The City recently released a draft of the De Anza Cove Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan that supports regional recreational needs while restoring natural habitats.

The draft De Anza Cove Amendment, titled De Anza Natural, envisions balancing land uses that both serve regional recreational needs and protect natural coastal habitats.

“We know how important De Anza Cove is to our residents and visitors and we want to make sure the area has a bright future by retaining recreation while also using its unique features for a more natural habitat and to prepare us for the effects of climate change,” said City planning director Heidi Vonblum. “We look forward to ongoing input to ensure we make it a place for all San Diegans to enjoy.”

The City released its initial concept proposal for the De Anza Cove area in 2018, which was updated and released for public review again in January 2022.

Since then, City staff has used community member and stakeholder input to draft De Anza Natural and will continue to take input until it is considered for adoption by the City Council, expected by the end of the year.

De Anza Natural does not include detailed design plans for site-specific uses but provides broad plans to enhance recreational activities in the area with new and improved programs, such as an extensive multi-use waterfront trail, a nature center, and a small non-motorized boat area on the cove.

The area would also remain a recreational hot spot offering a variety of active sports and recreation facilities. Examples could include golf facilities, tennis courts, and ball fields.

The proposal also includes space for low-cost visitor accommodations like camping and recreational vehicle facilities. These spaces, set amid expanded and restored wetlands, will provide new opportunities for eco-tourism and environmental education.

Recreational and environmental interests both reacted positively to the new Mission Bay Master Plan draft amendment.“Over the last 50 years, Campland on the Bay and the Mission Bay RV Resort have provided low-cost waterfront camping and recreation to more than one million visitors,” said Jacob Gelfand, Campland’s vice president of operations. “Any plan for northeast Mission Bay Park should preserve the area’s beloved recreational opportunities, affordable waterfront RV camping, and environmental enhancements. The De Anza Natural Plan goes the furthest to accomplish these goals and, for that reason, we believe it is the best solution for the future of Mission Bay when compared to the other alternatives.”

“We’re glad that the City has taken this important step towards improving the northeast corner of our regional park, but they need to step even further,” said Andrew Meyer, director of conservation for San Diego Audubon Society. “This is our one chance to re-create a park that is ready for the coming century, and the City needs to deliver the wildest wetland restoration acreage to improve the mix of uses in the whole park.

“We need a plan that shows the effects of sea-level rise, otherwise we don’t have enough information to evaluate how the park will change in the coming decades. Restored wetlands in this corner of the park will improve the whole bay, with water quality improvement, resilience to climate change, and access opportunities we all can enjoy that we don’t have anywhere else in the park,” Meyer said.

The Mission Bay Park Master Plan, adopted in 1994, called for 80 acres of wetlands. To ensure consistency with the City’s Climate Action Plan and Climate Resilient SD plan, which lay out strategies to address climate change, De Anza Natural would provide more than 220 acres of wetlands.

The master plan also focuses on nature-based solutions to protect these resources from the effects of sea-level rise. In future phases, following the adoption of De Anza Natural, City staff will hold more public workshops and meetings through the General Development Plan process to develop detailed design plans for site-specific uses.

In the interim, it is anticipated that existing recreational uses will continue to operate for the enjoyment of community members and visitors. San Diegans are encouraged to submit their comments on the De Anza Natural draft amendment to: [email protected] by the close of its formal public review period on Thursday, April 20.