Statement from Dr Jen Campbell:
The Bahia Resort Hotel is trying to get the City of San Diego to approve an expansion of their leasehold, getting rid of Gleason Road, over 270 parking spaces and public access to the public beach at Bahia point which is one of the few areas where non-motorized, recreational watercraft can launch into Mission Bay.
Currently, hundreds of San Diegans enjoy this area for picnics, wading, swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, outriggers, prone boards, and other types of non-motorized water recreational enjoyment.
I am running for City Council because the residents of District 2 are tired of not being included or informed of decisions the City is making without their knowledge.
This is a decision involving the leasing of even further public property on the shores of Mission Bay to the Bahia Hotel, owned by the Evan Hotels group. The Bahia has already taken over the western side of the Bahia Point beach by placing shrubbery at the tip of the Bahia peninsula that effectively blocks off that part of the beach from public access.
Furthermore, they have situated hotel lounge furniture throughout the beach, effectively making it a private beach on public land. In truth, all beaches in San Diego are public beaches, and we cannot allow the further encroachment on public lands by private, profit-driven entities taking advantage of our city.
As a candidate for San Diego City Council District 2, I am against the Bahia Hotel expansion taking away the current parking and public access to this invaluable and historic piece of San Diego’s coastline.
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For background, see these:
- Mission Bay Park Committee Okays Near-Doubling of Bill Evan’s Bahia Resort and Take-Over of Public Beach
- Beach Residents Mobilize to Halt Evans’ Land Grab of Bahia Point in Mission Bay
- San Diego Park and Rec Board Gives Go-Ahead to Hotelier Bill Evans’ Public Land Grab at Mission Bay
There are at least 2 groups that have organized to block the development. The group that organized an April 15 protest is called the Citizens and Paddlers against the Bahia Hotel land grab on Bahia Point; here’s their facebook page.
The other group is Keep Mission Bay Public and here’s their website. They organized a Bahia Point Paddle and Appreciation Day back in March.
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So the management placed ‘shrubbery’ to block public access. Which means it has been illegally placed on public land? So can someone ‘create’ a new access corridor through those illegal bushes to regain the supposed legal public access to the west side of the point? Maybe gather a large enough group that could just trample the bushes into the publicly-0wned sand, or would it take a few machetes to chop that corridor clear?
Anybody ever request that those illegal bushes be removed?
Don’t back up a single inch because the wealthy corporate will run you over with a bulldozer if you flinch…just like the STVR fight.
sealintheSelkirks