PRESS RELEASE

CAMPLAND ON THE BAY CONTACT:

 Jacob Gelfand, (760) 846-2226, Jacob@terrav.com

 

City Council Committee Votes to Advance De Anza Short-Term Improvement Project

Community Members Filled Council Chamber in Overwhelming Support of Project that will Clean-up the Environment, Improve Coastal Access and Accelerate Future Plans for Northeast Mission Bay.

 

SAN DIEGO, June 13, 2019 – For more than 50 years, Campland on the Bay has provided affordable coastal access in Mission Bay, and now the San Diego coast is one step closer to becoming more accessible. Yesterday, in front of a jubilant crowd of local campers, community leaders and residents, the City of San Diego Land Use and Housing Committee voted in support of advancing the De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project. Under the project, Campland would help the City improve affordable coastal access and clean up the De Anza “boot” in Mission Bay Park by removing asbestos-filled mobile homes that have been abandoned for years at the site. The agreement is seen as a win-win for the public and the environment because it helps accelerate future plans for wetlands and the revitalization of De Anza.

“We are grateful to the Council Committee for advancing this project to improve coastal access in the short-term for local families,” said Jacob Gelfand, Vice President of Operations for Campland on the Bay. “This project will ensure continued access to affordable camping in the short-term at De Anza, while supporting the City’s longer-term planning process by promptly removing environmental hazards and permanent, asbestos-filled homes from the site.”

Jacob Gelfand of Campland and the San Diego Real Estate Assets Department presented the De Anza Short-term Clean-up and Improvement project before the Council Committee. The Council chamber was packed with supporters from across the region who expressed overwhelming support for the project, with several community members calling it a “win-win for all.”

“This short-term project will clean up De Anza, protect the environment and re-open more of the site to the public – including coastal bike and pedestrian paths. Importantly, the project does so without interfering with the City’s future plans for wetlands or the De Anza Revitalization plan – making it a win-win for the community and the environment,” said Matt Gardner, President of Mission Beach Town Council. Later the same day, the Mission Beach Town Council voted 74-3 to endorse a resolution of support for the project.

At the hearing, the City made clear that the short-term project will not interfere with or delay the long-term planning process for De Anza, but will help support a long-term solution by clearing the area of environmentally hazardous structures.

Within 24 months of implementation of the short-term clean-up and improvement project, Campland will remove the abandoned, asbestos-filled homes from the site. Campland will also repair the waterfront bike and pedestrian paths around the De Anza peninsula (often called “the Boot”), accelerating the City’s long-term plans for Northeast Mission Bay. It would also repurpose existing infrastructure to add 150 temporary campsites to the existing 260 campsites at De Anza, expanding affordable access and generating increased revenues for the City as it finalizes its final plans for Northeast Mission Bay.

“Local families have enjoyed affordable coastal access at De Anza and Campland for generations,” said Terri Campbell, Co-Chair of Friends of Campland, a local coalition formed by Campland supporters. “The De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project will ensure these affordable opportunities are available in the short-term for the hundreds of thousands of San Diego families who rely on camping in Mission Bay to access our coastline each year.”

By providing the City with $8 million of interest-free financing that is reimbursed through rent credits, Campland can begin the cleanup and revitalization of De Anza. The City used a similar process to restore The Plunge at Belmont Park, which is scheduled to reopen later this summer. Additionally, Campland will invest an additional $8.6 million in operational improvements that are not eligible for rent credits. This will be used to enhance the security, aesthetics, and experience of the De Anza property during this interim period.

Following the vote by the Land Use and Housing Committee, the proposed plan moves on to City Council. The San Diego City Council will consider the De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project on Monday, June 24.

For more information on Campland on the Bay, please visit www.campland.com to learn more about why it is the most popular campground in San Diego. To learn more about Friends of Campland, an advocacy group composed of volunteers, campers and community members dedicated to preserving waterfront RV camping on Mission Bay, visit www. FriendsofCampland.org, where you can also download a summary of the project.

# # #