SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Volunteers who bring cultural experiences to life at Balboa Park say new parking policies could force them to stop their programming altogether.
Jeff Hahn, a volunteer with the House of Scotland Pipe Band, has dedicated more than 20 years to performing at the park. He's now speaking out on behalf of volunteers who worry about the financial burden of the new parking requirements.
"Let's be honest, volunteers really run this park and create a lot of the things that draw people to this park and give them the cultural experience," Hahn said.
The House of Scotland Pipe Band draws members from across the region, with ages ranging from 8 to 80 years old. Hahn himself travels from North County to volunteer at the park.
Initially, Hahn understood volunteers would receive individual parking passes tied to their license plates. However, the City of San Diego changed course, citing concerns about fraudulent use by friends and family members. Instead, the House of Scotland received only 5 passes for its volunteers.
"We have 20 to 30 people show up every Monday night for practice that are members of our group," Hahn said.
The limited passes create additional challenges beyond the numbers. The designated parking lots are located far from their practice space, making it difficult for elderly band members and those carrying instruments.
"Making volunteers pay to come volunteer is really going to make it extremely difficult," Hahn said.
The pipe band already pays high costs to volunteer at Balboa Park. They rent the House of Nations practice hall for $260 per month and hold sessions from 6 to 9 p.m. The group also provides free drumming and bagpiping lessons to the public.
Adding parking fees would create an unsustainable financial burden, according to Hahn.
"To pay $16 a night every time we come down is kind of a bridge too far," Hahn said. "It would blow our budget up."
The band estimates parking costs would total $7,500 to $8,500 per year, which would be too costly for the non-profit to afford.
ABC 10News reached out to the City of San Diego about their plans to help volunteers like Hahn, but has not received a response yet.
As of Tuesday, the City of San Diego announced it would offer a “grace period” for folks still getting used to the change.
