The Fate of Bahia Point: San Diegans Stand to Lose a Rare, Valuable Public Amenity to a Wealthy Hotelier

Evans Hotels leases from the City of San Diego the land under the Bahia Resort located on a peninsula in the south westerly portion of Mission Bay Park.  At 13.4 acres, the current Evans Hotels leasehold area already occupies the bulk of that peninsula. Wanting more, Evans Hotels has an aggressive plan to eliminate public road access to the tip of the Bahia Peninsula in Mission Bay Park as part of their proposed Bahia Resort redevelopment and expansion. (See highlight in the picture above.)  And they’ve already begun trying to ram through that plan by misrepresenting information and trying to shortcut the requirement for a full environmental review, which would include input from the public.  A May 2018 letter from UNITE HERE Local 30's attorney to the San Diego Mayor and Councilmembers summarizes the situation:

“Evans has presented a now-defunct version of the MBMPU [the Mission Bay Master Plan Update] to City staff, the Parks and Recreation Board, and the Mission Bay Park Committee that omits the [Coastal Commission] direction that development on Bahia Peninsula must retain Gleason Road, and has erroneously claimed that the Project conforms in all respects with the MBMPU.  Based on Evans’ claim, City staff is processing a development plan that would almost double the hotel’s capacity from 315 to 600 rooms as a “City Lease Amendment” with minimal supporting information.  Evans has not sought, and the City is not processing, a MBMPU amendment.  Because the Project, in fact, fails to conform with the MBMPU, it cannot proceed as proposed."

For more information on this, click on the tab A Tale of Two Plans

What makes the public access road to Bahia Point a valuable public amenity?

Gleason Road, the sole public access road to the tip of Bahia Point, lets people with kayaks, paddle boards, and sunfish sailboats drop their heavy gear at the Point, a rare spot where they can launch with good wave and water conditions. In addition, the access road provides rare bayside parking, making Bahia Point a favorite destination for families who want to easily and conveniently park and picnic on the waterfront.

This sort of public access is considered valuable by the State of California and is protected under the State constitution.

We Need the San Diego City Council to Say “No” to Evans Hotels’ Push to Take Bahia Point. Enough Is Enough. Click here to take action.