SACRAMENTO – From imposing parking fees at Carlsbad State Beach to promoting a bed and breakfast hotel in Old Town San Diego, California parks officials are moving aggressively to raise revenues and avoid the threat of closures and lifeguard layoffs.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has backed away from his budget-slashing plan to shutter 48 parks and eliminate dozens of lifeguards, turning instead to small fee increases and new revenue opportunities.
In the San Diego area, that strategy already is playing out.
It will cost $8 a day to park at Carlsbad State Beach, where the first automated payment machines will be installed, probably by August.
The state is working with Delaware North, the Old Town concessionaire, to add a bed and breakfast on the second story as part of the renovation of the Cosmopolitan restaurant.
In another approach, officials will push a row of 10 rental cabins at parking lot 3 at Silver Strand Beach, which still needs Coastal Commission approval. Coronado officials and nearby residents have opposed the plan.
However, with lawmakers sharply critical of the governor's broader plan to close a staggering deficit, there is no guarantee that the parks budget will escape further cuts this summer. The new proposal also does not address the maintenance backlog.
No income figures have been estimated, but state Parks Director Ruth Coleman said new programs should reach the governor's statewide goal of $1.5 million in additional income.
More immediately, concession revenue will grow when a renovated Malibu Pier opens this summer, including restaurants, a bar and museum, Coleman said.
Users will pay more at selected parks, but the list has not been finalized. Factors being studied include attendance, existing fees and competing recreational opportunities that could draw away park visitors who don't want to pay more.
Overnight camping fees will not go up immediately, but could by summer 2009 depending on the budget outlook, Coleman said.
“Camping's on the table in the future,” she said.
Statewide, Coleman said she is looking to extend concession leases to 50 years to attract new hotel and conference business. The state plans to sign one such lease to provide a 125-room lodge and conference facility at Pismo State Beach in San Luis Obispo County.
The governor's initial plan to cut $13.3 million would have netted the state an estimated $9 million in savings after factoring in the $4 million cost to close parks and release lifeguards.
No San Diego County park was targeted. However, layoffs once loomed for about half of the 125 seasonal lifeguards who patrol 17 miles of state beaches in San Diego County.
