The commission OK’d a permit to tear down abandoned mobile homes and turn the area into short-term campsites for tents and RVs, NBC 7’s Priya Sridhar reports.
After years of negotiations, the California Coastal Commission has approved a permit for Northeast MB LLC, operator of local campgrounds, to clean up almost 170 abandoned mobile homes and replace them with 147 campsites for RVs and tents around the De Anza Cove on the northeast part of Mission Bay.
"This will just provide even more options as RV and tent camping have never been more in demand and more popular," said Jacob Gelfand, COO of the campgrounds.
The commission approved the permit with a number of conditions to protect the environment, specifically the unique marshlands that surround the cove.
"We’ve been working really closely with coastal commission staff and city officials to make sure that this project is done in the safest and most responsible way possible," Gelfand said.
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Environmentalists say they're happy the homes are finally being removed, but they're focused on a long-term solution for the cove that keeps the marshlands restoration as the priority.
"Almost all of Mission Bay has changed except a small piece," said Andrew Meyer of the San Diego Audubon Society. "One percent of that tidal wetland marsh remains in the northeast corner of the bay, and it's home to endangered species, common species, all kinds of beautiful plants and animals who use that tiny little memory of the bay in order to survive."
Gelfand said his organization has 24 months to tear down the abandoned homes and replace them with campsites. The permit was given for the campsites for a few years, but the city is still doing a study on long-term land-use plans for De Anza Cove.
