Will the Mission Bay Aquatic Center (MBAC) be swept away by the city’s shifting financial tide? The Mission Bay Park Committee (MBPC) discussed the future of the facility at its regularly scheduled meeting, Tuesday, March 7, at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, 1008 Santa Clara Place.
Since 1975, the center has been operating on city-owned land rent free. In light of the city’s financial crisis, many committee members questioned whether the facility should be paying cash-strapped San Diego for use of the property. Many also expressed concern that the facility’s joint operating agreement with San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) catered to an elite group of students and alumni, at the expense of children and disabled users.
The committee voted in February to deny the MBAC’s request for exclusive negotiation rights and recommended that the site be opened to other bidders in accordance with the city’s Request for Proposal (RFP) policy.
The decision concerned many San Diegans who rely on the facility and its programs.
Shauna Fisher, a representative of the Mission Valley YMCA, was among the group of about 25 supporters who showed up to ask the committee to reconsider their decision.
“They reach out to underprivileged children,” she told the committee.
Teresa Smith, a program manager for Home Start, Inc., said the annual scholarships the MBAC donates to her program give disadvantaged youth “a chance to see a different side of life.”
The board’s decision to open the site to other bidders wasn’t based on the quality of the MBAC’s programs, but on the continued subsidization of alumni who can afford to pay, said Council District 6 representative Rick Bussell.
Mindy Pellissier of the Ocean Beach Planning Board commented that the $30,000 in scholarships the Aquatic Center donates represents “a pretty low percentage” of the center’s annual revenue of $1.5 million.
About $20,000 of that amount is raised through other sources, said center director Glen Brandenburg, with the largest single contribution of $10,000 coming from Roy Disney.
According to Brandenburg, youth groups make up about one-third of the center’s more than 14,000 users, while alumni only account for 19 percent.
Committee members questioned whether the center truly serves the public as a whole.
Craig Gibson of the city’s Real Estate Assets Division said that the Coastal Commission mandates that the public be given access to the center by registering for university extension programs.
“There’s built-in discrimination based on level of education,” said Council District 2 representative Judy Swink.
“Where’s the outreach?” Pellissier asked.
Commenting that the center is used by “well-connected people who know how to use the system,” she said, “This does not seem fair to me.”
Council District 6 representative Ryan Levinson agreed that free special events for corporations because one person is a member of the Aquatic Center and other loopholes need to be closed. He also stressed the need for pricing controls, specifically stipulating that disabled users should not be charged more because of the additional expense involved in serving that community.
Lessee hotel representative Mohsen Khaleghi questioned why the city rather than the state of California subsidizes university students.
The subsidization is paid for through student fees, Brandenburg said.
“If the universities are paying for it, their students should receive the benefit,” said Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) representative Don Peterson.
Others felt the center should be more accessible.
“(MBAC) is an asset that belongs to all the people of San Diego. We want to make sure the resources are available to those who have a need,” Bussell said.
Representing lessees other than hotel, Ted Jardine urged committee members to work with the current lessee rather than open the site up to other bidders.
“This lessee has an excellent track record,” Jardine said. “Let’s work with him. The only reason to open this up to everyone and their brother is to maximize income.”
The committee voted to include a few broad recommendations in the bidding process. The recommendations include that the MBAC focus on youth groups; that the facility be extended to the general public, not just alumni; and that no privileges be extended to university alumni.
The motion carried.
The issue will go before the city’s Park and Recreation board next month, however, the board will not vote on the issue because Mayor Jerry Sanders put a hold on all city lease negotiations while the city reviews the RFP bidding process.
In response to the recent cycling accident at Fiesta Island, Mission Bay Park Manager Div Brasted announced that several changes have been made to make the time trial course safer, including the hiring of Special Event Traffic Control officers.
Like a bad hangover, the issue of alcohol on beaches is not going away. Catherine Strohlein of the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee said the topic will be resurfacing in the near future.
“We have the highest crime rate in the city,” Strohlein said, referring to the beach-area’s bar scene. “And we’re tired of it.”