SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Locals gathered in Mission Bay Saturday to protest a hotel's expansion plans which they say will complicate public parking and access.
The Bahia Resort Hotel has planned a number of changes to the area surrounding the hotel, aimed at adding lawn and picnic areas. The plans for the expansion were approved by the City Council in 1994. Hotel owner Bill Evans said there have been more than 110 meetings on the subject.
Hundreds of protestors paddled out Saturday with signs calling to "save Bahia Point," in opposition to the plans, which will remove a strip of public parking from the nearby beach — used by many to paddleboard or kayak in the bay.
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Evans says they are actually increasing public access and amenities with the expansion, and that critics are concerned about convenience.
"Yes, there will be inconvenience about having to walk 25-30 feet with a paddleboard to get it in the water," Evans said.
Additional reviews are scheduled by the City Council and the California Coastal Commission over the hotel's expansion.
