The City Council voted unanimously Jan. 30 to deny the Peninsula Community Planning Board’s appeal regarding the project proposed for Shoreline Plaza, a strip of land at the northeast corner of Liberty Station, formerly the Naval Training Center.
After six years of debate over what to do with the nearly seven acres of waterfront property, The Corky McMillin Companies wishes to create at the site a business district with community access to the bay called Ocean Village.
The Planning Commission’s decision last month to approve McMillin’s plan was appealed by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and the Peninsula Community Planning Board, a group of residents who advise the city on development. However, on Jan. 29, just one day before the two organizations went before the City Council to oppose the project, the Airport Authority withdrew its appeal.
The planning board appealed the decision because it disagrees with the use of the land and would like to see more open space in the plans. According to board members, McMillin has been operating under the precise plan approved in 2001, when it should have been operating according to the reuse plan approved in 1998.
The City Council conditionally denied the appeal on the grounds that the project followed procedure, stipulating the removal of several parking spaces and addition of open space.
The proposal calls for the demolition of several buildings to allow for more parking and landscaping and to continue the pedestrian esplanade that stretches along the water’s edge parallel to the 46-acre NTC Park. Six original buildings would be renovated and leased under the proposal.
The most recent plans includes up to 486 parking spaces. An estimated 511 spaces are needed based on building size and use.
In the midst of debate over the land’s future use, Point Loma residents Greg Finley and Jay Shumaker of the Liberty Station Organization came forward with a proposal of their own called Victory Harbor, which includes 452 parking spaces and an additional park space as a memorial to those who trained at the former Naval Training Center.
The presentation was strictly informational, as the council did not incorporate any aspects of the proposal into McMillin’s plan.
Matt Harris, a representative from the Airport Authority, spoke at the meeting explaining that the authority still has concerns with the city not coordinating planning and approval processes for projects in and around the San Diego International Airport. However, Harris said the authority did not want to hold up the Shoreline Plaza project any longer and wished to work cooperatively with the city in the future.
At the meeting, the peninsula planning board addressed its concerns that such ideal real estate would be used for parking. Board Chair Cynthia Conger and members Geoff Page and Jarvis Ross said they wanted to see more open space so residents could enjoy the bay.
“A parks situation is the best for this,” Conger said of the board’s vision for the land.
However, residents of Liberty Station speaking against the planning board’s appeal said that Shoreline Plaza is not an ideal location for a park due to the loud noise from planes overhead landing at San Diego International Airport.
On parking, Cory Wilkinson, Development Services Department project manager, said that parking would not be located along the water’s edge, as a pedestrian esplanade serves as a buffer between the water and any development. However, parking would abut the esplanade.
Furthermore, he said, annual updates to the parking management plan will address the issue of underparking and allows for a possible parking structure to be built along Rosecrans Street and paid for by McMillin.
District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer, whose district includes Liberty Station, moved to deny the peninsula board’s appeal and approve the plan with an amendment: the elimination of 20 or fewer parking spaces and the expansion of landscaping along a portion of the esplanade.
At Faulconer’s urging, the council voted down the appeal with the stipulation that the project include their amendment.
The City Council decision can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission.
“There were a number of misrepresentations presented at the council meeting, by the city’s own staff, and other problems with the ‘report,'” Conger said. ‘I believe we will be [appealing the decision].”
Look for a thorough analysis of the future of the project as well as the larger issue of parking at Liberty Station in next week’s issue.