The Mission Bay Park Committee (MBPC) discussed scaling back redevelopment of Fiesta Island and stepping up efforts to secure financing during its regularly scheduled meeting, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, 1008 Santa Clara Place.
In response to community feedback that Fiesta Island should remain largely undeveloped, project planners have created another alternative: 4B, the reduced intensity version.
The new plan includes additional space for leash-free dogs as well as more native plantings, amp land, soft-surface trails and a floating platform/dock to accommodate small water craft as well as water training and jumping for dogs.
The plan eliminates a segment of two-way roads and two paved parking lots, including one that would have reduced the leash-free area for dogs.
“We have been listening,” said Michael Singleton, the lead consultant on the project. “There’s a dramatic difference between where we started and where we are now.”
At a public workshop in August, hundreds of participants overwhelmingly rejected proposed park enhancements and indicated that they would like to see Fiesta Island remain as is. Dog owners were especially vocal that the park should remain rustic and undeveloped.
Community feedback from the workshop and questionnaires identified leash-free areas as users’ number one priority for the island.
The Mission Bay Park Master Plan, a guideline for park development accepted by City Council in 1994 and approved by the California Coastal Commission, doesn’t include designated areas for dogs.
Members of FIDO ” Fiesta Island Dog Owners ” would like to see the entire island remain leash-free and maintain its current fenced 100-acre leash-free area.
“Maintaining the existing 100-acre fenced area is imperative to avoiding a punitive sacrifice for the longtime frequent dog-owning users when the island is hosting special public events in the summer months,” said Jean Spengel of the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association.
Singleton asked whether the entire 100 acres is necessary to meet dog-owners’ needs. Noting that most leash-free areas in are roughly 20 acres, he said that Fiesta Island’s space is the largest in the country, drawing applause, cheers and one shout of “Keep it that way!” from attendees.
Although members of FIDO would like the leash-free areas to remain untouched, Poli Phillips of FIDO said they would like to see some changes, including improved water quality, wetlands near the mouth of Tecolote Canyon and enhanced roadways for cyclists, runners, walkers and vehicular traffic.
Phillips is typical of many users who would like to see select improvements. Despite early feedback that the island should remain untouched, the majority of people who filled out a questionnaire on the redevelopment plan indicated they would like to see some changes. Improved trails and water quality are two of the top priorities.
“We love using Fiesta Island, but we’re always harping on the city about improving the pavement,” said Kathy Keehan of the San Diego City Bicycle Coalition.
Members of the San Diego Audubon Society and water sport enthusiasts also expressed concerns about the island’s redevelopment.
A member of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Water Ski Team stressed the need for aquatic areas, saying that “an unusually large area” is devoted to dogs.
Meeting the demands of all the groups that use the island is challenging ” and perhaps impossible. “It’s a balancing act,” Singleton said. “Maybe if everyone is grumbling the same amount, we’ve struck a balance.”
Before any changes can be made, one of the versions of the redevelopment plan must be accepted. “We need to get moving on this thing,” Singleton said.
A fully certified environmental document costing several hundred thousand dollars was prepared for the Master Plan. “If we’re not careful, we’re going to have to throw that out,” Singleton said.
The MBPC will review a final proposal before making its recommendation to City Council.
In the meantime, the committee is continuing to solidify plans to ensure that Mission Bay Park-generated revenues stay in the park and go toward the capital improvement projects outlined in the Master Plan.
An enterprise fund that would keep those revenues in the park and out of reach of the city’s General Fund is the goal, said MBPC chairperson Bob Ottilie.
“The whole purpose of having a fund is to get money out of the General Fund and have a revenue base,” he said.
Last year, park lessees, including hotels and SeaWorld, paid roughly $25 million in rent. Possessory interest, sales and transient occupancy taxes, the contract with Pepsi and boat mooring fees generated an additional $19 million.
Under the Mission Bay Ordinance, lease revenues collected within Mission Bay in excess of $20 million are to be used to fund the Mission Bay Improvement Fund and the Regional Park Fund. Each fund gets 25 percent of the excess monies, not to exceed $2.5 million each in fiscal year. The City Council can opt to waive the ordinance.
As a result of the city’s well-documented pension fund crisis and subsequent financial problems, City Council has traditionally voted to divert the park’s revenues into the General Fund.
This year, the revenues were not channeled into the General Fund this year. They will instead go toward a new lifeguard station, according to Ottilie.
“That serves the ocean, not the bay,” he said.
Serving the bay and its users are the MBPC’s top priorities.
To help familiarize themselves with the many regions and users of Mission Bay Park, committee members are embarking on a two-year tour of the vast area.
“It’s the most exciting thing we’ve ever done,” Ottilie said. The tour is designed to identify who uses the park, what their problems and concerns are, and how best to serve them.
The tour will begin at the January meeting at Santa Clara Point. Representatives from the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and Mission Bay Sportscenter will address the MBPC. The tour will continue with Carmel Point in February, Bahia Point in March and Mariners Point in April and continue up Ingraham Street.
“The whole purpose is to better educate everyone,” Ottilie said. “We want to get people involved and develop relationships.”
The information collected from the tour will be used as the foundation for a manual on Mission Bay Park.The committee is also developing a database of groups that use the island. For more information, e-mail MBPC member Pamela Glover at [email protected].
“A lot of people use this park and it’s been ignored,” said Ottilie. “It’s not going to be ignored anymore.”
The MBPC will hold its next meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. The location will be announced.