The City Parks and Recreation Board’s informational hearing on a draft amendment updating Mission Bay Park’s Master Plan turned into a scrum between environmental and recreational stakeholders.

Recreationalists, in large numbers, expressed fear that updating Mission Bay Park’s Master Plan to create more wetlands would encroach upon and endanger active recreational uses of the park including baseball, soccer, tennis, etc.

Environmentalists, who’ve pointed out that wetlands now contained in Kendall-Frost Marsh have dwindled down to 1% of their previous extent, argue that maximizing wetlands expansion is critically important to improving water quality, storing carbon, and preparing for sea-level rise in the future.

De Anza Natural, the latest cove update, which is part of the larger Mission Bay Park Master Plan, seeks to balance recreational interests by maintaining active sports in Mission Bay while fulfilling environmentalists’ desires to restore wetlands.

Both environmentalists and recreationalists argued their case during lengthy testimony before City Parks and Recreation Board on April 20.

“There’s been a lot of talk about a balanced plan,” testified Susan Crowers of Pacific Beach Town Council. “But with so many different groups vying with their special interests, it’s a tall order. It’s important to preserve the natural resources and habitat in the Kendall-Frost Marsh. But I can’t emphasize strongly enough the immense value, and crucial role, of Bob McEvoy Youth Fields.”

“Participation in youth sports provides immediate and long-term physical and mental benefits for youth, families, and their communities,” continued Crowers. “With our City’s aggressive pro-growth agenda packing more and more people into an already overcrowded area, it’s more important now than ever to protect these recreational spaces for our kids.”

“We are members of the ReWild Coalition and have done a lot of research and have been in a lot of training about the importance of marshlands and the immediate movement of climate change and how that will affect everyone’s children,” said Dr. Cherry Robinson of Climate Education and Activism For San Diego, which promotes climate science and education. “We’re making some changes for our children. I very much encourage you to look at the ReWild Coalition’s plan; it’s a bit different than the City’s current plan. Change is difficult. I hear everybody saying they don’t want things to change. Climate change is happening. And we need to make hard choices.”

In a letter, Mission Bay Youth Field Association representing youth baseball, softball, and soccer requested that the Mission Bay Master Plan be revised to “preserve, protect and enhance the current athletic area uses. The MBYFA collectively operates, maintains, and utilizes the Bob McEvoy Youth Athletic Fields and provides continuous year-round service to between 500 and 600 youth athletes between the ages of 6 and 16. The 8-acre community and regional field complex accommodates athletes across a broad area of our City including La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Clairemont, University City, North Park, and Central San Diego communities. The current draft proposes new uplands habitat and trail along Rose Creek which will eliminate two of the four ball fields.

“There are no provisions within the plan that state that the ball fields will be replaced in-kind,” continues MBYFA’s letter. “Relocating and replacing these ball fields will displace portions of the golf course or tennis courts. MBYFA wants to make it clear to the City that the elimination of these youth fields cannot be allowed to happen. The impacts associated with the destruction of these fields will result in the dissolution of these youth baseball, softball, and soccer leagues. There is no other alternative facility available for our leagues to operate.”

After the rec board meeting, Jacob Gelfand, VP for Terra Vista Management, Inc., which operates Campland on the Bay, stated: “Campland on the Bay and Mission Bay RV Resort have provided options for low-cost, family-friendly camping on the waterfront for more than 50 years in San Diego. While we support the preservation and enhancement of the park’s natural environment, it is vital that any long-term plan for Northeast Mission Bay balance active recreation with the environment. Millions of San Diegans enjoy camping and recreation in northeast Mission Bay each year and those experiences must be preserved for future generations.”

DE ANZA NATURAL PLAN

• Expand wetlands for both habitats and for public enjoyment.
• Create an iconic recreation destination that maximizes the benefit offered to the region by this extraordinary waterfront amenity.
• Provide the highest and best use of the project area to serve the needs of a broad range of local and regional users.
• Identify a mix of uses that will provide sustainable revenue-generating leaseholds for the City.

To meet these goals the City will engage the community and technical and design experts to determine the potential reuse of the project area to revitalize De Anza and surrounding areas and include a diverse mix of public recreation, camping, wetlands, and other active regional park uses.