Bay mission leaders Pump the brakes on city efforts to develop a long-toxic coast-San Diego Union-Tribune

Plans to put new beaches, ramps of boats and other recreational equipment on an empty section of Bay mission coastline have been removed from the fast track this week by a group of community leaders.

The Bay Park Mission Committee rejected a proposal to spend $ 600,000 by analyzing the best way to divide the land known as the South Rives between different activities and where each activity must be located.

Committee members strongly support the transformation of the 100 acres of underused land into public facilities – but they said that the City should first analyze the history of the land as a discharge site for waste and industrial waste in the 1950s.

They said that it had no sense to spend $ 600,000 by creating a card offered equipment – called a general development plan by city officials – before studying what parts of the southern coasts are too toxic to the public.

“People are walking with knowledge that there is toxic waste somewhere in the field in the southern coasts,” said Jeff Johnson, president of the committee. “Before we make a GDP, we must spend money to do an objective study to know where it is, what it is and how bad it is.”

The development of South Shores, just east of Seaworld and just in the south of Fiesta Island, was delayed for decades by concerns about its history.

A study completed in 2006 revealed that more than 2 million tonnes of waste was poured into the southern shores during the years when it served as a discharge from 1952 to 1959.

In addition to residential waste, the area has been used for industrial waste. When the city aggressively flirted with the bay in the 1960s, the discharge was covered by layers of equipment that had been dredged, the study said.

The study forced the city to continuously monitor toxins in the region with more than a dozen sites. The samples are always taken four times a year.

City officials said Thursday that the same environmental engineering company that had carried out the 2006 assessment provides expertise for the general development plan.

They also said it was logical to continue such a plan before knowing which areas are too toxic to use in part because it will save money. Instead of analyzing all the southern coasts for toxicity, the analysis will focus on the areas designated for equipment.

“Environmental engineers will recommend any additional test required depending on the location and type of equipment offered through the public contribution process,” the city said in a statement prepared on Thursday. “The intention of this targeted approach is to make the best use of available resources by concentrating tests in the areas where equipment is offered.”

The city began to study if recreational equipment could be added to the southern coasts in the fall of 2023.

This decision came in part in response to pressure from leisure groups that had been excluded from plans to redevelop Fiesta Island, finalized in 2021, as well as plans to reorganize the northeast corner of the bay near Anza Cove, approved a year ago.

When a group in the running for space in these two areas has been rejected, city officials would suggest South Shores as a possible alternative.

The Bay Boat and Ski Club mission, which would lose the 4 acres it occupies in the northeast corner of the bay under the approved proposal for the region, was informed that it would obtain a replacement place in South Shores.

Canoe and kayak clubs were also mentioned as probable users in South Shores. Some clubs lose space in the northeast corner of the bay, while others have been pressing without success for more space on Fiesta Island.

City officials say they have already spent $ 915,000 to study where to put equipment on South Shores. The $ 600,000 would have enabled the City to finish the study and analyze if it is possible to extend the area with an additional 40 acres.

The additional terrain, called South Shores East, is delimited by Interstate 5, Friars Road, Pacific Highway and Seaworld Drive.

City officials said Thursday that they planned to continue to continue the general development plan, but may have to abandon the plans to include South Shores East.

In the press release, the City said that a special fund called the sludge attenuation fund could be used to replace the $ 600,000 rejected this week. But officials said it would require the approval of the State Coastal Commission.

Johnson, the chairman of the committee, said on Tuesday that he had no sense for him to finish a general development plan first.

“Why would you do this if you had to tear everything and spend money to make another?” He said.

Johnson said that the analysis first of toxic waste would allow the City to create a general development plan “based on facts” and allow managers to avoid dangerous areas when creating a provision for the South Coasts.

Two parks planning officials at the meeting on Tuesday evening told Johnson that they could not explain why the city went ahead with the general development plan before analyzing toxic waste.

The committee voted 5-3 to reject the request for funding.

Committee members at the end of the vote said that the Committee had previously approved money for the South Shores plan and that it was logical to allocate more to finish it.

Others said they preferred to reallocate $ 600,000 to projects that could improve water quality at Mission Bay. They suggested asking the city lawyer Heather Ferbert if it would be legal.

The money comes from a regulation of $ 8.5 million between the city and Seaworld which was finalized in January – part of the SeaWorld rent refused to pay the city during the pandemic when the park was mainly closed.

From this money, $ 5.2 million went to the Bay Park mission improvement fund, which the Committee supervises.

The Committee approved all other money financing requests on Tuesday, including $ 3.5 million for Robb land upgrades, $ 700,000 for upgrades to the Dusty Rhodes Park and some smaller projects.

City officials said in December that they would reveal at the start of this year two competing visions for the entire empty zone that would differentiate in the activities that would be included, the number of acres each would obtain and where they would be located.

But these competing visions have never been released. And a public workshop is temporarily scheduled for February or March has never occurred.

During a public workshop last year, city officials listed the main options for passive and active recreational uses for the southern coasts.

Passive options include open grass areas, habitat, natural trails, picnic space, sandy areas, improved shores and a high walk by the water.

Active options include playgrounds, outdoor fitness areas, short tennis, pickleball and basketball and fields for baseball, football and football.

Originally published: April 4, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.