San Diego City Councilmember Proposes Amendment to Petco Park Special Event Parking Fees
Amid widespread pushback against Balboa Park parking fees, another controversial parking payment system is back in the spotlight. San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo, alongside other downtown stakeholders, proposed an amendment to the special event parking rates around Petco Park during a press conference on Wednesday.
Since September, during Padres games and other major events at Petco Park, street parking meters within a half-mile radius around the park have surged to $10 an hour for six hours. Campillo described these fees as “punitive,” arguing that they hurt residents, discourage customers, and force workers to pay premium prices just to get to work.
Campillo’s 5/5/5 Plan
Campillo introduced what he calls the 5/5/5 Plan, aiming to make the parking fees more reasonable while still managing event demand:
- Reduce meter costs from $10 an hour to $5 an hour.
- Limit the special event parking zone from a half-mile radius to just five blocks around Petco Park.
- Shorten the duration of increased rates from six hours to five hours.
“These are reasonable, targeted changes that still manage event demand without penalizing everyday San Diegans,” Campillo said at the press conference. He pledged to work with the city attorney to draft amendments to City Council policy and city code governing the special event rates.
Representatives from the Downtown San Diego Partnership, the San Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Association, and the San Diego County Lodging Association also spoke out, highlighting that the fees disproportionately affect hospitality workers employed downtown.
“With the city’s new parking rates spiking during special events, we aren’t inviting people with open arms — we’re greeting them with an entrance fee,” said Betsy Brennan, president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership. “We need to keep downtown a place that all San Diegans are able to afford.”
Councilmember Whitburn on Balboa Park Parking Fees
Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown, was not present at the press conference. However, upon request, Whitburn sent a statement emphasizing the importance of repealing Balboa Park parking fees.
“I share Councilmember Campillo’s concern about the cost of parking during special events and the impacts those costs can have on downtown residents and businesses,” Whitburn wrote. “At the same time, if the city considers changes to paid parking, my top priority will be to repeal paid parking in Balboa Park.”
Campillo, who has opposed Balboa Park parking fees from the start, agreed with Whitburn’s efforts to fully eliminate the fees rather than simply delaying their rollout for residents.
“Paid parking was a mistake then and it remains a mistake now. The mayor and city council members who supported it should reverse course and eliminate paid parking at Balboa Park once and for all,” Campillo commented.
Fees and the City’s Budget Deficit
Both Balboa Park and Petco Park parking fees were instituted as part of the city’s plan to address a $300 million budget shortfall projected for 2025, aiming to avoid cuts to critical services. Other parking changes included doubling standard parking rates from $1.25 to $2.50 an hour, extending enforcement hours into the evening, and adding Sunday enforcement in certain neighborhoods.
Additionally, fee increases have affected other city services, such as rental costs for library community rooms, recreational fields, and parks equipment.
Despite these measures to incrementally address the budget gap through increased fees, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria estimated in December an $88.8 million deficit for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. This estimate factored in revenue projected from both Petco Park and Balboa Park parking fees. Should these fees be rolled back, the anticipated deficit is expected to worsen significantly.