants and wondering when they are going to solve this problem. We think residents understand that many of these merchants are just scraping by, adjusting to skyrocketing rents and a diminishing pool of workers willing to work in retail.

The business community, through the Chamber, has literally contributed thousands of hours to help solve the town's parking crisis. For the town to suddenly act as if the business community is begging for handouts is not only unfair, it is a serious misreading of the level of concern in the community about traffic and congestion problems downtown.

Residents are looking to the town to solve the problem. The town should consider itself fortunate that the business community is so willing to be a partner in this effort.

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