SD Councilmembers push for delay or repeal of paid parking at Balboa Park

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – While the sun is shining here in San Diego, it hasn't exactly been a warm welcome for paid parking at Balboa Park.
In fact, some San Diego City Councilmembers are trying to delay the paid parking at Balboa Park. There's one other San Diego City Councilmember, though, who is trying to repeal it altogether.

"It's just kind of something that you expect to just be able to enjoy these places and have free access,” Rachel Larry, a San Diego native who is visiting Balboa Park with her husband from London, said.

It's now day three of people having to pay to park at Balboa Park.

"We've never had to pay before, and it's really weird,” Kyle Cordey, Larry’s husband, said. "The machine's not easy to use. The instructions are very limiting, ‘Put your card in, take it out, put it in, take it out.’ It's not the best, and I don't struggle with technology either. So, I imagine some people are going to have an absolute nightmare."

That nightmare's been voiced by plenty of people.

It's made its way to members of the San Diego City Council, which voted for the paid parking last November.

"Some of those who have gone and tried to pay for parking have run into some challenges, both at the park itself and with the online permitting system,” Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said.

Whitburn's district includes Balboa Park. He voted no on the paid parking and is saying it should be scrapped altogether.

"I think some of my colleagues who voted for it may not have realized how upset people would be about it, and I hope that now that they see how upset people are about paid parking in Balboa Park, they'll give some thought to repealing this proposal,” Whitburn said.

Other Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera and Kent Lee - who voted for the paid parking - wrote a memo to Mayor Todd Gloria on Tuesday to delay the paid parking.

Mayor Gloria issued his own response on Wednesday to the Councilmembers’ memo. The memo said the paid-parking problems fall to the city council, since they’re the body that voted on and approved the implementation plan and timeline, with the overall message that the city wouldn’t "reserve course."

Still, those parking here don't see it that way.

"It wasn't broken; there was no need to fix it. Just stop. We pay enough,” Cordey said.