No problems exist yet, but they have had problems in other cities… So Arroyo Grande in California is going to increase the number of parking spaces required of Barber and Beauty Shops in the area while in the same ordinance they are reducing the number of spaces required for restaurants. The idea is to increase the business activity of restaurants by removing the parking requirement. Fair enough. If a restaurant wanted to add a table, or knock down a wall and put in more counter space, they would have to either build a parking structure on nonexistent land or pay an "in lieu" tax. So they simply didn’t expand.
However I guess this doesn’t apply to the Barber and Beauty Trade. If they want to expand, they can just suck wind. The planner, I assume with a straight face, told the council that no problem exists but it may in the future.
If you run a restaurant in Arroyo Grande, you are among the chosen few who can expand your business, but if your cut or color hair, tough.
A classic example of how planners pick reasons for parking requirements out of thin air. Why have requirements at all? Simply charge for parking, on and off street, and the problems will take care of themselves. The free market works, folks.
JVH
