San Diego CA— For more than 50 years, Campland on the Bay has offered an unforgettable experience for more than one million campers. That experience is about to be improved in the short-term. Partnering with the City of San Diego, Campland is proposing a short-term improvement project that provides more camping opportunities and cleans up the De Anza “boot” by removing permanent, asbestos-filled mobile homes that have been abandoned for years at the site.
“It is rare that policymakers are confronted with an opportunity to consider a project that creates so many benefits for our region. More importantly, the De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project is such an opportunity for not only the community but the city as a whole.” said Elvin Lai, a local hotel owner. “Providing a substantial recreational area and offering a wide range of accommodations are extremely important to the region’s tourism economy; which, in turn, supports local businesses. Campland and the De Anza campground also offer critical low cost accommodations for people visiting our great city and beaches that should be preserved in the short-term while the City finalizes its longer-term plans.”

By removing the abandoned mobile homes and cleaning up the site, the De Anza short-term improvement project will accelerate the long-term redevelopment of the De Anza Special Study Area, which is currently being reviewed by the City of San Diego. The short-term proposal grants Campland a 5-year lease to take over camping operations at the De Anza RV campground (the current operator is departing June 30, 2019, putting at risk the continued operation of an existing 260 affordable campsites). Within a 24-month timeframe, Campland has pledged to conduct asbestos abatement and remove the abandoned mobile homes, re-open the scenic coastal bike and pedestrian path around the De Anza peninsula (often called “the Boot”), add 150 more RV campsites and provide a shuttle between the De Anza and Campland campgrounds. The proposal also extends the lease for Campland on the Bay, which opened in 1969, through 2026 to ensure that campers can continue to enjoy this location until the City is ready to move forward with its long-term plans.
By providing the City with $8 million in interest-free financing that is reimbursed through rent credits, Campland can begin the cleanup of De Anza once the improvement project is approved by the San Diego City Council. The City used a similar process to restore The Plunge at Belmont Park, which is scheduled to reopen later this summer. Campland has also agreed to invest an additional $8.6 million that is not eligible for rent credits in operational improvements, which will help enhance the security, aesthetics and experience of the De Anza property during this interim period.

“I’m so excited to see this short-term revitalization project happen for De Anza. It’s rare to see such a win-win where we get strong management that protects the environment, increases public access and breathes new life into an area that desperately needs it in the short-term as the City finalizes its longer-term plans for De Anza. And we get more walk/bike paths, it couldn’t be any better than that,” said Matt Gardner, President of Mission Beach Town Council.
Both the De Anza campground and Campland on the Bay provide local communities with critical access to affordable coastal accommodations, attracting hundreds of thousands of campers annually – many of whom are San Diego residents. The De Anza short-term improvement project would ensure continued access to these campsites, while adding 150 temporary campsites at De Anza to generate additional revenue for the City as it finalizes its final plans for Northeast Mission Bay.
“Local families have enjoyed affordable coastal access at De Anza and Campland for generations,” said Terri Campbell, Co-Chair of Friends of Campland, a local coalition formed by Campland supporters. “The De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project will ensure these affordable opportunities are available in the short-term for the hundreds of thousands of San Diego families who rely on camping in Mission Bay to access our coastline each year.”
The Mission Bay Park Committee will hear from the City of San Diego Real Estate Assets Department, Campland on the Bay and community members as it considers the De Anza short-term clean-up and improvement project on Tuesday, June 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the Santa Clara Recreation Center in Mission Bay. The City of San Diego is scheduled to hear the proposal at the Land Use & Housing Committee on June 12, and then it will be heard by the San Diego City Council.
For more information on Campland on the Bay, please visit www.campland.com to learn more about why it is the most popular campground in San Diego. To learn more about Friends of Campland, an advocacy group composed of volunteers, campers and community members dedicated to preserving waterfront RV camping on Mission Bay, visit www.FriendsofCampland.org.