MAGNOLIA PARK — Ten years ago, Wayne Thornton never had a problem finding a parking spot near his store.
But now, the general manager of Norcostco Costumes, and his customers are having trouble finding spaces, something he blames on the popular Porto’s Bakery next door.
“Porto’s took away all of our front parking,” he said. “It’s been quite congested. We’ve definitely seen less people coming in.”
Citing the concerns of business owners and frustrated drivers, the city is considering multiple solutions to the parking crunch, including paying private enterprises — such as the Magnolia Park United Methodist Church, which is three blocks from Porto’s — to use its parking lots. The city is also in talks with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to lease a lot owned by the utility that would provide 50 spaces and nearly 50 angled parking spaces on small side streets throughout Magnolia Park, such as on Cordova Street, traffic engineer Ken Johnson said.
“Because of a number of other businesses, there are a high level of customers that demand parking along Magnolia,” he said, “The streets in that area tend to be between 75% and 100% full during much of the day, where as Magnolia Park as a whole is less than 50% full. There are spaces available, but not always right next door and in Burbank, people have trouble walking a block.”
Since Porto’s moved to the corner of Hollywood Way and Magnolia Boulevard in 2006, traffic and parking concerns have continually plagued the area, causing headaches for drivers and exasperation from some business owners.
Weeks after the 14,000-square-foot eatery opened, the City Council voted to make the alley behind Porto’s a one-way street running east from Hollywood Way to Cordova Street.
Porto’s was also a point of contention in last year’s race for the council, during which now-Councilman Gary Bric said, “I don’t think we properly planned for the negative impacts it would have on the traffic and the residents of the area.”
He still believes that to be the case today and on Wednesday called for more signage that would restrict left hand turns from the bakery’s parking lot off of Hollywood Way.
“It’s something that needs to be looked at,” he said.
