It’s an open and shut case, according San Diego’s city auditor. The operator of Old Town’s Presidio Golf Course, owned by the city, was using it as an illegal parking lot over last year’s Cinco de Mayo weekend. “As such, every conceivable parking space in and around Old Town was occupied all weekend, leaving no available parking spaces for prospective golfers trying to utilize the golf course,” says a March 13 report.
The course’s operator “then allowed vehicles to park on the southernmost part of the property, which is the golf practice area and not part of the main 18-hole golf course, and was collecting money to park a car on the premises.” Partly as a result, the auditors say, “sprinkler heads that appear to be damaged by parking cars or by maintenance activities of the Permitee are non-functional at this time.”
The city’s real estate assets department told auditors it isn’t all the fault of the illegal parkers. “The water was shut-off to the original irrigation system to prevent a break in the water lines due to the fact that the original underground pipes are corroded or cracked.” The report goes on to say, “in 2009 the City’s Golf Operations estimated it would cost $232,000 to renovate the irrigation system.”
What to do? Fixing the pipes can wait, but “we recommend that the Real Estate Assets Department follow-up with the City Treasurer to ensure that the appropriate amount of additional rent revenue from the Permittee parking cars on golf course property be recovered.”
It’s an open and shut case, according San Diego’s city auditor. The operator of Old Town’s Presidio Golf Course, owned by the city, was using it as an illegal parking lot over last year’s Cinco de Mayo weekend. “As such, every conceivable parking space in and around Old Town was occupied all weekend, leaving no available parking spaces for prospective golfers trying to utilize the golf course,” says a March 13 report.
The course’s operator “then allowed vehicles to park on the southernmost part of the property, which is the golf practice area and not part of the main 18-hole golf course, and was collecting money to park a car on the premises.” Partly as a result, the auditors say, “sprinkler heads that appear to be damaged by parking cars or by maintenance activities of the Permitee are non-functional at this time.”
The city’s real estate assets department told auditors it isn’t all the fault of the illegal parkers. “The water was shut-off to the original irrigation system to prevent a break in the water lines due to the fact that the original underground pipes are corroded or cracked.” The report goes on to say, “in 2009 the City’s Golf Operations estimated it would cost $232,000 to renovate the irrigation system.”
What to do? Fixing the pipes can wait, but “we recommend that the Real Estate Assets Department follow-up with the City Treasurer to ensure that the appropriate amount of additional rent revenue from the Permittee parking cars on golf course property be recovered.”
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