SAN DIEGO — Mayor Jerry Sanders continues to float the idea of selling advertising space on lifeguard towers and other beach properties to help generate municipal revenue during a time of fiscal crisis. City Councilmembers are now trying to gauge public opinion and awaiting feedback from various planning leaders before moving forward. While some local planners say they wouldn’t be against the idea, they stress the plan would have to be done right. “If there’s a very good plan, then [people] might go for it. But if it’s in-your-face advertising, then it might be sunk,” said Ocean Beach Planning Board Chair Giovanni Ingolia. City rules limit the scope of advertising on public property. Only 15 percent of any advertising can be used for such things as a company logo, with at least 85 percent used for a public-service message. And with eight lifeguard stations stretching between Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and La Jolla, any such proposal would have to go before the appropriate planning boards. As of yet, no company has come forward with a proposal to move the idea forward, said Tony Manolatos, a spokesman for District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer. Manolatos estimated that advertising could generate up to $500,000 per year for each lifeguard station, resulting in potentially $4 million each year for city coffers. But Manolators said money isn’t enough. “Kevin [Faulconer] is not going to support it if the communities aren’t behind it,” Manolatos said. District 1 City Councilwoman Sherri Lightner’s is also awaiting reaction from local groups, including the La Jolla Shores Association, La Jolla Parks and Beaches Committee and the La Jolla Community Planning Association, according to a statement from Lightner’s office. Members of La Jolla planning groups have been invited to stakeholder’s meetings with the Mayor’s Office in recent weeks to hear ideas. City officials said even with the promise of revenue, any proposals for advertising on public property must satisfy the needs and adhere to the identities of the individual communities. Pacific Beach Planning Board Chairman John Shannon said beach advertising for restaurant bar chains in the community probably wouldn’t garner much support. In a world where marketing and advertising saturate everyday life, he added, many may resent blatant ads. “[The lure of] the beach is to feel you are escaping from all of that, and I don’t think people will want advertising broadcast [on lifeguard stations and other city property],” Shannon said.
