The Mission Bay Park Committee (MBPC) began the new year by discussing longtime concerns ” beach crime and keeping revenues generated by Mission Bay’s commercial properties in the park and out of the city’s general fund ” when it met at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, at Santa Clara Recreation Center.
The advisory body also revisited and approved a Humane Society dog walk at Crown Point and kicked off its two-year tour of Mission Bay Park with a report on Santa Clara Point.
Rick Bussell, the committee’s Council District 6 representative, presided in place of chairperson Bob Ottilie, who was honoring other commitments.
In response to one attendee’s complaints that there are not enough bicycle officers patrolling Mission Beach between 1 and 4 a.m., Sgt. Mark Heacox of the San Diego Police Department said that “staffing is slightly less in the wee hours of the morning.”
Many officers are dealing with alcohol-related issues on Garnet Avenue during that time, Heacox said.
“There is some vulnerability during those hours,” he said.
“It’s really scary ” even at 8:30,” said Mission Beach Planning Board representative Pam Glover. Transients, car theft and vandalism, and lack of enforcement of nighttime sailboat races on the bay are all areas of concern, she said. Additionally, only one new light has been activated in the area, she said.
Glover had better news on Santa Clara Point. The area’s recreation council is “working very well together,” she reported. The area’s recreation options include the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and Mission Bay Sportscenter.
The committee voted in February 2006 to deny the requests of both facilities for exclusive lease renegotiation rights, recommending that the sites be opened to other bidders in accordance with the city’s Request for Proposal (RFP) policy. In addition to concerns that the facilities cater to an elite crowd of college and university students and alumni, the MBPC said they believed the city ” and the park ” could get more revenue.
The committee has identified netting more revenue and keeping it in Mission Bay Park ” and out of the city’s general fund ” as its top priority.
To that end, the committee examined the Mission Bay Park Ordinance. Enacted in 2004, the ordinance states that the Mission Bay Improvement Fund and Regional Park Fund each receive 25 percent of Mission Bay Park revenues over $20 million, not to exceed $2.5 million each in a fiscal year.
The City Council has traditionally voted to waive the ordinance. The funds have instead gone into the city’s general fund ” leaving capital improvement projects, such as redeveloping South Shores, unfunded and incomplete.
The mayor has the final say, though, said Park and Recreation Director Ted Medina.
Mayor Jerry Sanders opted in the last fiscal year to keep the excess revenues out of the general fund. They will instead go toward a new lifeguard boat dock.
Ottilie said of the decision in December, “That serves the ocean, not the bay.”
Many of the capital improvement projects outlined in the Mission Bay Park Master Plan, the guideline for the park’s redevelopment, still remain unfinished ” and unfunded, he said.
In addition to letting voters decide where the revenues should go, the MBPC is also considering a grant to establish a Friends of the Park group.
“We can’t just apply for a grant,” said Judy Swink, the committee’s Council District 2 representative. “We need a friends organization.”
The key is bringing together a group of people who work well together, she said. Several individuals with nonprofit experience and familiarity with Mission Bay Park have expressed interest, according to Swink. “It looks promising.”
Turning its attention toward a proposed dog walk in Crown Point, the committee heard from Dr. Mark Goldstein of the San Diego Humane Society.
In September, the MBPC denied the group’s request to hold the event in Crown Point because it would have exceeded the time limit outlined in its permit policy. The committee instead offered the southwest end of Fiesta Island.
Calling Fiesta Island “incredibly restrictive,” Dr. Goldstein said that the site poses too many challenges to seniors and those with baby carriages.
Furthermore, said Goldstein, it would be too difficult for participants at Fiesta Island to leave the walk if necessary. “There’s no going back,” he said, referring to the expansive island’s long trails. At Crown Point, participants could just walk across a field if they need to leave, he said.
Mission Bay Park Manager Susan Gonzales expressed concern about sending a mixed message to enforcement officers who routinely cite dog owners in the area.
“We’d be putting staff in the precarious position of picking and choosing enforcement,” she said.
The harbor patrol does not cite Thunderboats during their annual event even though they are not usually allowed on Mission Bay, pointed out Ocean Beach Planning Board representative Mindy Pellissier.
“We’ve got to, as a city, figure out where there are grey areas,” she said.
The committee voted to approve the Humane Society’s permit request for one year. The motion carried unanimously with one abstention.
The MBPC also considered the permit request of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance to hold its TET Festival at Ski Beach Feb. 9-11, 2008. The group had planned to hold the event at Qualcomm but is considering other options due to potential Super Bowl conflicts. The committee urged the group’s representative, Du Tran, to explore parking options such as shuttles and nearby lots before resubmitting his request. Committee members also expressed concern about carnival rides, which would take up additional parking.
The MBPC will hold its next meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6. The location will be announced.