City Starts Design Plans for North Beach Parking

Despite a legal wrangling over beach parking money, the city of San Clemente is moving ahead with plans to build a $1.2 million lot on North El Camino Real.

The San Clemente City Council Tuesday directed city staffers to start on the design and construction documents for the lot, which could accommodate community events and about 40 vehicles.

Council members, short of recommending a specific configuration for the lot, directed city staff to consider safety, integration into existing lots -- such as the adjacent ones at Kalani's Coffee and Ichibiri Japanese restaurant -- and ease of access to the beach.

Brad Malamud, who is leading a lawsuit demanding $9.7 million be paid back to Talega residents out of the city's beach parking fund, spoke vehemently against the move.

He said there was no shortage of beach parking, so the city should pay back fees collected from residents to make up for their impact on beach parking.

"It's beyond dispute that there's no need for beach parking," Malamud said, calling the high cost of the lot construction, "obscene and fiscally irresponsible."

Mayor Bob Baker was the lone dissenter on the council -- he voted against moving forward until there was more certainty involving the outcome of Malamud's lawsuit and the redevelopment of the nearby Miramar Theater.