Mayor Todd Gloria, on Friday, backed off on some of the parking fees instituted last month in Balboa Park, citing overwhelming negative feedback to the plan. City residents who have verified their address will again be able to park for free in the Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, L ower Inspiration Point, Marston Point, Palisades and Bea Evenson lots. “Good governing also means listening. I’ve heard from residents and from members of the City Council about how this program is affecting San Diegans who love Balboa Park as much as I do,” Gloria said. “That feedback matters, and it’s why I am eliminating parking fees for city residents in select lots in the park. “This change will reduce revenue, and I have received a commitment from the City Council President as well as other councilmembers to identify other service-level reductions in order to keep the budget balanced.” Verified San Diego residents will still be charged to park in premium lots such as the Space Theater, Casa de Balboa, Alcazar, Organ Pavilion and South Carousel lots. The cost is $5 for up to four hours or $8 for a full day. Enforcement will now also end at 6 p.m., instead of 8 p.m. More than 3,000 San Diegans have registered to be verified for the resident free parking program, and the city has collected nearly $700,000 for operations and maintenance in Balboa Park. “Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee, Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera, and I put forth a plan last week to restore free parking for city residents,” said Council President Joe LaCava. “Today, we achieved our goal, and I thank the mayor for his quick action. We are delivering affordability while protecting the park and city services. “My colleagues and I recognize the impacts paid parking has had on residents, Balboa Park institutions, and the many clubs. The mayor’s reforms address these impacts and align with our calls for action. Balboa Park is a San Diego park, and San Diego residents should continue to uniquely benefit from their investment,” LaCava said. La Cava and the councilmen had placed an amendment to the parking fee schedule on Tuesday’s council meeting agenda. That item will not be discussed now, but the public can always express their thoughts during non-agenda public comment. Shane Harris, a San Diego activist, called the whole Balboa Park parking situation and the supposed fix announced Friday, “sleight of hand.” “What was unveiled today is a false resolution to a very real and ongoing problem, and it does nothing to address the fundamental failure of paid parking in Balboa Park,” Harris wrote. “The mayor’s plan does not repeal paid parking. It preserves it. It maintains a two-tier system that continues to charge families, workers, volunteers and countywide residents to access a public park that has belonged to the people for more than a century. “Expanding limited free zones for some city residents while continuing to charge everyone else is not equity — it’s window dressing.” Parking rates for non-City of San Diego residents are unchanged and are listed on the city’s website. The changes are slated to go into effect on March 2. “Administrative action to return free parking for city residents to several lots and make other improvements is the start of movement in the right direction,” said Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Executive Director Peter Comiskey. “Our board supports this first step and believes there is more that must be done to restore free parking for everyone, but we will closely monitor the effects of this change to see whether, and how much, it reverses the dramatic decline in visitors.” While the changes announced Friday will likely win favor immediately amongst San Diegans, they portend some bad tidings in the near future. The city’s budget last year was balanced on speculative revenue sources such as the parking in Balboa Park, which was postponed for months, likely costing the city millions. Lower-than-expected transient occupancy tax revenues (in essence, a hotel/motel tax) and other lackluster returns across the city means the City Council has to tangle with a $119 million deficit this fiscal year that grows by the day. Last year, Gloria and the City Council eliminated around 85% of San Diego’s longstanding structural budget deficit. But diminishing revenue could mean even tighter belts ahead. “My commitment to fiscal responsibility is unwavering,” Gloria said. “I appreciate the willingness of councilmembers to roll up their sleeves and work alongside my administration as we embark on a difficult budget process for the coming fiscal year. Every decision I make is guided by what will best position San Diego for long-term success — showing the courage to act, listening when adjustments are needed and staying disciplined with our finances so we can continue delivering core services and laying a stable foundation for future growth and prosperity.” ...read more read less