City Council set to reconsider metered parking around Balboa Park

A parking meter in San Diego Jennifer Vigil Times of San Diego The San Diego City Council will again consider an ordinance to establish metered parking in a portion of Balboa Park following a discussion last week which sent it back to city staff Council President Joe LaCava suggested that it would be better to move the proposal to Monday s meeting giving city staff time to work on it The ordinance calls for exploring the implementation of a paid parking plan within Balboa Park to improve parking management assistance long-term financial sustainability and enhance the overall visitor experience according to a city staff overview A city spokesperson announced the item was a routine second reading of an ordinance passed by the council on July to allow for on-street parking meters near the park That earlier vote was - with Jennifer Campbell and Raul Campillo opposed and Vivian Moreno absent Last week however Moreno and Councilman Stephen Whitburn also expressed opposition Whitburn reported when the ordinance was introduced the city heard from senior citizens who use the bridge club located inside Balboa Park and it was hoped there would be an accommodation for them He added that it was counterproductive for the city to raise money for one need if it jeopardizes other services Moreno announced she was troubled by continued cost increases for San Diegans saying the meters will be very complicated for my constituents and I absolutely cannot aid it As polarizing as the subject may be the council balanced its budget on that expected revenue The FY Adopted Budget includes a total of million in parking revenue that is expected to be generated from Balboa Park including million in user fee parking revenue in Balboa Park and at least million in revenue that is assumed to come from zoo parking If the council balks that funding must come from somewhere else such as the extended library and recreation center hours fought for in the budget-making process Revenues from the parking fees paid within the park must be spent on Balboa Park according to the proposal The funds can endorsement ongoing maintenance infrastructure and visitor amenities and may include road repaving lighting upgrades sign improvements and landscaping Mayor Todd Gloria s draft plan for the parking lots introduces three pricing tiers Levels and based on demand and proximity Level lots located in the core of the Central Mesa area would be subject to the highest rate a day for residents These include Alcazar Organ Pavilion Pan American Plaza Palisades Casa de Balboa Fleet Science Center North Pepper Grove North the Natural History Museum and South Carousel lots Level lots would be priced at of the Level rate These include Fleet Science Center South Pepper Grove South Starlight Bowl Federal Marston Point and Veterans Museum and Level lots would also be priced at of the Level rate but with the first two hours free to preserve access for short-term visitors This includes Inspiration Point It is challenging to anticipate precisely how the introduction of paid parking in Balboa Park will influence visitor behavior reads a description published Friday by the city s Independent Budget Analyst office Additionally there is no records available on the proportion of non-resident visitation to the park which is necessary to accurately judge the anticipated use of the Resident Project That mentioned our office has reviewed staff s financial projections for the mayor s proposal and located the assumptions to be generally reasonable considering the challenges described above In June the city commissioned a comprehensive parking investigation which was finished in January The survey identified the need to better manage on-street and off- street parking inventory in particular city-owned parking facilities including Balboa Park according to the analysis The studies determined that the Balboa Park parking meter zone should be the area south of Upas Street west of th Street north of Russ Boulevard and west to and including the western side of th Avenue On July the council approved the creation of a parking district on Park Boulevard and Sixth Avenue around Balboa Park The implementation of the new parking district will go into effect by Oct as spaces abutting Balboa Park will begin charging an hour for a maximum of four hours between the hours of a m and p m seven days a week City staff estimate the spots will bring in to the city over the remaining module of Fiscal Year and million annually thereafter The two streets in question have high but not full occupancy rates on a typical day Park Boulevard averages occupancy and Sixth Avenue averages but the city expects those numbers to speedily climb as the council mulls over charging to park inside the park itself Campillo urged the city to include county residents in the residential discount noting people in La Mesa National City Chula Vista and other nearby towns technically live closer to Balboa Park than various city residents in its northern reaches In a city document staff proposed adding an hour parking to streets inside Balboa Park including President s Way Village Place Balboa Drive El Prado Quince Street and Juniper Street Balboa Park is indeed the crown jewel of San Diego offering enriching cultural experiences as well as a place for our families and friends to enjoy together revealed Parks and Recreation Department Director Andy Field This proposal offers reasonable and affordable options for parking and the funds raised will be used to upkeep and maintain our beloved park According to the proposal park staff and helpers would continue to park for free