SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — There were bridge club members, actors, puppeteers, chess players, museum volunteers, workers and just good old San Diego residents all pushing back on the idea of parking fees breaking the 111-year tradition of free parking at Balboa Park.
Councilmembers admitted they might have been a little short-sighted with the effects of their parking fees on certain clubs, but it was the students from San Diego High School who scrambled plans for a short up and down vote.
“We are protesting the fact that this six-dollar proposal would be equal to $1,080 per year, per student, which is outrageous as we are a Title I school and the fact that 80 percent of our students are low income,” student Zaria Hamilton said.
City councilmembers Vivian Moreno and Stephen Whitburn say with water fees going up, surge pricing downtown and new trash fees, they don’t want to charge for Balboa Park parking.
The other councilmembers say they are compromising with lower rates for residents at a maximum of $8 a day and pushing higher costs on to non-city residents charging a maximum of $16 a day. An annual passes and quarterly passes will also be made available, but the cost of those is still up for discussion.
“To make sure other park and rec users who are different from the tourists and different from even the people in the city who come for one off plays and things like that, are able to use the park in a way that other park rec users use their parks,” said Marni Von Wilpert, a San Diego city councilmember.
Parking fees are expected to start Jan. 1.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
