Parking at Kellogg Park, Windansea and dozens of other San Diego beach lots would stay free under an ordinance heading to the full City Council. The measure cleared two committees in two days and could reach a council vote in October.

The citywide Community Planners Committee, an advisory body of neighborhood planning leaders, voted 22-2 on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to support the measure. Only the downtown and North Park planning groups opposed it. The next day, the City Council's Rules Committee approved the ordinance 5-0, sending it to the full nine-member council.

Council President Joe LaCava, who represents La Jolla in District 1, and Councilmember Raul Campillo of District 7 co-authored the ordinance. It would add a section to the San Diego Municipal Code banning parking fees at more than 50 city-owned lots that provide access to beaches and Mission Bay.

La Jolla lots on the list include Kellogg Park at La Jolla Shores and Windansea. The ordinance also covers Tourmaline, Fiesta Island, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach and Mission Bay-area lots such as Crown Point, De Anza Cove and Ski Beach.

The Rules Committee made two key changes to the original draft. Members dropped a 10-year sunset clause that would have expired Dec. 31, 2036, making the ban open-ended. Councilmembers Kent Lee and Sean Elo-Rivera persuaded the committee to limit the free-parking guarantee to city of San Diego residents, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

LaCava said the California Coastal Commission does not allow charging different classes of beachgoers different rates, calling that issue "a deal-killer — full stop" for any residents-only paid parking plan.

The city's Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) office told the Rules Committee that paid beach and bay parking could generate more than $10 million a year, Times of San Diego reported. Analyst Jillian Andolina said the office was not opposing the ordinance but encouraged the council to preserve financial flexibility. San Diego faces an approximately $120 million budget deficit in fiscal year 2027.

LaCava said shifting from a ballot measure to an ordinance would save taxpayers nearly $1 million, according to NBC 7. Campillo had originally proposed a ballot measure in March but abandoned that path.

Campillo told the Rules Committee that the public would not be asked to pay for beach parking to cover budget shortfalls. "… We will not be asking them for paid parking at the beaches to make up for our mistakes or budget woes," he said, according to Fox 5 San Diego.

Victoria LaBruzzo, chair of the Community Planners Committee, told the Rules Committee that her group reviewed the ordinance text and comments from the Pacific Beach Planning Group before voting.

The ordinance does not affect on-street parking meters or city-owned lots leased to outside entities such as SeaWorld. It would not change the city's ability to issue parking citations or regulate commercial activity in the lots.

The measure needs five council votes before going to the mayor for signature. No specific vote date is set. Residents can track scheduling on the city of San Diego's website.