THE PROBLEM: Richard Rios doesn't mind competing for parking at Mission Bay Park's Bahia Point with other parkgoers during busy summer months, but it irks him that the best spaces are used by employees of the nearby Bahia Resort Hotel.
The Site: Bahia Point in Mission Bay Park
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Rios, a kayaker, usually heads to Bahia Point off Gleason Road three mornings a week and likes parking east of the hotel because there is a grassy strip that lines the parking lot.
Rios said he can carry his almost 50-pound kayak from the water to the grass rather than put it down in sand.
He said he complained to Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who represents the area, and Mission Bay Park workers.
Early one morning last week, Just Fix It saw about a dozen people in Bahia uniforms park there and walk to the hotel. In all, we saw about 75 cars, several had Bahia placards hanging from rearview mirrors.
We drove through the Bahia property and saw many open parking spaces. We also saw several signs that said: “Tow Away No Public Parking.”
Rios said if hotel workers must use public parking during the summer, they should use spaces in the back of the hotel that are away from the water.
STATUS: Kathleen Hasenauer, the Park and Recreation deputy director in charge of developed region parks, said she spoke to Jim Greene, the Bahia Resort Hotel's general manager, about the parking situation. Hasenauer said Greene indicated that he would ask employees to use spaces away from the water.
That said, parking in Mission Bay Park is free and available to anyone, so the city cannot prohibit hotel employees from parking there.
Bill Evans, whose family has owned the Bahia since 1952, said the hotel does not offer employees on-site parking and was not required to do so by the city. He said workers have parked in Mission Bay Park since the hotel opened.
While workers will be asked to consider parking away from the water, Evans said that safety is also a consideration, so they may not want to use out-of-the-way spaces, especially at night.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Kathleen Hasenauer, who can be reached at (619) 235-1157 or khasenauer@sandiego.gov.
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn't fixed despite your complaints? Whether it's a missing bus bench or an unkempt park anywhere in San Diego County, Just Fix It might be able to help.
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