Parking lot controversy: Residents complain of alleged anti-gay comments by George Pernicano

Pernicano Sign

By Manny Lopez

Several residents of Hillcrest have expressed their dismay over Councilman Todd Gloria’s decision to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the reopening of the parking lot on the site of Pernicano’s restaurant — accusing its owner George Pernicano of being anti-gay and a bigot.
On June 18, in front of an assembled crowd, which included local business organizations, community groups, media representatives and residents from Hillcrest, Gloria hailed the project as the “Miracle on Sixth Avenue.” He then thanked the Pernicano family and offered the gratitude of the entire Uptown community for acknowledging the neighborhood’s critical need for additional parking and for opening their property for public use.
“God knows that we need more parking in Hillcrest and that the area needed to be cleaned up,” said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a gay activist, who has written a weekly column in San Diego (“Conversations with Nicole”) since 1973. “But there is no reason to celebrate that money is going into the hands of a homophobe.”
For over 25 years, the shuttered restaurant, located on Sixth Avenue between University and Robinson avenues, has been an eyesore on the community and has drawn numerous complaints from neighboring businesses and local residents, who argued that the 25,000-square-foot space could serve a better purpose.
According to Murray, when gay and lesbian San Diegans started moving into Hillcrest and opening up stores, nightclubs and restaurants, Pernicano was unhappy about it and would voice his opinions to anyone who would ask. “Anytime those of us that were around in the ’70s walk by that place, it’s a reminder to us that homophobes are alive and well in the city,” said Murray, who added that Pernicano often boasted about how he could make millions if he wanted to, but there was no way he was going to sell his restaurant to gays and lesbians, who, he claimed, had taken over the neighborhood.
“Pernicano sits like a gargoyle guarding his no homos allowed heterosexual castle,” said Murray.
“Why is Mr. Gloria being showered with accolades for being able to negotiate with a bigot?” said Jimmy Sullivan, a resident of Hillcrest who has voiced his opinions about Pernicano through letters to the editor of the North Park News and on various social networking sites on the Internet. Sullivan questions what value there is in negotiating with someone who is openly anti-gay and helping them profit from the gay community right in their own backyard. “Lipstick on a pig is still a pig,” said Sullivan.
Gloria excused the comments made against Pernicano as conjecture and challenged anyone with any evidence to the contrary to come forward with it. Gloria further stated that his dealings with the Pernicano family have been very professional and that at no time has the subject of sexual orientation ever been discussed.
“As a homosexual male, I would make my objections to any kind of homophobic statement extremely clear to anyone who ever utters them,” said Gloria, who pointed out that he was a principle proponent of the boycott on hotels owned by Doug Manchester for donating $125,000 to the Yes on Prop. 8 campaign, which banned same-sex marriages in California. “I have no trouble whatsoever standing up to businesses that engage in homophobia.”
Despite the accusations made against Pernicano, Gloria said that he has to work with the reality that Hillcrest is parking deficient and that even if they were true, he is in support of creating additional parking spaces, which has been among his top priorities since taking office. “We have someone that was willing to convey 36 parking spaces to the community at no cost to the taxpayers and I will absolutely take them up on that offer,” said Gloria.
In 2009, as chair of the City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee, Gloria stated that Pernicano’s was a “black eye” in Hillcrest and that he wanted to work with the city attorney on finding legal ways to force Pernicano to improve the property. Among the councilman’s recommendations were changing the municipal code to impose tax violations on the property if it could be deemed a public nuisance.
Realtor Stanley Paul Cook, of SPC Realty, who acted as spokesman for the Pernicano family at the ribbon cutting, said that he has heard Pernicano characterized as anti-gay, but never directly from him. Cook said that in all of his discussions with Pernicano over the past 12 years, there have never been any comments about that at all. “I think it’s a pretty popular misconception,” said Cook, who began communicating with the Pernicano family in 1998, and met them for the first time last year.
When asked why Pernicano refused to sell or do anything with the property for so many years, Cook responded that it was an emotional issue for the Pernicano’s and that the restaurant served as a cornerstone of the immigrant family, which spawned other Pernicano’s restaurants throughout the county. “It’s been in the family for over 60 years,” said Cook. “It’s tough to let go.”
There are now 36 newly repaved and restriped parking spaces available at the lot adjacent to the restaurant. The facility will be managed by Sunset Parking and rates start at $2 for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour with a maximum of $5 for up to nine hours. Details of the entire deal were not disclosed, but according to a Cook, any revenue earned by the family will go into a trust set up for the benefit of Pernicano’s grandchildren.