You can help stop the bulldozing of Bahia Point in Mission Bay Park
by Mike Waters
t the Mission Valley Radisson on Friday, November 15,
9AM, the California Coastal Commission will consider whether to approve
the City of San Diego's plans for Bahia Point Park, located on publicly
owned land in West Mission Bay. The City spent four years preparing a Master
Plan for all of Mission Bay Park, and the plan has enjoyed wide public support
- except for the Bahia Point element. The plans for Bahia Point call for
elimination of the public access road and all 250 parking spaces around
the point. These facilities would be replaced by a bicycle path and expansion
of the Bahia Hotel onto existing park land.
Bahia Point Park now supports a wide range of
uses. It's a beautiful place for bay-side picnics and Is a popular launch
area for small hand- and wind-powered craft. Fishermen abound. Parking is
access for these users, and the city's plan for Bahia Point would eliminate
their access.
Twelve million people a year and 80,000 on a peak
day are attracted to the waters of Mission Bay Park and only 708 parking
spaces are available. By last count, the Coastal Commission has received
over 400 letters written by citizens objecting to the elimination of parking
access. Each correspondent represents many more who share their opinion.
Who wants the parking to be eliminated? Well-financed
representatives of the Bahia Hotel and commercially-oriented City Council
Members who see potential income from the 10.5 percent occupancy tax the
city would receive. No matter that other hotels are investing in large private
expansions. No matter that the expansion should be built to accommodate
sufficient public access. The hotel stands to gain near exclusive use of
Bahia Point once public parking is eliminated. The hotel's desire for improvement
is understandable, but is this a proper use of a public park?
Bahia Point was purchased, built and maintained
by tax dollars: public bond money. Should the shared use of Bahia Point
now be upset in favor of a private commercial development? Shouldn't commercial
development defer to public uses on public park lands? Is the City so poor
that it has to commercialize popular park land to make ends meet? Or is
the City Council just willing cut favorable business deals with rich constituents?
The Master Plan went through an extensive public
review process. The Planning Commission voted against the Bahia Point element
of the plan. And the Coastal Commission's original approval of the Master
Plan was invalidated by a Superior Court Judge as a result of undocumented
communications between hotel representatives and three commissioners, two
of which (Rick and Staffel) are still serving on the Board.
The proposed loss of access to a prime recreation
area is mistake that deserves to be corrected. The Community Planners Committee,
made up of representatives from San Diego's neighborhood planning groups,
recently voted 14 to 1 to save the 250 public parking spaces of Bahia Point
park.
The friends of Bahia Point Park ask your help
to stand up against commercial encroachment further into Mission Bay Park:
Mike Waters for the Mission Bay Sunfish Fleet
