Press Release

For Immediate Release:
May 1, 2001

Donna Frye Calls on Mission Bay Park Committee to Oppose Taxpayer-subsidized Anheuser-Busch Projects at SeaWorld

      Tonight, Donna Frye will again take the lead to protect public parkland and the public purse. Frye will ask the Mission Bay Park Committee to oppose Anheuser-Busch's Master Plan for high-rise development at SeaWorld in Mission Bay Park because it will require the use of taxpayer funds and result in significant environmental impacts. Frye also will request that the Mission Bay Park Committee oppose any amendments to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan that would allow Anheuser-Busch to build structures, such as a hotel and roller coaster, 16 stories high until these issues are resolved.

      "We have a responsibility and an opportunity to protect the taxpayers and our public parkland," stated Frye. "The public has a right to know if we are subsidizing development in Mission Bay Park, especially development that will result in more traffic congestion and water pollution, not to mention the negative visual impacts. It seems to me that the taxpayers are being taken for another ride, and the roller coaster hasn't even been built!"

      In November 1998, Anheuser-Busch put a measure on the ballot for a blanket exemption to propose high-rise projects on their 189-acre leasehold in Mission Bay Park. Included in the ballot measure was a provision to ensure that "No taxpayer funds are spent for any improvements resulting from this initiative."

      But according to the SeaWorld Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), taxpayer funds will be needed to address the traffic impacts from the proposed SeaWorld development. For example, the DEIR states that "As SeaWorld is only obligated to pay for a portion of the improvement and no funding source exists for the balance of the cost, the long-term impacts of SeaWorld on the SeaWorld Drive/Pacific Highway intersection are considered unmitigated."

      The DEIR also states that traffic generated by the project would result in potentially significant unmitigable transportation and circulation impacts to off-street segments and intersections around Mission Bay Park unless city funding is available for the Capital Improvement Projects. But even with taxpayer subsidies, traffic impacts on Interstate 5 north and south of SeaWorld Drive cannot be mitigated according to the DEIR.

      It also is possible that taxpayer funds will be needed to pay for improvements in order to accommodate additional sewage capacity. Frye questions whether the April 3, 2001 vote by the City Council to approve $322,000 to perform consultant services for a "pre-design study and rehabilitation and upgrade design for Sewer Pump Station 50" is related to increasing sewer capacity for SeaWorld&Mac226;s development plans for high-rise structures. Pump station 50 is located at 3001 Ingraham Street.

      "If that is the case, it is adding insult to injury," said Frye. "We have aging infrastructure that is not maintained, allowing millions of gallons of raw sewage to dump into and pollute Mission Bay. This is in addition to the city's failure to adequately maintain the storm drain diversions around the bay. I would hope that our infrastructure funding priorities are based on the need to improve Mission Bay water quality and not on subsidizing private development."

      Frye led the community opposition campaign to stop the Anheuser-Busch blanket exemption. Despite the fact that SeaWorld outspent Frye $1.2 million to $450.00, the ballot measure barely passed with 50.7% of the vote. Throughout the Anheuser-Busch campaign to win voter approval, SeaWorld's executive officer stated that there were "no plans to build a hotel" at the theme park. SeaWorld&Mac226;s executive officer also told voters that no roller coasters would be built. "We don't think a roller coaster is something that we need here at this time." Unfortunately, plans now show that both a giant roller coaster and high-rise hotel are planned.

      Frye will request that the Mission Bay Park Committee oppose the proposed SeaWorld Master Plan and amendment to the Mission Bay Park Master Plan until the Final Environmental Impact Report is released. Frye also will request public hearings for local community planning groups including Pacific Beach, Clairemont, Linda Vista, Mission Valley and Serra Mesa to determine the financial and environmental impacts.

      In addition, Frye believes that Anheuser-Busch should be required to perform a sewer and water capacity analysis as part of the environmental review that includes current and projected sewage flows and water usage and an analysis of existing pump stations and sewer/water/storm drain lines.

      "We also must determine if taxpayer funds are currently being used and the amount planned on being used to subsidize Anheuser-Busch's proposed projects at SeaWorld," stated Frye. " It's time to stop big corporations and developers from feeding at the public trough."

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