SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The city of San Diego will no longer charge for Sunday parking in certain neighborhoods after a plan for resident permits was pulled from Tuesday’s agenda.

“Many renters in my district don’t have a driveway or a garage to park, so they have to park on the street,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn.

Whitburn said any paid parking plan in residential areas would need to include a permit option for residents living within a two-block walking distance of a paid meter in Downtown, Uptown and Mid-City neighborhoods.

The proposed permit would cost about $140 a year, compared with more than $1,500 annually for residents who would otherwise have to feed a meter every Sunday.

The proposal faced pushback from several city council members, who raised concerns about the impact on renters and low-income residents. Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said additional accommodations would still be necessary.

“We need a payment plan or a low-income permit option to support families who do not have discretionary income to pay the full cost upfront,” Elo-Rivera said.

Councilmember Vivian Moreno warned the proposal could worsen existing financial challenges in impacted areas.

“This is going to continue to exacerbate the situation in our communities,” Moreno said.

Without support for the permit option, ultimately, Whitburn pulled the item from the agenda for consideration.

“What I’m hearing from my colleagues is that they’re okay with not having paid parking on Sundays in my neighborhoods, and I am certainly okay with that too,” Whitburn said.

Councilmember Marni von Wilpert echoed that position.

“I’m hearing now that we are considering not charging for parking on Sundays at all, which was my original vote, so I do want to support not charging for parking on Sundays,” von Wilpert said.

According to the city, charging for parking on Sundays in residential districts cannot move forward unless a permit option is in place.

As a result of Whitburn withdrawing his original proposal, parking will stay free on Sundays in those neighborhoods for now.

The decision does come with a financial impact.

The city had estimated Sunday parking revenue would generate nearly $1.5 million this year and about $2.8 million in each subsequent year.

With these neighborhoods removed from the plan, the city is expected to see reduced revenue at a time when it is already facing budget challenges. City officials say the issue is likely to return for further discussion, with potential impacts elsewhere.

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