Port District Upbeat Over Underground Garage

Architects for Seaport Village won praise from the Board of Port Commissioners on Tuesday for a proposal for a 1,200-space, three-level parking structure to be constructed entirely underground between the shopping area and a new Hyatt hotel.

Previous parking proposals, part of the expansion of Seaport Village, had been sharply criticized because their above-ground design was seen by many as blocking views of the harbor and creating an eyesore in the neighborhood.

Speakers who noted previous opposition to the Seaport Village parking plans--City Councilman Ron Roberts and a spokeswoman for the Environmental Health Coalition--appeared before the commissioners Tuesday to note, in Roberts’ word, their “enthusiasm” for the new idea.

The commissioners, although not scheduled to vote on the new proposal, voiced support for the plan, which calls for landscaping near and around the building that once was San Diego Police headquarters. But several commissioners raised concerns that the landscaping would mean the loss of up to 230 parking spaces if the new design is approved. Several commissioners and speakers countered by saying that, with the increased use of the San Diego Trolley system, 230 spaces would not be critical.

Roberts said the structure would “set new standards for parking lot design throughout the downtown area” and added that a new construction technique designed to curtail “de-watering”--pumping underground water back into the bay--made the plan attractive.

Commissioner Lynn Schenk responded to the argument of additional parking versus landscaping by saying, “We should take the opportunity to make this as attractive and unique as possible. Stripes on asphalt is not the way to do that.”

Schenk called the design “wonderful” and said it provides the Port District a model for innovative parking structures, one that tenants and proponents of new projects could call on in the future.

The matter was referred back to the staff of the San Diego Unified Port District for further consultation with the managers of Seaport Village.