SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — People in San Diego are about to pay four times more for metered parking during events at Petco Park. Beginning in September, whenever the venue hosts a baseball game or concert, the metered parking spots nearby will cost $10 per hour.
"We've lost a lot of crew members here due to that fact," said Alexander Kale, the manager at Water Grill.
Employees at Water Grill and other businesses in the Gaslamp are quitting their jobs because they're afraid of parking costs. They think: "Why show up to work just to lose half my paycheck?"
"They're mostly taking home $110-$120 per day, so if you're going into half of that, it's not worth it," Kale said.
The $10 meter rate will start two hours before any Petco Park event, and will continue for four hours after the event's start time. That means people working around the park during that time frame would pay a minimum of $60 for parking.
"Petco is huge, it brings in so much business, which is great, but when it comes to parking, it's such a hassle," Kale said.
It affects all parking meters within a half-mile radius of Petco Park.
The city says this new parking plan will improve congestion near the park. However, leaders are also trying to generate revenue amid a significant budget deficit. They already doubled meter rates earlier this year.
They're also about to extend paid parking hours as late as 10 p.m. and implement it on Sundays.
"You price people out of coming downtown, and that's the last thing we want," said Michael Trimble, the executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association.
Trimble and several community groups wrote a letter to the Mayor, requesting that he delay these changes and consult with local businesses before signing off on them.
"All our members want to come to the table and analyze - is this the right thing to do?" Trimble said.
The changes are scheduled to go into effect next Monday, Sept. 1.
