Its beautiful setting is a beacon for tourism comparable to any national park in the United States. It attracts about 12 million users, annually, and its immediate coastal zone attracts an additional 8-13 million visits to local beaches and attractions. But this publicly developed and maintained urban aquatic park and beach system has serious problems. Mismanagement and questionable leasing practices are both reducing public access and increasing overall usage demands. The impact of over-commercialization is significant.
Local infrastructure is overwhelmed and yet the demands continue to increase.
Sea World is even contemplating putting an initiative on the ballot to request an exemption from the coastal zone 30-foot height limit to allow construction as high as 160 feet. Perhaps it's coincidence that this is the height for a 10-story hotel. But the city's record of dealmaking around Mission Bay does not exactly inspire confidence in the council's resolve to act in the best interest of both Mission Bay Park and the public. The first Sea World lease, approved in October of 1961 for a term of fifty years, consisted of only 20 acres of public park land with the rent coming out to about three cents per square foot per year. The leasehold now covers 150 acres of prime real estate in a public park.