Ballot proposal to keep beach / bay parking free in San Diego passes committee hurdle
The San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee approved a proposed ballot measure on Wednesday by Councilman Raul Campillo to keep parking at the city’s beaches and bays free unless voters decide otherwise.
Part of a slate of ballot measures being considered Wednesday by the committee, Campillo’s measure was advanced to a second committee discussion for further consideration. If approved at the second reading, it would advance to the full city council for final approval and be placed on the ballot in November.\
Parking in San Diego
“I brought this item forward in hopes of making sure the city does not repeat the same mistake we saw with the proposed parking fees at Balboa Park,” Campillo said. “This is about making sure access to our most treasured public spaces remains clear, protected and accountable to the people of San Diego — and it’s just one part of a larger series of transparency and accountability initiatives I will be bringing forward in an effort to clean up city hall and ensure we have the right protocols in place moving forward.”
In the end, the committee voted 3-2 to move ahead with the proposal to the next step. Councilman Sean Elo Rivero is on the record against it, as is Council President pro-tem Kent Lee, who believes state law already prohibits charging for parking for beach access.
“I would argue right now that we are going to continue to protect parking access on our beaches and bays, and especially make that the case for our residents,” Lee said on Wednesday. “That’s why at this point, I can not support the measure.”
Parking at beaches and bays in the city is mostly free currently. The ballot measure would insert that practice into the city’s code. It would not apply to existing parking meters or other paid parking programs elsewhere in the city.
The ballot proposal for beach and bay parking comes in wake of the city’s rough rollout of paid parking in Balboa Park, which has met stiff opposition and has been rolled back, in part, for city residents.
If passed by the committee again, Campillo’s office will work with the city attorney and independent budget analyst to “provide preliminary fiscal, operational and legal analyses of the proposal and draft the framework for a ballot measure,” according to the paperwork filed with the city.
