Letter to Editor: City Measured Wrong in Erecting Rope at Children's Pool

Dear Editor, 

Indeed, the saga of the Children’s Pool rope continues as ‘Native San Diegan’ David Pierce chastises Mayor Filner for correcting the City’s own measurement error. Mr. Pierce conveniently fails to mention the fact that “the original intent of the permit [for the rope] was to create an effective buffer zone by utilizing the rope with a 3-foot opening.” The only reason the rope’s length was shortened to 130 feet last year was because the City’s staff used an improperly-calibrated measuring wheel when they originally measured out how long the rope should be. This resulted in the mistaken approval of coastal development and site development permits for a 130-foot rope barrier. And that resulted in an opening of 25 feet, a far cry from the intent of the May, 2010 City Council Resolution in support of the rope.

It was always the intent of the permit that the rope maintain a three-foot  access for entrance and exit into the water. Thus, contrary to what Mr. Pierce implies, the increased rope length is not a violation of the permit at all. Rather, it does the opposite, bringing the rope in to conformity with the original intent of the permit.  

Since the 152-foot rope was erected on December 21, 2012, there has been peace at Children’s Pool Beach, with both people and seals respecting the rope guideline without incident.

Only those who want to create a battleground at Children’s Pool Beach would oppose the 152-foot rope, offering “Tickets to cross the rope free” on signs posted on the sidewalk, as well as posting “Beach Open” signs on the seals’ side of the rope, which confuse the public and lead them to unwittingly violate the City’s and NOAA’s recommended 50-feet guideline distance from the seals. 

These “professional harassers,” as Mayor Filner so accurately characterized them, insist on luring unsuspecting visitors on to the sand, which scares the very pregnant seals who are too large to move at this time of year. These same harassers compose Facebook posts such as, “SEALBOMBS will be visiting the seals at 3 to 4 am every morning to disperse them off the beach.” These people are not interested in shared access, they are interested in chasing the seals from the beach and depriving everyone else of their right to enjoy the seals. The State has declared this area a Marine Reserve for a reason and we all need to respect that.

The best way for humans and seals to truly share the beach is with the current, fully-legal, 152-foot rope. It makes all the difference as far as allowing both seals and humans to enjoy the beach in peace. It is time for all of us to learn to live with nature instead of destroying it. I for one, wish to thank both the Mayor and the City Council for the 152-foot rope and urge them to continue to preserve the peace by keeping it up year-round!

Sincerely,

Jane Reldan, MD

Also read David Pierce's Letter to the Editor: Children's Pool Rope Saga Continues