Balboa Park leaders continue to push back against paid parking despite new changes

Although city residents will be able to park in some lots at Balboa Park for free starting next month, museum leaders and restaurant owners gathered on Saturday to continue calls to fully repeal the city’s paid parking program.

The program, which officially started January 5, has been met with harsh criticism from the public. The backlash has lead Mayor Todd Gloria and City Councilmembers to ultimately make changes, including Friday’s announcement for city residents.

“Certainly it was very, very shortsighted to only include city of San Diego residents and not the entire county and really everybody,” said Jim Kidrick, the President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Kidrick said that museums at Balboa Park have seen attendance tank anywhere from 15% to 40% since the paid parking program began.

In Kidrick’s nearly two decades of leadership at the museum, he’s seen a lot of changes over the years. Kidrick believes that this last month, however, has been a turning point.

“You can imagine my budget’s turning upside down, and so is everybody else’s,” said Kidrick.

One of the talking points at the rally was the loss in revenue since the changes to parking began. The Cohn Restaurant Group, who own The Prado at Balboa Park, said that the restaurant is effectively spending more money than it makes to continue operating. Museums, too, are concerned that if the program continues, they will have to consider layoffs.

“There’s a way to solve the budget crisis, and it doesn’t involve going through Balboa Park,” said Kevin Faulconer, San Diego’s former Mayor.

Faulconer has been in Mayor Todd Gloria’s shoes before. He acknowledges that he had to make tough decisions during his time in office to make sure that the budget was balanced. However, he believes that San Diegans shouldn’t be the ones having to pay that price.

“We have a gang now at City Hall that is doing their best to tax everything and fee everything,” said Faulconer.

In Friday’s announcement, Mayor Gloria said the city is projected to lose roughly $1.7 million in revenue. The City Council will now have to discuss alternative ways to generate that money to balance the budget, which still faces a shortfall.

“That is the tough conversation we’re having in trying to identify new revenue measures to help us balance the budget and some of those revenue measures are turning out to be unpopular, not supported by fellow councilmembers, not enjoyed by the general public,” said City Council President Joe LaCava.

On Friday, the independent advocacy organization, Office of the Public Advocate, filed a proposal with the City Council’s Rules Committee to place a measure on the ballot allowing San Diegans to decide whether to repeal paid parking at Balboa Park. That discussion is scheduled for August 7.