logo

Shaping the Future: Fragmented development threatens bayfront

image
Author: Indy
Created: 08 October, 2008
Updated: 13 October, 2022
3 min read

Editorial San Diego Union-Tribune March 2, 2007

Piecemeal development of San Diego's picturesque waterfront has left a tangle of tourist-related activities interspersed with office towers, gaping parking lots, shipping terminals and other maritime enterprises. San Diego long has lacked a coherent vision for its bayfront, which many simply take for granted as they speed along Harbor Drive and glimpse the scene of sailboats bobbing at anchor.

Now, however, this laissez faire approach threatens to desecrate the bayfront by walling off view corridors and restricting public access along the water's edge. The most prominent menace is the Navy's ruinous proposal to erect massive, 400-foot-tall buildings within a few yards of the shore.

The Navy project, on nearly 15 acres of extraordinary waterfront property south of Broadway, is itself a bitter lesson in what can happen when there is no overarching vision to guide development. Fifteen years ago the City Council acted in a vacuum when it granted the Navy legal entitlements to this oversized project. Now, virtually every civic leader in San Diego is shaking his head in disappointment at the prospect that this prime parcel will be transformed into a steel and concrete behemoth, darkening a huge swath of the embarcadero.

Just in time, two veteran San Diego elected officials, Supervisor Ron Roberts and former state Sen. Steve Peace, have launched a bipartisan effort to save the bayfront. Their idea is to enlist all of the Governmental entities in San Diego – the City Council, the Board of Supervisors, the Navy, the Port Commission, the Airport Authority – to devise a comprehensive master plan for the entire waterfront, from Lindbergh Field to National City.

This is not a new idea. Nor is it a simple idea. In fact, it is a daring challenge to San Diego to strive toward a bigger dream, to realize at last the enormous potential of our unique setting on the bay. It also is a historic opportunity that must not be lost.

Apart from overhauling the Navy's proposal by working out a deal to relocate its headquarters building to another location, Roberts and Peace have a long list of other promising ideas to enhance the waterfront. A broader public process, involving not only government agencies but also ordinary citizens, would doubtless generate many more good ideas.

The overall aim is to push development back a bit to make room for a wide public promenade along the bay. Harbor Drive, now a traffic-clogged artery, would give way to pedestrians and related activities, allowing people open access to the water.

Another looming threat to this grand vision is the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority's imminent plans to build 10 additional gates at Lindbergh Field. This would essentially preclude the idea of moving the airport's terminal operations to the Interstate 5 side of the airport, freeing up valuable acreage on the Harbor Island side of the airport for public access to the bay.

IVP Existence Banner

At the very least, airport commissioners should delay the gate expansion and join in the comprehensive planning process envisioned by Roberts and Peace. So should San Diego's other governmental players. This rare chance to reshape the future must not be missed.

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read