Standing Committees
April 29, 2025

Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes

• Welcome
o Meeting called to order at 6:10 p.m.
o Committee Members Present:
 Chair Councilmember Corinna Contreras, City Council
 Vice Chair Terry Woods, CVBID Advisory Committee
 Sharon Larimer, Traffic Commission
 Lev Gershman, Chamber of Commerce
 Natalie Trevino, Business Owner
 Julie Lowen, Property Owner
 Cassidy McCarthy for Clay McCarthy, Property Owner
 Ann Pate, Resident
 Deanna Faraone, Resident
o Committee Members Absent
 Lisa De Jesus, Planning Commission
 Nicole Halle, Community Safety Commission
 Mike Zane, Business Owner
o Council/Staff Present:
 Councilmember Jeff Fox
 John Conley, City Manager
 Imelda Huerta, Assistant City Manager
 Larry Vaupel, Economic Development Director
 Joe Vacca, Community Development Director
 Chris Mitchell, Information Technology Director
 Fred Tracey, Communications Officer
 Sam Hasenin, Engineering Division Manager
 Jeanette Bradshaw, Capital Projects Manager
 Darra Woods, Principal Transportation Mobility Planner  Michael Ressler, City Planner
 Mark Jugar, Rick Engineering, Traffic Consultant
 Jorge Cuyuch, Rick Engineering, Traffic Consultant
• March 7, 2025 Minutes Approved
o Moved by Julie Lowen
o Second by Sharon Larimer
• Draft Work Plan
o The Committee reviewed the Draft Work Plan provided by the City Manager’s Office and presented by City Manager John Conley
Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
o Rick Engineering provided a presentation regarding the downtown parking/circulation analysis and existing parking conditions.  The Committee agreed that goals are in alignment with previous discussion (consensus).
 City Manager John Conley noted that meeting #3 will be on June 3 rd at
the AVO, and will be a walk audit and the committee will discuss the open space to include the gazebo area and connection to outside areas (i.e., Wildwood Park, etc.).
 City Manager John Conley also provided details on the upcoming Committee meetings:
• Meeting #4 – Parking and Circulation Analysis and
Recommendations, to be held in the Community Room on
June 23 at 6pm.
• Meeting #5 – Creating the Downtown Plan, to be held in the Community Room on August 28 at 6pm.
 Chair Contreras discussed short-term outcomes (i.e., landscaping, striping), and noted to look at mid-term goals (next year), and long- term goals (dream big).
 Chair Contreras referenced the study and to narrow down the recommendations to three scenarios for further evaluation.  Lev Gershman thanked Chair Contreras for being strategic and bringing folks together, and expressed appreciation to the City Manager for facilitating
 Benjamin LLanes, Barbershop Business Owner, asked the consultant for data clarification
 A discussion was held regarding the busier times in downtown  Epi Tapia noted the parking concerns for business owners and advocated for trees and scenery enhancement so people will want to come back
 Carol Jeffries noted frustration with empty storefronts • Paseo Pointe, area in Cinepolis center, Yellow Deli areas have spaces that are not open to the public
 Edith Guerrero (resident) noted that she did not see family environment and open spaces in the goals, which should reflect inclusivity and diverse spaces
• Chair Contreras recommended adding the goal explicitly (consensus).

Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
• Vice Chair Woods reminded the committee that the meeting is about parking and circulation, trees and family spaces would be addressed on future committee meetings.
• Chair Contreras – in favor of adding kid-friendly verbiage by staff.
• Lev Gershman agrees to add to goal #3 (enhance the public space goal)
o Majority agree; one abstention
o Approval for the Draft Work Plan
 Motion by Julie Lowen
 Second by Cassidy McCarthy for Clay McCarthy
 All in favor; motion passed
• Hands on Exercise
o Mark Jugar with Rick Engineering provided a presentation and were retained to help facilitate alternative development, analyze alternatives in downtown Vista, and to summarize analysis results and recommendations.  A site map was presented to highlight the study area within historic downtown
• Vista Village Drive to the north, Eucalyptus Avenue to the south, Citrus Avenue to the east and S. Santa Fe Avenue to the west
• Currently provides two-way circulation in the area with the exception of Hanes Place between Mian Street and Broadway  Downtown Parking/Circulation Analysis Study
• Traffic and parking counts collected in March 2025 (Thursday, March 20 and Saturday, March 22)
• Currently 570 public parking spaces with the study area, including street parking along Eucalyptus Avenue, S. Santa Fe Avenue, and Citrus Avenue
o 271 surface lot spaces
o 299 street parking spaces
 Existing Public Parking Conditions
• Two public parking occupancy charts were shown for Thursday and Saturday to illustrate hourly utilization of all public parking spaces.

Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
o Vice Chair Woods asked about the 40% empty spaces
that were shown at 6pm when count was done for the
study
 Consultant clarified the lot in question at
Broadway and Citrus is the City-owned lot
o Lev Gershman noted that the density in parking is
indicative of what is happening in adjacent lot
o Benjamin Yamis noted that the Yellow Deli closes at
same hours on Friday and Saturday; take into
consideration when they are open
o The consultant noted that the parking count started at 7am and ended at 10pm.
o Benjamin Yamis also noted that 83% of his clients are not from Vista and cannot find a parking spot.
o Natalie Trevino highlighted that Fright Night is the most busy night
 Notes where people are parking all day long
 Would like employee/business parking that have
5 employees or more
 Nearly restaurant employees take her business
parking and people can’t find parking
 Employees should be at the lot by Eucalyptus
o Sam Phillips, business owner noted that tattoo/coffee shop patrons can’t find parking spots
 Jiu Jitsu run classes and about 100 cars; no
where for people to go/park
o Julie Lowen recommended an Uber service in
downtown & parking validation, recommends it be part
of traffic study
 Routinely parks down the street; the study
should include concerns and solutions
o Vice Chair Woods noted that the study was completed
in March, now there are two more establishments open
on Main Street
o City Manager John Conley noted that one of the goals
was to increase parking and looking at parking options
o Ann Pate spoke about surface lots with reconfiguration and restriping
Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
o Deanna Faraone agreed and noted that she has to park
in the alley most of the time
o Carol Jeffries noted the issue on traffic at Vista Village and Santa Fe.
o Lev Gershman noted that downtown is going through
growing pains
 Customers willing to walk 2-3blocks if they are
wanting to be here
 Accept parking pain, spend time focusing on
compelling reason for people to come downtown
o City Manager John Conley – can look at land uses that are bringing people downtown and reach out to
businesses and ask where employees are parking
o Natalie Trevino recommends more awareness of the
Rylan parking
 Ann Pate noted that tenants need to pay extra for
second parking at the Rylan, therefore, some
cars are parked out on the street; additionally
the new daylighting law has caused a parking
problem near the Rylan
o Group Activity
 Attendees received instructions to narrow down to 3 alternatives to be analyzed further in detail (parking/circulation)
 Attendees broke out into groups/tables; facilitator at each table  Each table had a map of historic downtown
 Use of stickers and pens to note ideas and pinpoint locations  Future meeting will summarize the analyses of the 3 alternatives so the Committee can select a preferred alternative
 Group 1: Sam Hasenin, Cassidy McCarthy, Lev Gershman, Benjamin Yamis, Deanna Faraone, Epi Tapia, youth attendee
• Sam was spokesperson
• Want big changes
• Structured/time limit parking in high-demand areas
• Wayfinding signage
• Rylan parking signage
• Micro shuttle
Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
 Group 2: Bill Hornung, Julie Lowen, Kathy Woods, Jorge Cuyuch, Shawnta Fleming
• Jorge Cuyuch was spokesperson
• Echo’s Sam’s information
• Parking near businesses
• One way on Main Street
• Eliminate parallel parking
• Diagonal parking
• Shuttles like coastal cities
• Utilize parking lots nearby (i.e., school)
• Pedestrian walkways, lighting, etc. for connectivity
• Uber/Lyft/valet area (Julie Lowen noted her new restaurant will have one)
o Parking Agreement
o Phone app to order car when done
o Parking meters
 Use citation money to building parking structure
o Close Indiana and Plaza across street for public plaza for kids
o One way street down Main by Handels
o Live music in gazebo area, close alley ways
o Take trash into consideration
 Currently there are unsightly bins
 Group 3: Sharon Larimer, Natlie Trevino, Vice Chair Terry Woods, Jack Larimer, Sid Rothenberg, Carol Jeffries
• Natalie Trevino was spokesperson
• One way on Main Street from Citrus to Santa Fe
• Not in agreement to close Indiana
• E. Broadway two ways up to Indian and turn into one way by City lot
• Designated areas for Uber Eats
• Uber by Dog Haus and Seven Seas
• Reconfigure existing lots (by fountain and by gazebo)
• Employee parking should be furthest
 Group 4: Chair/Councilmember Corinna Contreras, Edith Guerrero, Jeanette Bradshaw, Darra Woods, three students
• Jeanette Bradshaw was spokesperson
Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
• Turn City property in front of Shak’s to a parking lot • More pedestrian crosswalks
• Close off/temporary closures of streets for
programming/community events with fun food/diverse options • N. Indiana to Michigan and Main to alley or E. Broadway (T) • One way on Main (S. Indiana to N. Citrus)
• Larger outdoor plaza at gazebo with stage
• Joint Use Agreement with Vista Unified School District for parking
• Tiny lots
• Cinepolis parking – bus service for people, including senior  Group 5: Councilmember Fox, Imelda Huerta, John Conley, Mark Jugar, Chris Mitchell, Ann Pate
• Ann Pate was spokesperson
• Main Street – One way to Santa Fe
• Work with developers with connections for parking at
Starbucks and Coldwell Banker
• Broadway – all one way
• Change angle of parking
• Tear down vacant properties for parking (eminent domain) • Dog park in future City parking lot
• Metered parking (example: 25 cents for 10 minutes, similar to Oceanside)
 Joe Vacca, Larry Vaupel, Michael Ressler, and John Conley roamed to each table and assisted groups
• Selected Preferred Alternatives to evaluate (Consensus)

1. One-way circulator on Broadway and Main (and keep all north/south streets two-ways)

2. Closing Indiana (and evaluate closure in front of Shaks)

3. Third scenario should be developed by traffic engineering • Downtown Planning
o Lev Gershman noted the inverse pattern of parking demand and the mid-day issue
 Feedback to traffic engineering from business owners
o Deanna Faraone – at noon people cannot park by their businesses o Shawnta Fleming noted that meters could backfire
Downtown Vista Committee Meeting
April 29, 2025
Minutes
o Additional comments can be emailed to City manager John Conley at jconley@vistagov.
• Oral Communications
o No additional comments.
• Next meeting scheduled for June 3 at the AVO Playhouse. • Meeting concluded/adjourned at 8:09 p.m.