Campland on the Bay
Aerial view of Campland on the Bay. Courtesy of the camp

The San Diego City Council voted 6-3 on Monday to approve a five-year lease extension for Campland on the Bay that allows it to expand into the recently closed De Anza Cove mobile home park.

The vote was seen as a victory for RV owners seeking inexpensive vacation lodging, but a blow to efforts to clean up a polluted section of Mission Bay.

ReWild Mission Bay, a coalition of environmental groups, said the decision “needlessly postpones wetland restoration actions that are critical to the resiliency and viability of the remnant Kendall Frost Marsh.”

The short-term lease extension requires Campland to remove 167 dilapidated mobile homes from De Anza Point, increase the number of RV slots, remodel a nearby clubhouse and add new landscaping.

Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, whose district includes Mission Bay, described the lease extension as a “short-term answer.” City officials noted it would take five years to prepare for long-term improvements to the area.

“Our actions today will not prevent or delay the long-term conversation or the conversion of the northeast corner of the bay to marshland,” Campbell said.

The agreement was opposed by Councilmembers Vivian Moreno, Gergette Gomez and Barbara Bry.

Chris Jennewein is Editor & Publisher of Times of San Diego.