Parking Closure In Aptos Hurting Local Business Owner - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

APTOS – A parking closure in Aptos is hurting at least one local business.

Rich McInnis, owner of SeaBreeze Tavern, said Independence Day is supposed to be one of the biggest for business, but his customers are being driven away.

Only customers who've registered ahead of time with Café Rio are being allowed to park in the lot that McInnis' customers would normally be able to.

The California Highway Patrol said that's because the lot is the most efficient place where emergency personnel can park during the holiday.

"It's going to kill my business today. It did last year. They did it the first time last year and my business was off about 75 percent last year and I expect it to be about the same this year," McInnis said.
 
Melinda Salinas, visitor
"Since I didn't know about it, it kind of sucks, so I have to go find a place to park if they're kicking us out I don't want to be towed," said Melinda Salinas, visiting from san Jose.

And now customers, like Salinas, have to find somewhere else to go, while McInnis figures out how to drive business where options to park are far and in between.

He said in this deep recession, every dollar counts.
 
"Basically, this is another holiday for me that's down the drain. They've killed Fourth of July in Rio Del Mar for me," he said.