Park Changes Diminish Life in San Diego

Media
2 days ago
3 min read

Editor: Lately it almost seems whenever things are wonderful, someone comes along and tries to destroy it. The parking meters added at Balboa Park are keeping a lot of people from being able to enjoy it. The following opinion piece appeared in today's San Diego Union-Tribune and is worth reading.

As a San Diego resident, for years my family has enjoyed the many attractions, events, festivals and opportunities that Balboa Park offers, and we have taken great joy in introducing local friends and visitors to the many hidden treasures that rest within this crown jewel of San Diego.

We are members of the zoo as well as Explorer Pass holders, our children are students with the theater, dance and music programs housed within the park, and we walk there daily for relaxation and fitness. Anytime an out-of-town guest visits, we are sure to show them the many museums, gardens, cafes, restaurants and vibrant culture that thrives within Balboa Park.

We have arranged to meet our family’s photographer at the fountain, our children’s friends’ families at the playground, other dog owners at the dog park, and music- and theater-loving friends and family at the organ or the Old Globe.

We have felt comfortable setting up social meetings at the park as it was equitably welcome, universally accessible and was cared for by the natural security of the many visitors that filled the park. This is no longer true.

Our days of meeting friends at the park to stroll, talk, take in some music, grab a coffee, stop into a museum, enjoy a performance at the organ, grab lunch, and visit the cactus and rose gardens are no longer logistically attractive due to the hourly charge that the city insists that these attractions collect for it.

It is a financial burden that is as equitable as if the library or neighborhood school charged staff and visitors an hourly fee. It is a logistical barrier that forces visitors to ensure that they are never far from their vehicle that is connected to a clock, reminding me of Cinderella’s carriage, threatening to expire at any moment.

However, my wife and I have continued our children’s enrollment in the children’s theater, ballet and music programs. Each of these classes is one hour long and the meters do not have an option to purchase partial hours. Therefore, we must pay for two hours of parking for each one-hour class which amounts to an extra $60 per month on top of the enrollment costs.

Balboa Park Map | Click image to enlarge

Since we pay for the additional and unnecessary 50 minutes for each class, we have been using the extra minutes walking around the area. Although our parking time limit does not allow us time to wander with open eyes and explore a new museum or eat at one of the great restaurants as we did in the past, we can at least get in some fitness steps and enjoy the sun and the beautiful grounds.

Without the many usual joggers, dog walkers, volleyball players and other visitors who once used the space for their informal recreation, we now notice that the benches and grounds are commonly being utilized by people smoking marijuana and other substances, disassembling numerous bikes and sprawling out on the vacant lawns with all of their possessions. Where once we felt joyful watching our children run freely down the strip of lawn, we now keep them close by, worried that they may interrupt someone who is using the empty space to engage in unlawful activities.

The newly established parking meters discourage people from regularly coming to the park and enjoying its many attractions, leaving the park dangerously empty.

Those who are willing to pay the hourly parking now simply rush from their car to the one destination that their meter affords them time to visit.

Losing easy access to our neighborhood park is a tremendous loss to my neighbors, our city and visitors as everyone wins when more people use the park to recreate, socialize, teach, learn and discover. Importantly, our park and our community are safer when the community uses the many acres as they were intended to be used.

Hopefully this misguided project will be repealed, and the community will once again feel welcomed to enjoy this resource that was gifted to the community to enjoy freely, not hourly.