Task Force to Study Use of County Bayfront Lots

One month after killing Harbor Square Associates’ contract to develop two parking lots adjacent to the County Administration Center, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to form a task force to look into appropriate uses for the land.

The task force, likely to be set up next month, will consist of 15 volunteers from the community --ultimately approved by the board. It will also include Supervisors George Bailey and Susan Golding.

Golding, who recommended the task force, was a vigorous opponent of the Harbor Square development. She argued that the complex of offices, restaurants, shops and a hotel were poorly suited to the historic county building and waterfront area.

The one vote against the task force came from Supervisor Leon Williams, a strong supporter of Harbor Square.

The idea of developing the parking lots arose in the late 1970s, in part to raise revenue for the county after Proposition 13. Harbor Square was proposed in 1981 by ZRD Development Co., a firm headed by former Chief of Naval Operations Elmo R. Zumwalt.

At the time, the $234 million project was among the largest single construction projects planned for downtown San Diego, and the largest ever negotiated by the county. It was to include two large, luxury hotels.

But Marriott Corp. pulled out in late 1983. Then ZRD cut the square footage by 42% and the price to $120 million. It reduced the number of hotel rooms to 300 and increased the office space to 250,000 square feet.

Late last year, before her election to the Board of Supervisors, Golding became one of Harbor Square’s most outspoken critics. She argued that the city had plenty of other places for offices, and that the bayfront land should be preserved as open space.

Early this year, Golding made her argument before the city Planning Commission, which controls the use of the site. The Commission shocked the developers by rejecting the plan. Then the City Council refused to overrule the planners.

Bruised and battered, Harbor Square finally died last month. Because the developers had refused to pay a $25,000 monthly payment they owed the county for the option to build on the land, the supervisors canceled the contract.

In Tuesday’s action, the supervisors asked the chief administrative officer to return Aug. 6 with an ordinance setting up the task force. Sometime after that, the group will begin considering uses for the site.