The Mission Bay Park Committee (MBPC) gave the San Diego Humane Society the green light for its annual Walk for Animals at Crown Point Shores, but told Stay Classy to come back with more specifics on their proposed event to help homeless youth. At its Dec. 2 meeting, the MBPC also discussed the status of the Fiesta Island redevelopment project and voted to rename South Shores in honor of longtime park advocate Rose Marie Starns. “Rose Marie was like a glacier. You couldn’t stop her,” said Bill Evans, speaking on behalf of the Mission Bay Park Lessees Association. “No one you know who’s alive today will have as much impact on Mission Bay Park.” In 1966, he said, the community had no sense of ownership over the expansive park. Starns organized duck and Thunderboat races, Easter egg hunts and other events that helped put Mission Bay Park on the community’s radar. No shrinking violet, she fought to get the support of the city’s mayors and councilmembers and was a champion of the park’s lessees and other organizations. “She’d arm wrestle you on a subject, but at the end of the day she’d buy you a drink,” Evans said. “After she raised her family, she spent most of her waking hours in Mission Bay Park,” said former MBPC member Ted Jardine, another longtime park supporter who opened the area’s visitor information center in 1969. “I miss her, Mission Bay Park misses her,” he said. Stressing that the committee should be cautious about naming areas after people, MBPC member Don Peterson said he believed Starns deserved the honor. The rest of the committee agreed, voting unanimously to rename South Shores after the woman many call “the mother of Mission Bay Park.” Another longtime fixture of Mission Bay, sport fishing, could be on its way out. The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, formerly known as the Hyatt Islandia, recently terminated its sport fishing leases. Reading from a written statement from Gary Jones of the city’s Real Estate Assets Department, MBPC chairperson Rick Bussell said that the city had determined that the hotel was within its rights to cancel the leases. Furthermore, he said, the city did not find any conflict of interests with the California Coastal Commission. “I’ve always felt sport fishing was synonymous with Mission Bay,” Bussell said. He would like the committee to later review the situation in more detail. Bussell also wants to schedule a staff meeting and workshop on how to implement funds Mission Bay Park will receive as a result of the passage of Proposition C. Under the 30-year charter amendment, lease revenues in excess of $23 million – an estimated $5 to $12 million annually – from SeaWorld, The Bahia Resort Hotel and other Mission Bay Park commercial properties will go to the park instead of the city’s general fund. An additional 25 percent, or $2 to $4 million, will go to Balboa and other regional parks. The proposition’s passage is a rare bright spot for the Park and Recreation Department. To compensate for a $43 million shortfall, the city is considering cutting staff and closing several libraries, including the Ocean Beach and Clairemont branches. “I personally am done approving any cuts to the Park and Recreation Department. The city needs to find its money elsewhere,” Bussell said. His comments echo the message of a letter the Park and Recreation Board sent to City Council. The council recently voted to give $4,000 to KTU+A, the firm handling the Fiesta Island redevelopment project. In August 2006, KTU+A presented a redevelopment proposal for the vast island based on the Mission Bay Park Master Plan, an outline for park development that City Council and the California Coastal Commission approved in 1994. That plan does not designate areas for dogs, but public workshops in 2006 and 2007 revealed that dog owners are one of the area’s largest and most vocal user groups. KTU+A has created several alternatives to accommodate dogs. Members of FIDO (Fiesta Island Dog Owners) concerned about possible conflicts between dogs and paddlers have requested that a consultant look further at other locations for the boat users. Councilwoman Donna Frye suggested a contract amendment that would allot $4,000 to KTU+A for that purpose. It is unclear how much work can be done for that amount, said Paul Jacob of the Park and Recreation Department. He believes the council will probably have to pass another contract amendment to cover the scope of the project. Ironically, Fiesta Island is not an ideal venue for the San Diego Humane Society’s annual Walk for Animals. The area does not lend itself to dog walking because it is less than ideal for strollers, said Dr. Mark Goldstein, president of the San Diego Humane Society. Dogs would be forced to walk in sensitive wildlife areas, he added. The committee voted to allow the Humane Society to return to Crown Point on May 2 for its 15th annual event. Dogs are not normally allowed in the area, but committee members agreed that the organization has cleaned up after their pets and left the area in good condition. Committee members were less comfortable with Stay Classy’s Elemental Experience to raise awareness of youth homelessness. The philanthropic social networking company proposed a walk through Mission Bay Park, with an estimated 500 participants, followed by a music festival with ten to 12 bands on Ski Beach, expected to draw roughly 5,000 participants, to take place in May. Organizers also planned to hold a recycling initiative prior to the event. MBPC member Mort McCarthy, representing lessees other than hotels, summed up many committee members’ concerns when he said, “There are too many to-be-determineds.” Security had not been hired and too many elements were missing from the application, he said. McCarthy also wanted to hear from the event’s benefactor. Other members also expressed concern about who exactly would be receiving what portion of the profits. Amplified noise and the potential impact of a crowd of 5,000 on Ski Beach also were discussed. Committee member Richard Miller, representing the Sierra Club, also expressed concern over the recycling drive, specifically how electronics and toxic materials would be disposed of. Saying he had enjoyed previous Stay Classy events, member at large Gregg Peterson recommended organizers start off with something smaller instead of the combined walk, music festival and recycling initiative. Though many committee members liked the concept and spirit of the event, they decided to table the matter until Stay Classy could return with a more comprehensive version of their proposal. The MBPC will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the Santa Clara Recreation Center, 1008 Santa Clara Place.