A new plan to turn the parking lot in front of the Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park would take away more than 100 spots in an already parking-challenged area.
The plan is backed by Bruce Coons of Save Our Heritage Organisation. “It's a really lousy use of public parkland,” he tells NBC 7. “This could be one of the most beloved places in the park instead of one of the most neglected.”
The plan is similar to the Plaza de Panama, a pedestrian-only area in front of the San Diego Museum of Art that replaced a comparatively smaller number of spaces several years ago.
Coons believes Balboa Park doesn’t need so much parking because of the popularity of ridesharing and public transportation.
“It's hard to think of a worse use for beautiful parkland then to bring cars into the middle of it,” he adds.
“Not only is it realistic, it should happen, and it should happen now.” Coons says he is drawing up plans and he wants to start fundraising now.
The city has no immediate plans to remove the parking lot, a spokesman told NBC 7.
