OCEANSIDE — Nine months of construction on Mission Avenue resulted in a one-way street, wider sidewalks and new landscaping.
It also brought a 75 percent business loss to Ocean Sky Beads’ owner Dee Layden.
“I knew it would be bad, but didn’t know it would be horrid,” Layden said. “I lost way too much and can’t make a living anymore here.”
Layden said her shop, which sits on the south side of Mission Avenue, is not a fit for the new street configuration. Customers have difficulty finding the store and parking.
Added trees block her store signs and there are fewer parking spaces.
“It caused a huge amount of problems,” Layden said. “Customers gave up coming.”
She added that visitors, who drive by the shop as they head to downtown hotels and the beach, have difficulty figuring out how to get back to the shop located on the one-way street.
“It’s more pedestrian friendly, but not friendly to people who drive by and decide to shop,” Layden said.
Layden has run the business on Mission Avenue for more than 11 years.
The shop draws local customers and is a destination store for out-of-area beaders.
She said Ocean Sky Beads would remain open through October.
Layden has notified customers of the impending close and opened a second shop in Carlsbad, which she said is doing well.
The Oceanside location will keep its regular hours for another month and participate in the Southern California Bead Shop Hop during September.
The event draws customers from San Bernardino to Riverside and San Diego counties to participate in a road trip to find bead stores.
While Ocean Sky Beads will be closing its doors, Swami’s Cafe located directly across the street has picked up in business since roadwork has been completed.
Widened sidewalks have allowed the restaurant to expand its outdoor dinning from five to 10 tables.
An employee of the cafe, who did not wish to be named, said there was a dip in sales by about half when road construction was immediately in front of the restaurant, and some employees had to be let go, though added that the restaurant weathered through the roadwork and business has picked up.
2 comments
This does not surprise me. The two incumbents who are vying for their seats on Oceanside City Council voted for this nonsense. They think this will improve the economy. I think the incumbents need to take a course on Economy 101. What good is having a Charter City, when you cannot unleash yourself from the evil mandates of the state? All of these changes to the streets, the ugly green day glow signs, the high density, high rise, low income housing (not so low) is to get you out of your cars by 2030-2050. This United Nations scheme will affect you way more than you can imagine. Your water, your food, where you live, how you travel, when and how often you travel, your health care, your kids education..all of it. If you like giving up your freedom to a giant government, then continue to vote for the “incumbents”. My choice is Dana Corso for Council.
Another local “Mom & Pop” business thrown under the bus by Kern & Felien in favor of out-of-town builders & developers & BIG campaign donations. Every advantage is given to high-rise, high-density construction, and NO consideration goes to local residents who started and built their businesses HERE IN OCEANSIDE. That’s a “job-killer” if small businesses can’t grow, expand and thrive here. DUMP KERN & FELIEN IN 2014. CORSO & LOWERY FOR COUNCIL!
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