Parking Garage Protests Stall Seaport Village Project

Four-year-old plans for the $50-million expansion of Seaport Village have suffered another setback, caused by objections to a parking garage, the director of the San Diego Unified Port District said Wednesday.

Opponents of the expansion project complained at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Port Commissioners that the 1,300-car parking structure would block views of the harbor, said Port Director Don Nay.

“They felt the environmental impact report did not adequately address the question of blockage,” Nay said. “They didn’t think other alternatives had been considered extensively enough, so it was sent back for more work.”

Nay said that Seaport Village hopes to expand from its present size of about 100,000 square feet to about 260,000 square feet.

“No one is opposed to the expansion of Seaport Village,” he said. “It’s just that their proposed parking garage is large and bulky and blocks views.” Previous delays in the project also have been caused by protests over plans for the parking structure.

Nay said one option being considered is an off-site parking structure, from which passengers would arrive at the park via a shuttle service. He said an underground parking structure, although considered, is thought to be too expensive.

Representatives of Seaport Village were unavailable for comment Wednesday.

In other action this week, port commissioners authorized $4.2 million in improvements to Lindbergh Field. Nay said the improvements are part of an overall refurbishment plan totaling $18 million.

Nay said the improvements include refurbishment of restrooms and water lines, better signs in and around the airport and modifications to conform with more stringent earthquake codes.