Lorie Zapf, City Councilmember-elect for District 2, a vast area that represents Mission Beach and many other seaside communities in San Diego, is backing a petition drive asking residents to support fixing the Plunge pool and continue other improvements at Belmont Park.
The petition drive was launched Nov. 9 during a rally held by Zapf and Mission Beach community leaders. The rally launched the gathering of signatures in support of the neighborhood plan to fix the historic Plunge pool and do other necessary upgrades to Belmont Park.
“We got 300 signatures in less than three hours from residents, business owners, and tourists,” said Alex Bell, Zapf’s director of communications.
Bell said the City Council took up the item of the proposed Belmont Park lease extension in closed session last week, and is expected to look at it again in open session soon.
Noting Belmont Park is a prime tourist destination, a city landmark and a community asset, the petition asks residents to support the neighborhood plan, which would make the following modifications to the proposed park lease extension:
• set a term of 40 years with one, 10-year option to extend;
• have leaseholder Pacifica Enterprises assume all costs to restore the iconic Plunge pool, with the city limiting rent credits to no more than $5.9 million;
• remove paid valet parking;
• request that Pacifica commit to $18 million in new capital improvements in Belmont Park;
• require future park improvements 20 to 30 years into the lease term. “The park is thriving under current ownership, which has already invested several million dollars in improvements to help restore it as a treasure to San Diego,” said Zapf in a memo. “I have been getting calls and emails from the Mission Beach community stating how pleased they are with the positive changes Pacifica has made to the park. In order to assist Pacifica to continue to make investments, and open the widely used Plunge swimming pool, I have reached out to stakeholders to help determine what is best for Mission Beach.”
Zapf said, after meeting with the city’s Real Estate Assets Department, community members and representatives of Pacifica, that she has developed revisions to the proposed lease, which she believes are “amenable to all parties and responsive to input provided at City Council hearings.”
“I respectfully call on my council colleagues to support the incorporation of these recommended modifications into the proposed lease when it comes before them,” Zapf said.