When the San Diego City Council voted last week to install parking meters in and around Balboa Park, dozens of people spoke in opposition.
But their numbers were dwarfed by the thousands of San Diegans who have requested repairs to the park's infrastructure — repairs that could happen much faster once the city's paid parking plan is in effect.
San Diego plans to install parking meters on Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard as soon as October. The meter revenue, estimated at $1 million annually, will be earmarked for transportation-related needs in the park.
A KPBS analysis of fix-it requests submitted through the city's Get It Done app, found roughly 500 pending requests related to transportation infrastructure, including broken streetlights, curbs, walkways and signage. Most of the requests are over a year old.
"We absolutely have a huge backlog of assets and infrastructure within the park, which has been commented on by several stakeholders today," Transportation Director Bethany Bezak told the City Council at its July 28 meeting. "Streetlights are a big concern when it gets fairly dark in the park. So there's plenty of infrastructure where this revenue could be utilized to improve the park amenities."
The parking meters on Sixth Avenue and Park Boulevard are only the first phase of the city's paid parking plan. In the fall, the City Council is expected to vote on charging for the parking lots. Revenue from those lots will also be kept within the park, but can be spent on a broader range of needs.
Katy McDonald, president and CEO of the nonprofit Forever Balboa Park, said the city spends about $14 million each year on day-to-day maintenance, such as cleaning bathrooms, collecting trash and maintaining the trees and landscaping. In addition, she said, there is at least $500 million in long-term maintenance.
Among the costliest needs: Cleaning up a former landfill on the park's East Mesa where the city dumped its trash from 1952 to 1974.
Forever Balboa Park opposes paid parking in principle, though McDonald acknowledged the city needs new revenue to keep the park in decent shape.
"It's issues about the roofs on all these beautiful buildings," McDonald said of the park's historic Central Mesa. "It's about making sure that the stucco is maintaining itself and not falling down. So there are millions and millions and millions of dollars of work that Balboa Park needs."
