Environment Committee Meeting: Fiesta Island Amendment Vote on May 23, 2019
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Environment Committee Meeting: Fiesta Island Amendment Vote on May 23, 2019
The Environment Committee of the San Diego City Council met on Thursday, May 23, 2019, at 1:00 PM (afternoon) to consider the Fiesta Island Amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan. The meeting included a consent calendar item, public comment on non-agenda topics, and a lengthy discussion on the two options (A and B) for the southwest sub-area of Fiesta Island. The committee unanimously voted to recommend Option B to the full City Council.
Consent Calendar
- Water Supply Assessment for UC San Diego Hillcrest Long Range Development Plan Update: Approved unanimously. (Item 1)
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comment (22 speakers, one minute each):
- Fur Ban: Several speakers (Jose Caballero, Cheyenne Cox, Coral Kyler, Dave Engel) representing San Diego Vegan Democrats urged the committee to propose a citywide fur ban. They cited pending state legislation (AB 44), existing bans in other California cities, minimal economic impact, and animal welfare/environmental concerns. No committee action was taken on this item.
- Waterless Urinals: Joseph Dix advocated for waterless urinals in city buildings, citing water savings and cost benefits.
- De Anza Cove / Campland Lease: Multiple speakers (Kieran Zirk, Denise Friedman, John Heatherington, Linda Hardy, Chuck Dunning, Andrew Meyer, Justin Daniel, and others) opposed a proposed lease transfer to Campland, arguing it would circumvent the ongoing public planning process, hinder wetland restoration (Rewild Mission Bay), and delay critical habitat improvements. They called for the Rewild alternative to be fully considered.
- Air Pollution / Smoke-Free Policies: Kathleen Lippitt requested that the city update smoke-free policies to include marijuana smoking and vaping in public places and multi-unit housing.
Discussion Items
Fiesta Island Amendment to Mission Bay Park Master Plan
Staff presented the proposed amendment, which formalizes existing uses and adds improvements. Two options were presented for the southwest sub-area:
- Option A: Includes an 85-acre fenced off-leash dog park, a road, parking, a developed park with playground, swimming beach, and a non-motorized boat storage area. This option was supported by the paddling community (outrigger, dragon boat, kayak clubs) who argued for a permanent safe launch site.
- Option B: Includes a 92-acre fenced off-leash dog area, with parking, trails, and a small dog area. Supported by FIDO (Friends of Fiesta Island Dog Park), Audubon Society, California Native Plant Society, and many dog owners/open space advocates who emphasized preserving the existing natural, multi-use open space.
Organized Presentations (in favor of A):
- James Gonzalez (paddling community) presented a 15-minute presentation highlighting the need for a dedicated non-motorized watercraft facility, noting that there are 17 off-leash dog parks in San Diego but zero dedicated spaces for non-motorized watercraft. He emphasized the community's contributions (disability programs, cancer survivor groups, youth programs) and argued that Option A allows sharing.
Organized Presentations (in favor of B):
- Deborah Madden (FIDO) presented a 12-minute presentation, quoting the Mission Bay Park Master Plan's vision for open space and noting that nearly half of San Diego households have a dog. She argued that Option A would reduce the off-leash area by 30%, create exclusive use for private clubs, and require costly infrastructure. She noted that the Mission Bay Park Committee and Park and Recreation Board both recommended Option B.
- Kathleen Bendel and Kathy Parrish also spoke in favor of Option B, highlighting alternative paddle sites (South Shores, Mariners Point) that already have infrastructure.
Individual Speakers (1 minute each):
- Over 60 speakers addressed the committee, with the majority in favor of Option B. Many shared personal stories about the health benefits (mental and physical) of the open space, including veterans with PTSD, cancer survivors, and families. A few speakers (e.g., Kieran Riggs Saberton) provided detailed cost and environmental analysis, warning that Option A would disturb contaminated soil from the former sludge site and harm least tern habitat.
Committee Discussion:
- Chair Campbell asked staff to commit to working with District 2 office, follow Class I bike/pedestrian paths, and engage with the California Native Plant Society. Staff agreed.
- Councilmember Sherman presented a comparison of amenities at South Shores (existing parking, restrooms, beach, ADA access) versus the need to build them at Fiesta Island, and suggested a feasibility study for South Shores as an alternative for paddlers. He received a commitment from the mayor's office to explore that.
- Councilmember Bree and Councilmember Moreno expressed support for preserving open space and the multi-use character of Fiesta Island. Both noted they are dog owners and understand the importance of the off-leash area.
Key Outcomes
- Motion by Chair Campbell, seconded by Councilmember Sherman, to recommend Option B to the City Council.
- Vote: Unanimous (all present in favor).
- Directive to staff: Work with the mayor's office to conduct a feasibility study for using South Shores (or other locations) as a permanent site for non-motorized watercraft storage and launch.
- Next Steps: The item will go to the full City Council on June 17, 2019, and then to the California Coastal Commission.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome to the environment committee meeting of May twenty-third, two thousand nineteen. This meeting is now in order. Let the record reflect that Council Member Moreno, Bree, and Sherman are present. And I just want to tell you all that uh if you see any of the members of the committee get up, walk around, leave the dais for a minute. Don't worry. We have sound everywhere, and we will still hear your presentations. I'd like to uh turn to our adoption agenda today uh for the committee actions of April eighteenth, two thousand nineteen. Uh does anyone have any changes or corrections? Okay, it's been moved and seconded uh by council member Sherman and seconded by Councilmember Bree. Uh all in favor? Aye. Okay, that passes. We're now gonna move on to non-agenda public comment. Uh this portion of the agenda provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the committee on items of interest within the committee's jurisdiction but not on today's agenda. Comments are going to be limited to one minute each as we have twenty-two who have signed up to speak on non-agenda items. So we are now going to proceed through the speakers, and what I'd like to do is have uh we have five speaker seats. We have five speaker seats up front. So what I'd like to do is have the first five people come up front to the reserve seats so that you can get up and speak in order and on time. And so first we have uh Martha Welsh. Then we have Jose Caballero, followed by Cheyenne Cox, followed by uh Coral Kyler, followed by Dave Engel. So those will be our first five. And then found out there's meters on the shelf and the broken out on on the in the streets. How can you speak how can you um build them if you ask me that um uh um that's not right? Also, um this um uh storms um um grows to the creek and then goes to the ocean or the mission bay. Not filter, so you're polluting that also. I think it was like the ocean. So where's our sewer plant? Why? Solid waste that's what we do here. It's an old system. And also, um, I found out uh point um um 2000 uh two didn't build it yet, and you voted for that also. So you don't care about the ocean. The good news is the snow pack is very high, but it doesn't have very fast. Thank you. Uh next we have Jose Caballero. Hello, and thank you for uh allowing us to speak today. Um I'm here as a member of the vegan democrats, and I urge you to propose a fur ban in San Diego. And I'm gonna be taking a political um argument at this case because in San Diego, we can't be caught flat fit footed when this mandated band is imposed by the state. A B 44 is a statewide fur ban that is going to make fur uh illegal here in the state of California. It's already passing committees and it will be signed by the governor. West Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have already passed citywide bans. And the reason this is important is because when we when we have to implement these laws, it might as well already have the infrastructure and ordinance in place for these for these uh for this fur ban. So again, I urge you to pass a citywide fur ban. Thank you. Next we have Cheyenne Cox. Hi, thank you. Um my name is Cheyenne Cox. I am the president of the San Diego Vegan Democrats um and a resident of District 9. I'm here today to urge you to propose a city ordinance to ban fur in the city of San Diego. I want to address any concerns of the economic impact that this ordinance would have, which are very minimal.
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