Metered Parking at Balboa Park Heading Back to the Drawing Board — Different Story for Zoo Parking

By NBC 7 Staff / September 9, 2025 

A proposed ordinance to establish metered parking in a portion of Balboa Park is heading back to staff for review, after several San Diego City Council members said they didn’t support it Tuesday. Council President Joe LaCava suggested that it would be better to move the proposal to the Sept. 15 meeting, giving city staff time to work on it.

The ordinance, on the Tuesday consent agenda, called for “exploring the implementation of a paid parking program within Balboa Park to improve parking management, support long-term financial sustainability and enhance the overall visitor experience,” according to city staff report. A city spokesperson said the item was “a routine second reading of an ordinance passed by the council on July 28 to allow for on-street parking meters near the park.”

That earlier vote was 6-2, with Jennifer Campbell and Raul Campillo opposed and Vivian Moreno being absent. On Tuesday, however, Moreno and Councilman Stephen Whitburn also expressed opposition. Whitburn said when the ordinance was introduced, the city heard from senior citizens who use the bridge club located inside Balboa Park, and it was hoped there would be an accommodation for them.

In a news release issued this week, the bridge club pointed out that “the current parking plan could lead to membership decline, reduced attendance and potential closures of community-based nonprofits … [and] the risk of city-owned facilities becoming vacant and diminished community access.

Whitburn added that it was counterproductive for the city to raise money for one need if it jeopardizes other services.

Moreno said she was troubled by continued cost increases for San Diegans, saying the meters “will be very difficult for my constituents, and I simply cannot support it.”

Several residents also were sour on the idea of parking meters. A woman affiliated with the San Diego Civic Dance Arts said the program has provided dance education for thousands of people. Charging parents on a regular basis “will be way more than the class itself,” she said.

A man who identified himself as William said paid parking “hurts the poor people,” along with the elderly and low-income families. City and county residents should enjoy free parking, he said, adding, “Some people can’t spend an hour on transit to get to the parks.” There are other ways for the city to earn more revenue, William said. “Be creative — stop taking it from the people,” he added.

In June 2024, the city commissioned a comprehensive parking study, which was finished in January. “The study identified the need to better manage on-street and off-street parking inventory in some city-owned parking facilities, including Balboa Park,” according to the report. “The studies determined that the Balboa Park parking meter zone should be the area south of Upas Street, west of 28th Street, north of Russ Boulevard and west to and including the western side of 6th Avenue.”

Earlier this year, the council voted 6-3 to override several of Mayor Todd Gloria’s line-item vetoes and pass the $6 billion 2025-26 municipal budget. Whitburn, one of Gloria’s staunchest allies on the council, said his gravest concerns with overriding the mayor came down to charging for parking at Balboa Park, in his district.

An accelerated timeline (as soon as Oct. 1) to not only charge a fee for parking in the park, but to find a way to mitigate costs for locals, was deemed unrealistic by Whitburn, who voted no.

Key Step Made to Begin Paid Parking at San Diego Zoo

In other parking news, the council on Monday took a key step toward charging for parking at the San Diego Zoo. The council passed an amendment to the zoo’s lease that allows it to charge for parking at the so-called “zoo lot,” in addition to setting different rates for different kinds of parkers. Under its current lease, the zoo cannot charge varying rates for its members, city of San Diego residents, seniors or military members.

It’s still unclear how much parking would cost (the rates at Balboa Park are between $5 to $15, and parking is $20 a day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido) or whether there will be discounts for residents, though that appears to be the goal. It’s also unknown whether the zoo or the city will get the lion’s share of the money collected.

After the vote, the San Diego Zoo sent an email to members saying its team was working in collaboration with the city to explore “timelines, potential exemptions and other implementation details.”

“As part of a recent agreement with city council, when paid parking is implemented in Balboa Park, we will offer complimentary parking for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members at the Zoo. We are now working through next steps to align with the city, and we will continue to ensure all guests are informed about updates and changes through the Zoo’s official communication channels,” a zoo spokesperson said in a written statement.

Fox5 reported on the Zoo parking changes:

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) issued a statement after the city council meeting on Monday revisited the topic of paid parking at Balboa Park.

Plans to start charging visitors for parking in the lots near the San Diego Zoo moved forward during Monday’s meeting….

The decision to charge for parking at the zoo, which is in Balboa Park, would require changing the zoo’s existing lease agreement with the city. In a separate announcement, also on Tuesday, SDZWA stated that as part of an agreement with the city, zoo members will be exempt from paying for parking.

The organization sent out the following statement: “Earlier this year, the City of San Diego proposed implementing paid parking at city beaches and parks, including Balboa Park. We have been in constant communication and collaboration with City officials to best understand these changes and how they will affect parking at the San Diego Zoo, including timelines, potential exemptions, and other implementation details.”

The statement continued, “As part of a recent agreement with City Council, when paid parking is implemented in Balboa Park, we will offer complimentary parking for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members at the Zoo. We are now working through next steps to align with the city and we will continue to ensure all guests are informed about updates and changes through the Zoo’s official communication channels.”

SDZWA members also get complimentary parking at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido, which typically costs $20. During Monday’s meeting, Adam Day, an SDZWA trustee, said the zoo plans to charge San Diego non-member residents less than non-residents.

“The zoo has had the ability to charge for parking for many, many years — in fact, since we’ve been operating the zoo — but we’ve never chosen to charge for parking,” he said. “Today’s action will allow us, as city staff have indicated, to charge city residents less than non-city residents.”

The parking changes at the zoo are expected to take effect on Oct. 1.