The lightning rod issue of paid parking at Balboa Park has gotten over a small hump.
A larger hump lies on the horizon.
Most San Diego City Councilmembers, and even Mayor Todd Gloria, have by now acknowledged (in one way or another) that paid parking at Balboa Park was either a bad idea or at least a poorly implemented one.
Gloria has said parking fees at Balboa Park are in place to help offset a quarter-billion-dollar deficit in the budget from the city’s last fiscal year.
The city’s next step will require reaction to overwhelming public displeasure with the parking fees.
City Council President Joe LaCava has suggested a pause on fees for San Diego residents. That’s not enough for activist Shane Harris, who tried on January 28 to pave the way for an initiative on this year’s ballot to rescind paid parking at Balboa Park for all visitors.
Harris’ initial proposal was to allow for free parking in San Diego’s “crown jewel” on Sundays. Councilmember Raul Campillo questioned if Harris’ proposal could be expanded to cover every day of the week. Procedurally, that was allowed.
With four council members in attendance, the proposal failed in a 2-2 Rules Committee vote. Councilmembers Campillo and Vivian Moreno voted in favor of ending paid parking. LaCava and Councilmember Kent Lee voted against it.
Next up will be a February 9 full council meeting that will docket LaCava’s paid parking pause proposal (for city residents). Expect other facets of plans to emerge for ways to charge or not charge residents or all visitors on all or some days.
Harris said a pause is insufficient. He believes LaCava’s proposed pause creates unfinished business. It leaves in place a barrier to access for nonresidents and allows elected officials to resume paid parking for all in the future, he said.
Public officials throughout San Diego County publicly supported a petition by Harris to eliminate the fees. That included the mayors of Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Escondido and San Marcos, as well as council members from Del Mar and La Mesa.
Campillo, Morena and Stephen Whitburn were the three of the nine council members who originally voted against paid parking at Balboa Park.
A poll by The San Diego Union-Tribune and 10News showed 80% of San Diego residents want the new parking fees eliminated or reduced.
“Now, it’s impacting our residents, who are not going, and it’s also impacting the museums housed in Balboa Park,” Moreno said after the Rules Committee vote. “It’s completely gut-wrenching for the arts. Especially when you consider we’re blocking people aged zero to 99 who want to see and experience the arts.”
The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, which represents 24 arts, science and cultural institutions in the park, recently sent a letter to Mayor Gloria asking him to reconsider the parking fees.
The Cultural Partnership noted that attendance at park institutions was off by 20% to 50%.
LaCava has said the opinion of the Cultural Partnership should weigh heavily in decisions made about parking fees.
Expect the February 9 city council meeting to be well-attended. Tune in to see how much the will of the public is represented in the decision handed down by the city’s elected officials. SDSun
