While Mayor Jerry Sanders has the authority to increase parking meters to $2.50 per hour and extend their operation use by six hours a day, he’s leaving that decision up to individual community advisory boards. The problem with this is that Uptown San Diego doesn’t have one.
Earlier this month, the City Council voted 5-2 in favor of Sanders’ proposal to increase revenue from meter parking by fine-tuning the rates and hours based on how frequently each space is used. Frequently-used spots could see rates go up to $2.50 an hour, while under-used spots could be brought down to 25 cents an hour. He also suggests extending operation use from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., or reducing operation hours if it makes neglected spots more attractive.
Tinkering with rates and hours could increase meter parking use from 38 percent to 85 percent and generate an addition $950,000 each year – an inviting incentive for an indebted city. Sanders will leave the adjustments to neighborhood advisory boards and allow them to increase or decrease meter rates and hours specific to their area’s needs.
However, Uptown – including neighborhoods like Hillcrest, Middletown and Mission Hills – does not have a parking advisory board. The previous board, Uptown Partnership, ceased contracting last November. Currently community planners are working with a consultant to form a new one by April, according to Nancy Moors, president of the Hillcrest Business Assn.
But the closure of the previous board has left Leo Wilson, chairman of the Uptown Planners community group, skeptical of how representative a new board will be.
“Just who in the community is the Mayor going to listen to?” Wilson asked. “I hope they will choose a board democratically and ensure that it is representative of the community – not just a bunch of ‘yes’ people that will agree to increase meter rates.”
Wilson is concerned that if the new advisory board agrees to increase rates and hours for parking meters, small businesses and restaurants in Uptown will bear the brunt of what he calls “a candy-coated fee to increase city revenue.”
“An $11 meal at an Uptown restaurant will turn into a $15 meal when you add a meter charge of $2.50 per hour,” Wilson said. “Why not put parking meters in other areas like Mission Valley and La Jolla and spread it out? This is just a shortcut to get the budget balanced.”
Currently Downtown San Diego has 67 percent of the city’s meters, with 3,705. Uptown has 27 percent, with 1,480 meters. Mid-City – which includes Golden Hills, North Park and University Heights – has 5 percent, with 277. Cities like La Jolla, Mission Valley and Pacific Beach only have 71 parking meters total.
“We are one of the few communities that have to pay for our parking,” said Luke Terpstra, chairman of the Hillcrest Town Council. “Not a lot of other communities in San Diego have parking meters, and as a result, Uptown puts a lot of money into the city through parking meters. It’s just not fair that we have meters that other cities don’t.”
Not all of Uptown share Wilson and Terpstra’s concern. David Cohen, vice president of the North Park Community Assn. says he doesn’t foresee his neighborhood being disproportionately impacted by the proposal.
District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria, who represents Uptown areas, including Hillcrest and North Park, is much more optimistic about the Mayor’s proposal. He welcomes a change to the current “one-size-fits-all parking policy.”
“The new parking utilization plan adopted by the Council allows each individual community to decide for itself how to manage parking in their own neighborhood,” Gloria wrote in an email. “This means that if Uptown wants to raise or lower parking meter rates or expand or reduce hours of enforcement, it can choose to do so.”
Gloria voted in favor of the proposal, as did District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who represents downtown. Councilmembers Sherri Lightner and Carl DeMaio voted against the plan; Marti Emerald was absent.
Also taking a positive position on the proposal is Hillcrest Business Assn. Executive Director Benjamin Nicholls. Nicholls isn’t fearful of the potential negative implications of the plan or a new advisory board.
“We first opposed policy, but we’re going to try to utilize it to benefit Hillcrest,” Nicholls said. “The city will allow parking committees to weigh in and make rates themselves and if the policy holds true, the community will determine the rates themselves and rates will not go up unless the community supports it.
“Theoretically, the Mayor could raise rates all over town,” Nicholls continued. “I don’t see that for Hillcrest.”
