Fiesta Island is the place to be!

San Diego's most notable beaches

A sampler of notable area beaches offers a variety of recreational options

By BETH WOOD Special to the U-T

10:39 a.m., May 26, 2011

Information

San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau’s beach guide:

sandiego.org/article_set/Visitors/5

San Diego city beaches:

sandiego.gov/lifeguards/beaches

Information on beaches in North and South County: individual city websites

Coastal water closures or advisories in San Diego County: (619) 338-2073

The sun sets behind the Imperial Beach Pier. K.C. Alfred • U-T

With the skyline of San Diego in the background, Suzanne Parker of Orange County relaxes with the dogs at Fiesta Island. Howard Lipin • U-T

People flock to the beach in Oceanside near the pier. David Brooks / Union-Tribune

Ask any group of San Diegans to rank the area’s top beaches and you might start a heated argument. To keep things peaceful, we offer a list of eight particularly notable beaches. How’s that for gingerly stepping around the fire ring?

Amusement unlimited: Mission Beach

If you surf, swim or party at the fire pits, you’re sure to enjoy Mission Beach. If you skate, walk, jog, bike or people watch, you’ll love the boardwalk (an eight-mile-an-hour rule keeps the pace safe). Condos and vacation rentals outnumber shops and eateries, but near the corner of Ocean Front Walk and Ventura Place is a beach-side mall.

Highlight: Belmont Park’s roller coaster, carousel and other rides.

Family fun (North): Moonlight State Beach

Not only does it have a children’s playground, lifeguards, fire rings, sand volleyball courts and picnic facilities, this beach (run by the city of Encinitas) features an overlook area with panoramic views.

Highlight: A short walk from the Coaster station.

Family fun (South): Imperial Beach

This low-key, family-friendly beach features swimming and surfing, lifeguards, playground, fishing pier and playful public art. Near the pier and Seacoast Drive are mostly casual shops and eateries.

Highlight: Cow-a-Bunga, an outstanding ice cream parlor, right by the pier.

Great getaway: Harbor Beach

The largest of Oceanside’s eight beaches, Harbor Beach has three lifeguard towers, picnic tables, barbecue grills, fire rings, gazebos and showers. For those seeking a quieter setting, to the south is the less populated Breakwater Way beach.

Highlight: Nearby Oceanside Harbor’s marina with shopping and culinary options.

Multitasker: La Jolla Shores

Body-boarding, surfing, kayaking, swimming, diving and snorkeling all are possible at this wide, mile-long beach just south of Scripps Pier. It has a boat launch, fire pits, showers and volleyball. The area gets crowded fast in good weather, so morning arrivals are wise.

Highlight: The adjacent Kellogg Park offers grass and a big playground.

Pooches unleashed: Fiesta Island

Yes, canines love Ocean Beach’s Dog Beach and Coronado’s North Beach Dog Run. But they can roam leash-free on almost 100 acres here. All three places are open 24 hours; Fiesta Island has no public restrooms (not that Fido will care).

Highlight: Calm waters.

Rugged icon: Windansea Beach

Famous for its hard-breaking surf, this beach is not for beginners. Swimmers are warned to watch out for rocks when leaving the water, and only skilled surfers are encouraged. Tom Wolfe chronicled Windansea surfers in his 1968 book “The Pump House Gang.”

Highlight: A still-standing, wall-less, Polynesian-style shack built in the 1940s.

Versatility: Coronado Beach

This wide and sandy beach with usually gentle waves makes for an ideal family outing. But adults can splurge on drinks at sunset at the Hotel del Coronado. Nearby Orange Avenue offers restaurants from fancy to funky. During the week, loud aircraft often fly overhead.

Highlight: Flat-out gorgeous.

View this article at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/26/eight-seaside-personalities/

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Paddlers happy with Fiesta Island vote

Paddlers happy with Fiesta Island vote: Dog owners group seeks unobstructed off-leash acreage

by Debbie Hatch

The Mission Bay Park Planning Committee (MBPC) decided by a 6-2 vote Dec. 7 to allow area paddlers — including outriggers, dragon boats and stand up paddlers — to have a facility and use nearly an acre inside of the 90 acres set aside for off-leash dog use, to the dismay of the nonprofit Fiesta Island Dog Owners (FIDO).

“We’re very happy and grateful,” said Les Hopper, U.S.A. dragon boat coach.

The vote decisively approves the current Fiesta Island Redevelopment Plan and sends it on to the San Diego Park and Recreation Board for consideration.

“We just want to make sure that we are part of the plan,” Hopper said.

However, the plan is not expected to appear on the Park and Recreation Board’s agenda for approximately 8 to 12 months, said Scott Reese, assistant director of the San Diego Park and Recreation Department.

Final approval of the plans will be decided by the San Diego City Council.

“We expect it to be developed over 30 to 50 years,” Reese said.

He compared the long-term development of Fiesta Island to that of Balboa Park.

The decision is viewed as a relief for paddlers who emphasize that 94 acres should not be reserved for one group. However, FIDO members insist that the dynamic of their group underscores the argument that the off-leash dog area currently on Fiesta Island serves a multi-use audience.

Mike Singleton, project manager for the Fiesta Island Redevelopment Plan, has completed nearly 20 versions of the plan since it was announced in 2005, Hopper said.

In a Dec. 6 memorandum from San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer and Councilwomen Donna Frye and Lorie Zapf supported the endeavors of FIDO and the South Shores area of the island “as an appropriate location for the paddling community.”

However, the MBPC did not agree.

The South Shores area of the island is one of the most polluted areas in Mission Bay, Hopper said.

The well-attended meeting at the Marina Village Captain’s Room, 1936 Quivira Way, heard an onslaught of emotional comments and outbursts from the audience.

FIDO’s position is that it does not want a road leading to the location of the paddling facility to bisect the off-leash area, said Alise Shatoff, spokeswoman for FIDO. The road creates a possible hazard to dogs in one of two off-leash areas set aside for dogs — Dog Beach in Ocean Beach and Fiesta Island, she said.

The vote disappointed FIDO supporters, who will continue to fight for unobstructed off-leash acreage in the plan, said Dr. Jean Spengel.

Read more:San Diego Community News Group - Paddlers happy with Fiesta Island vote Dog owners group seeks unobstructed off leash acreage

Dog owners, boaters face off over Fiesta Island

By Walter Makaula

FOX 5 San Diego Reporter

8:17 AM PST, December 8, 2010

SAN DIEGO — 

A pricey redevelopment plan for Fiesta Island pits animal lovers against boaters and may dramatically reduce the size of a popular dog park.

The parcel is about 90 acres in size and is fenced in, but the area fronts a portion of Mission Bay where paddlers and other water enthusiasts say is the cleanest in the area because it's close to the mouth of the ocean, and since they're going in the water, they believe they should have access to it.

"Fiesta Island is for everybody to use," said Mary Kay Schmidt of Hanohano Outrigger Canoe Club. "It actually doesn't belong to the dog owners or the dog walkers."

So, while one group wants to run their dogs free on land, the other group wants to build a road through the middle of it, dividing the space in two, and build an activities center and storage facility for their boats on one side.

"We want an area that allows us to have parking and a place to put our canoes - they are rather large," said Schmidt. "We need to be able to get to the water easily because they're very heavy."

But the non-profit group F.I.D.O. (Fiesta Island Dog Owners) disagrees.

"Then they can go to Mariner's point," said F.I.D.O. spokesperson Carolyn Chase. "And if it's really an issue about water pollution and issues like that, there are better places than the location that they're choosing."

Off-leash dog use was established by a city ordinance in 1972 when dogs were banned from all other city beaches except Dog Beach in Ocean Beach and at Fiesta Island.

"The solution is to have two areas," said Schmidt. "One for access to the beach for the public use and one for anybody who would like to have a dog free area."

But the group F.I.D.O. which currently has 7,000 members said they feel this is the only area it has and cutting that space in half is unacceptable.

"We don't understand why they can't go to another location, because we're the ones who have no place to go," said Chase.

Original Source of Article 

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Dog Fight Over Dog Park

By MARI PAYTON

Updated 7:41 AM PST, Wed, Dec 8, 2010

It's the pooches versus the paddlers. 

A proposal to reduce the current 93 acres of gated, off-leash land to 87 on Fiesta Island is creating controversy once again.

The city of San Diego is putting together a major redevelopment plan for Fiesta Island. Paddlers want part of the land, while dog lovers want to preserve their portion for themselves.

Land taken away from dogs would be used for a road, parking lot and watercraft storage for canoers, kayakers and dragon boaters.
Over the years, the plan had gone through numerous revisions.

On Tuesday, three city council members sided with dog owners, suggesting moving the proposed paddling area to Mission Bay's South Shores.

On Tuesday night, both sides went before the Mission Bay Park Committee, which advises on the development and use of the area.

"It's wrong, it's wrong. It's not about the acreage; it's about the distribution.  Taxpayers shouldn’t have to deal with this burden either," Carolyn Chase with Fiesta Island Dog Owners (FIDO) said to the members.

The members voted 6-2 in favor of the paddlers.

"My reaction was one of relief. It shouldn't be divisive. I mean what we all learned in kindergarten is sharing and it's a San Diego resource. We are all good citizens and we should all be willing to share our resources," said paddler Les Hopper.

Still members of Fiesta Island Dog Owners plan to keep fighting.

"I feel like we still have an opportunity to try and get our goals met, so I am just thinking positively about it," Alise Shatoff said.
Despite the vote Tuesday night, the debate continues. It must goes through several subcommittees before finally reaching the city council.

Original Source: Dog Fight Over Dog Park | NBC San Diego 

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Dog Owners Pitted Against Paddlers in Redevelopment Plan

Reported by: Sherri Palmeri 
Email: sherri.palmeri@sandiego6.com 
Last Update: 12/07 11:18 pm

It's dog owners versus paddlers in the battle over a dog park on Fiesta Island.  

Paddlers made waves when they won the first round of this battle.  

The City is putting together a major redevelopment plan for Fiesta Island that probably won't come to life for at least 8 years.  

Dog owners want ot preserve a  90-acre area on the island that is fenced off and designated for off-leash use.  

But the Mission Bay Park Planning Committee voted six to two that dog owners would have to share the off-leash area with paddlers.  

The recommendation includes storage for paddlers and a road that would run through the fenced area, so paddlers and others, would have direct access to the water.

"It's a little ridiculous to hear them complain about having to paddle, to get to the sea," said Carolyn Chase who is with the group Fiesta Island Dog Owners, "when that's what they do."

Paddlers say all they've ever wanted is to share the park. 

Fiesta Island and Ocean Beach were set aside for dogs in 1972, when dogs were banned from City beaches.  

Dog owners say they will continue to  fight what is expected to be a length approval process.

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