SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The sound of bells coming from the California Tower can be heard throughout Balboa Park.
“This is one of our main spots, like this is a gem,” Mimi Garner, who’s visiting from the Bay Area, said.
Many enjoy the ability to come to the local gem and park for free.
“Although it's hard to find a parking spot, you know, but still it's the parking is free,” James Nowak said.
“Yesterday we went to the zoo it's nice that we just came in, parked and then went to the zoo; not worrying about how much it costs,” Nancy Tran, who is also visiting from the Bay Area, said.
But they’re not happy at the change coming to the parking concept at Balboa Park. Parking will now cost people to park in a spot at the park.
“It's hard to even want to come here, um, because I'd have to pay on top of what we're doing for the day already,” Garner said. “There's like this the aerospace, there's museums there's a lot going on in this area so to add the additional parking, it's just makes it a little bit more frustrating.”
The change in the free parking to paid parking at Balboa Park comes as the City of San Diego passed its budget for next year.
As it’s facing a quarter-billion-dollar deficit, it’s hoping revenue from having to pay at the park can help pay for the budget.
“it seems like they're trying to make a grab for everything, you know, um, get any, any little money they can,” Nowak said.
The city told ABC 10News that the transition of Balboa Park from free to paid parking is still being finalized, with several details to be worked out.
Mayor Todd Gloria’s office told ABC 10News it’s working with stakeholders to figure out what to charge, how it’ll work, and where and how it can provide free options, adding there's no paid parking in the park now.
The mayor's office provided the following statement:
“We are still too early in this process to provide these answers – hence the concern Mayor Gloria raised about assuming too much revenue from a paid parking program that’s not yet in place. All of these issues are actively being worked on across multiple departments (Parks, Facilities and Treasurer’s office) and the mayor’s advisor on transportation assets. When a program has been formulated, we will announce it.”
Some think that if there’s a cost to park here, the lots will still be full.
“I can see how, you know, trying to make up the money so that you know we can keep the infrastructure going, you know, if I had to pay a little more for parking here, you know, it might be worth it still,” Nowak said.
Others think it could make people turn away.
“It's not so much more the experience anymore, now it's just money. And so it makes it hard for tourists to even to come,” Garner said.
