Mission Bay Park restrooms remain closed. What's next?

S1: Welcome in San Diego , it's Jade Hindman. So why are so many bathrooms in mission Bay Park closed , and what would it take to reopen them? We'll talk about the story behind that. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. When you go to mission Bay Park , you'll see lots of people jogging , walking their dogs or kids using the playground. But one thing that's frustrated visitors lately is the lack of available bathrooms. Last month , the city closed nearly half the public restrooms in the park due to budget cuts. Joining me now to talk about the impact is Bradley Schnell. He's the founder of mission Bay Park Conservancy. Brad , welcome to the show.

S2: Thanks for having me.

S1: Glad to have you here. So the city closed 13 out of 28 available restrooms in the park. That's been in effect since last July. What was your initial reaction to the closures?

S2: Well , it just happened this July. Well , I guess last July was I can't.

S1: I know we're here already.

S2: Um , but , uh , yeah. You know , it was sort of an anticipated , uh , closure that obviously in a very challenging budget year for the city. Um , but it is a having some very real impacts on , on the community as a whole.

S1: And this happened due to budget cuts , according to the city. You know , these closures are projected to save nearly $550,000. Um , when did you first get wind that the restrooms could be closed?

S2: Well , it first came out when the initial budget proposal came out , I think it was in February , and they were originally going to close. Uh , I think something in the magnitude of 38 restrooms across the city. Um , thankfully , a lot of those were restored , but mission Bay Park got the. The blunt end of of closures 13 of 28.

S1: Actually what's been the impact on park visitors?

S2: It's it's extremely challenging , especially right now in this moment of the summer where it's the park is at its busiest. Um , it's it's it it's hard to I'm trying to articulate , um , as we talk about the things that come from restrooms , if , if I can be polite on the radio. Sure.

S1: Well , I mean , so people aren't able to get into those restrooms. Yes.

S2: Yes. Um , and but I think , you know , from my , my stand for our standpoint in the organization , you know , this is really just a symptom. And I think one of the things that is unique about mission Bay Park , which I think is maybe not an excuse , is that 80 years ago , when they envisioned this amazing jewel of San Diego , they didn't have the money to pay for all the operations and all the facilities. They actually had this vision to create. Lease holds on the property that would actually generate revenue for the park specifically. The park generates nearly $40 million a year in revenue through these lease holds , and the first 20 of it goes to the general fund. So the argument that there's not enough money to keep the park restrooms open is pretty thin.

S1: Do you see this as an issue of accessibility?

S2: Well , obviously it's an issue with accessibility with you know , we have these our parks are really they're open to the public. They are a public asset. Mission Bay Park was actually granted by the state as a as a public trust for the city to manage. And and part of that obligation is keeping it open and accessible to all.

S1: What would your solution be?

S2: Well , okay , so the conservancy , we're motivated to really do our best to participate and help support the city in this issue. I do think that the that our elected officials need to seriously consider reopening them in full. But the Conservancy is aimed to have a special use permit with the city , like there are other special use permits in Balboa Park. And the La Jolla Coastal Conservancy in La Jolla has a special use permit where they can supplement and help the city keep things open.

S1: I mean , because , Brad , this is a this is a huge public health concern. I would think it is. Right. What's the discussion been like around that?

S2: It is a public health concern. But I think from from our standpoint , this is a much bigger issue. This is really a symptom of.

S1: What's bigger than public health.

S2: Well , I think it's how we want to look at our generational assets. You know , mission Bay Park is not something that can be managed on an annual budget cycle or even on a four year political cycle. It is generational in scale. It's it's one of the most complicated environments in California. It's got environmental , commercial. Commercial , recreational and and public access issues that all come in and , and are engaged in , in a daily basis.

S1: A cut ballot measure freed nearly $2 million in the budget. City Council member Um Raul has proposed sort of putting some of those funds into bathroom maintenance , but Mayor Todd Gloria rejected the proposal. How are you working through these possible solutions?

S2: Well , those seem like they are political issues. And I don't think that restrooms and public parks should be on the political debating spectrum. Our goal with the organization is to try to organize volunteers , supplement with raising funds , and do our best to support keeping them open as best as we can. Wow.

S1: Wow. Well , you funded or founded rather the mission Bay Park Conservancy this year. Why did you want to start it?

S2: Mission Bay Park is such a unique , unbelievable jewel of San Diego. I actually have a long term lease hold on mission Bay Park , and have spent the better part of the past ten years improving a small corner of it. And I think one of the things that I've observed over the whole is that we need to , as a whole community , embrace how wonderful this park is and actually start taking care of it the way it should be.

S1: Um , what role do you see the Conservancy playing in preserving mission Bay Park long term?

S2: Well , I think one , there's a number of issues that we want to address , both in the short term and the long term. But one of the things that we look at is that the mission Bay Park master plan hasn't seriously been revisited in over 35 years. Um , that being said , actually , there was an amendment to , uh , the mission Bay master plan that's being proposed and heard in the Coastal Commission actually this month regarding the De Anza Cove redevelopment. It specifically as we think about the restrooms. You know , one of the things that I'm concerned about is if we're going to invest in these major capital projects where we're going to revitalize Anzac Cove , and we can't simultaneously keep the restrooms open. I think we have a serious problem with how we are managing the park. And and it might not just be a political issue. I think it actually demands and requires a broader spectrum , long term view , a generational view.

S1: You know , you alluded to the mission Bay Park master plan earlier. Can you walk us through the history of mission Bay Park and its place in the community today?

S2: Well , there's a lot of history , but it was originally. They originally called it the false Bay , and it was a wetlands. But in the 1940s , they began this process of dredging it and and turning it into this aquatic sort of playground that it is today. Okay.

S1: Okay. Well , from from where you stand. I mean , what does this issue over restrooms say about , you know , how we value open spaces and parks in our region?

S2: I think it's problematic. But I'll tell you from our fledgling days here as an organization , nonprofit trying to raise awareness and solve the problems , the community response has been overwhelming and incredibly positive. It actually restores a lot of confidence that I have that that there is hope and a very clear path to making it better.

S1: And in a place like , you know , San Diego , where the cost of living is skyrocketing. Why is it so important to have access to free green spaces , if you will? Beach. You know.

S2: I think you just put the nail on the head. You know , recently there was some , uh , some controversy regarding Balboa Park and parking fees. You know , in this day and age where everything seems to be more expensive. Um , having free , fully free places where people can go and spend time , especially in our parks. These are the places where our children need to play. This is places where they need to be open and accessible for all you know.

S1: Is there a timeline for when the restrooms might be open , or are they closed indefinitely? As you understand it.

S2: As far as we're understanding , they are closed indefinitely and there's no talk right now of reopening them next budget year. Um , last year they tried to close , um , the they wanted to get rid of all the fire pits on Balboa Park. I'm sorry. Mission Bay Park. Um , and thankfully , there was a grant from the county that that covered that up. But but this isn't. This is an annual process every single year. Uh , mission Bay Park is on the chopping block , and I think we need to really reconsider as a as a community , how to engage this.

S1: In a statement to KPBS. Last week , the mayor said he wants to keep as many public restrooms open as possible , but that the funding identified wouldn't be a sufficient long term solution for staffing , maintenance and operational cost for bathroom maintenance. He also said the city will continue to evaluate its options to reopen the restrooms. That in mind , you know what's what's next on your agenda?

S2: Well , I think with that in mind , we next this week actually were meeting with Parks and Rec , and we're hoping to do what we can to figure out some sort of solution. A special use permit specifically around maintenance and care is our key focus and priority right now.

S1: Is there anything else that you're hoping to accomplish through the Conservancy? Absolutely.

S2: Absolutely. I think that , you know , mission Bay Park is a crown jewel of San Diego. And I think one of the things that I've learned over the past ten years of spending almost every day there , is that it is one of the best places on in San Diego and maybe in the country , and we need to start treating it that way. Um , there are examples , uh , similar examples of organizations such as the Central Park Conservancy in New York that during the the 70s and 80s , when Central Park was really disregarded , um , came in and catalyzed the community to to turn Central Park into one of the best places on Earth.

S1: Um , you know , in a conversation earlier with our producer , you said that , you know , you see mission Bay Park as a microcosm of everything that California is facing right now. Um , what what do you mean by that?

S2: Well , it's it's an incredibly complicated , uh , land area. Um , it it is a coastal Commission has Coastal Commission oversight. It's a land trust. And I think that actually , to me , is one of the most important aspects. The the land itself was gifted to the city of San Diego to keep and maintain interest and some of those things that are written in the In the Land Trust documents. 1955 amendment. Say very clearly that they need to keep the bathhouses open. That's what they called them then.

S1: And who gifted the land?

S2: It's from the state. Okay.

S1: Okay. California did. Yeah. Um , well , what else do you think people are missing in this conversation?

S2: Well , I think , um. Gosh , I mean , to me , it's really about looking forward to the future , and I think we've got to. There are immediate problems that we have to solve. The restrooms are very clear. It's right in front of us. People are using the restrooms on the outside rather than on the inside. Um , but we need to take a deep breath and look at what our what do we as a community want to see in our future? And I think our parks represent one of the key areas that are about our future. I mean , the people that use the parks , most are actually children. We're building brand new playgrounds all around mission Bay Park. And one of the interesting kind of nuances of the funding of mission Bay Park is that , um , of the of the 40 million that I talked about , the first 20 million go to the general fund. The rest of the funds actually go to capital improvement projects. So while we're having a hard time keeping the operations working , um , we're able to build brand new facilities. And some of the new restrooms , I understand , actually are brand new facilities that are closed. So I think , you know , there's there's certainly a broader conversation that we should be having about does proposition C , which was passed a , I think , in 2008 that that set this framework for the first 20 million. Does that still hold? Do we need to actually revisit , um , that original 20 million and keep it in the park? Possibly. Yeah.

S1: Yeah. You know , and before we go , what do you think the larger impact is here , right? We know you've got closed restrooms. It's an impact of public health. Um , there's economic impacts to that , too.

S2: Undoubtedly , undoubtedly. And I think especially in one of our places , that's one of our top tourist locations. I mean , people are going to come and they're going to have this feeling , and I think it hurts the businesses around there as well. So , um , but we're we're trying our best to look on the bright side because frankly , I think these problems are very solvable. And I think we have the community will to do it. And hopefully , uh , our elected officials see , see the same thing that we do.

S1: All right. Well , we'll leave our conversation there. I've been speaking with Bradley Chanel , founder of the mission Bay Park Conservancy. Brad , thank you so very much.

S2: Thanks for having me.

S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman.

S3: Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.