I bring to you another update on the San Diego Stroller Strides’ plight to get back into Balboa Park (I have posted 5 other blogs on this topic over the last several months – for more information please look in our archives for previous posts).

In my last post on this topic, I expressed my hope that we would have an answer by now, but sadly we do not. My blog, as well as the June 18, 2010 Union Tribune article “Outdoor fitness business pursues permit from city,” stated that the San Diego City Council was supposed to vote on June 23, 2010; however that did not occur (I’m not sure why not). The City Council is now supposed to vote on this issue on Monday, July 19, 2010.

What we are seeking is a reasonable permit fee that would be paid to the City of San Diego that would allow us to conduct our Stroller Strides exercise classes (and allow all other outdoor fitness businesses as well) in Balboa Park, Mission Bay, La Jolla Shores, and other San Diego parks. We are currently prohibited from holding class in these parks because business cannot be conducted without a permit. The quandary is that no such permit currently exists! So, Stroller Strides founder, Lisa Druxman, has been working diligently with District 3 Councilman Todd Gloria (Balboa Park is located within District 3) to come up with a reasonable permit system for adult fitness groups.

The tricky thing is that our permit issue is only one small paragraph in a 37-page document that encompasses many other Parks and Recreation issues, and the entire document will be voted on as one piece. What that means is that if there is any element in the document that the Council is not in favor of, the entire thing will be rejected!  Welcome to government!

We remain optimistic and are keeping our fingers crossed that everything in that 37-page document is as important and beneficial as our permit issue, and that the Council will approve it. We have been told that it is likely to pass, but until the vote is rendered we won’t be “counting our chickens before they hatch.”

In the meantime we continue to hold our classes at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Tidelands Park area in Coronado. I’m not complaining, this is an amazing place to hold our class (and classes will continue here after the North Park moms return to Balboa Park). This week’s sunny weather has made it an even more beautiful place to exercise and for our children to play.

So, what’s next? Well, the vote next Monday, July 19, 2010 and if it passes we have been told that the permit office will want one week to advertise before it begins dispersing the permits. So, if all goes right we could be back in Balboa Park on or around July 26, 2010. Stroller Strides moms have been urged to keep a close eye on our North Park Stroller Strides’ webpage for updates and a possible location change.

If it is defeated, well let’s not think about that now…