Our efforts to save Fiesta Island’s fenced off-leash area, and increase awareness for our cause continues to move ahead successfully.  FIDO membership is over 9000 strong and our Board of Directors is busy working behind the scenes to ensure that our elected officials know FIDO’s position on the development plans.  As many of you know, this is a long process and we need to stay vigilant.  For this reason, we’d like to update you on FIDO’s efforts. Your input and participation, at any level, is always appreciated and welcomed.

So where are we at today?  Until the City of San Diego completes the required Environmental Review - the next step in this process - we are in a holding pattern.  Initially this review was to be completed by June or July of 2011, but is still not done.  Once completed, it will go out for public input and things will begin to move again. At that point we’ll be reaching out to membership and ask that you attend public hearings, and most importantly, attend the final City Council meeting. This is when Council members will vote on the project and decide whether they will make any changes. 

In the meantime here are the things your Board continues to work on and areas you can help with:

•       Increasing our membership.  This is extremely important as there’s strength in numbers.   In the last year we’ve gone from 8000 to almost 10,000 members as a result of the Board’s efforts to increase awareness & gather signatures at the island and through word of mouth.  We have started a regular schedule of signature collecting on the island and help is always needed. If you’re interested in helping, please contact us at info@fidosd.org.

•       Meeting with city officials and candidates.  These are the officials who can influence the project.  If you have any personal relationships with any of the city council members or mayoral candidates, ask us how you can help. Please contact us at

•       Fundraising.  It takes money to print briefing books, handouts and other supplies that keeps our message in the forefront. We hope that you can participate in some of our fundraising events in the upcoming year. Please be sure to check our website for updates or you can donate directly from our homepage by clicking the PayPal button. 

•       Sponsoring Beach Clean-up’s in our off-leash area.   These clean-ups are important and we hope to encourage everyone to clean up after their dogs. This shows the city that FIDO is ready to help maintain our very special area.

•       Volunteer Coordinator.   We are looking for a FIDO member who's interested in coordinating volunteers at various events. Having FIDO represented at community events helps us to spread the word and a great place to collect signatures and get new members. If you're interested in this position or know of the perfect person, please contact info@fidosd.org. Please note, this is a volunteer position.

We encourage all of you to get involved as much as you can.   If you have any questions or suggestions - or want to help - please go to our website and click on the areas in ‘How You Can Help’ and pitch-in to save our park!   Please take minute and "like" and "share" us on Facebook too!

It’s a team effort and we appreciate your support in any way possible.

Sincerely yours,

FIDO Board of Directors

Though we may have lost the recent battle with the MBPC, its important to realize that the fight is not over.  The MBPC is simply an advisory committee and the more important and final decisions will be made at a much higher level.  As the plan goes forward, FIDO will continue to work for a solution so that we can continue to use our open contiguous area and enjoy shoreline access.

WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RESPOND TO SEVERAL CLAIMS MADE BY CITY STAFF AS FOLLOWS:

The city and the paddlers claim that FIDO is seeking "exclusive use" of the area and this is simply false.

• Our area is currently used by many people other than dog owners who come there to walk, run and bike in a lovely natural setting.  We will continue to welcome all users into our area. It is actually the paddlers who are seeking exclusive use of public parkland!  They are not only getting their own fenced storage area and shed but will commandeer the entire surrounding area for thedozens of events (click for map) that they hold each year, forcing the dog owners and other users out of the area.

The city/paddlers portray FIDO as selfish and not wanting to give up the 5 acres they need to build their aquatic center while we have 90 acres. 

• The truth here is that it is not the 5 acres we are fighting, but the location of the 5 acres that they wish to commandeer that we object to.  By locating the paddlers at the southern end of our area, it will necessitate a road, parking lot and fencing (click for map) that will section off the entire southeastern corner of our area.  We have no doubt, that section will ultimately be taken from us and used for 'special events', (click for map) as that is one of the goals of the development - to take events out of Crown Point and other locations in Mission Bay and place them on Fiesta Island. In the same vein, the fenced off area they are planning to place within the north end of our off-leash area, will also be lost to these 'special events'.  Instead of placing special events elsewhere on the island, they will not be happy until they take more of our space for these events.  The fact remains that the dog owners are the largest user group on the island and unlike the other users, have no other place to go. It seems unreasonable to reduce our space when other locations are available on Fiesta Island or in Mission Bay for these uses. We also wish to point out that the proposed road is not required by the Coastal Act and its elimination would be a significant saving.

Paddlers now claim that there are no other locations in Mission Bay that will accommodate their needs.  

• In their own meeting notes in Oct. 2006, the paddlers requested South Shores as a possible location for their facility.  However, they now state that it is unacceptable and each time FIDO has proven that South Shores or Mariners Basin fulfills the requirements that they themselves set forth, they change the requirements so that these locations are no longer acceptable.   This is all aided and abetted by the planner and Park and Recreation Staff. 

City staff tries to portray FIDO as unwilling to compromise.

• FIDO has compromised. (click for map) We have given up a large portion of the off-leash access elsewhere on the island and have requested they leave the fenced off-leash area as-is.  When every other user group has asked for something, the city has accommodated them. We, on the other hand, have had to fight from day one to even get on the plan and now face loss of acreage and intrusive city-ordered improvements within our remaining acreage. They moved OTL back to its current location after the OTL did not like the new location proposed by the Plan.  They are building several $ 1/2 million bridges so bicyclists can continue to do their circuits around the island.  The paddlers went from having a space on the beach to store their boats to a fenced storage area with a shed.   Subsequent paddler requests to have an expensive dock and buoys to mark their race course have also been added per their request. FIDO on the other hand, has asked for nothing other than to keep our area free from fences and roads.  We have even told the city that our goal is to do our own fundraising to make necessary improvements to the area; essentially to become the stewards of the area which will financially assist the city.

We continue to question the city's alliance with the paddlers and their continued reluctance to place them at either South Shores or Mariners Basin, where almost all of the necessary infrastructure exists. When costs are discussed, city staff tells the public that the money will come from state and federal grants.  Is this still not taxpayer money???  Doesn't the city have the responsibility to act more fiscally responsible in this current era where all levels of government are hurting so badly?   What would the parents of children whose rec centers and pools have been closed due to budget cuts think of this plan to spend $100 million on something that doesn't necessarily need to be fixed?

Dear FIDO members: 

We are emailing to make you aware of two events that will be happening on Fiesta Island in the next few weeks: 

MOWING : 
The grass is going to be mowed in the fenced off-leash area beginning on June 27th and probably finishing on/by June 30th.  The area will be open but be advised that the mowing will be going on and take precautions to avoid the areas they are working on. Stones and other debris can be thrown by the mowers so for the safety of you and your dog,  keep a safe distance away from the mowers. Staying out of their way will also allow them to get their job done quicker. 

OVER THE LINE: 
OTL will be held on the weekends of July 9,10 and July 16, 17.  On those days, we will not be able to get onto the island. On the weekdays immediately before and between these weekends, RV parking will be allowed in the north end of the off-leash fenced area and parking in the north lot will be limited.  You may need to park on the road along the east edge of the fenced area. This is the 58th year for OTL and we ask for your cooperation in supporting their event. 

The FIDO Board  

You need to have a flyer with you so Sammy's can apply the donation to FIDO. 

PRINT THIS FLYER AND PRESENT AT SAMMY's MISSION VALLEY.

1202 Camino del Rio North 
San Diego CA 92108 

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! 

FIDO Board of Directors