Lights, poles and nets at a proposed waterfront golf and entertainment center could have a negative impact on habitats and native species, according to an environmental analysis of the project.
The concerns are addressed in a draft environmental impact report (EIR) on the redevelopment of East Harbor Island being sought by the Port of San Diego, which would include a Topgolf complex and waterfront park, each covering about 10 acres.
The report cites light pollution and height of the Topgolf poles and nets as notable impacts.
Bright light, according to the analysis, could disrupt the behavior of birds and attract them to nets in the structure, leaving them entangled.
A proposed alternative would limit the Topgolf to one story, as compared to the currently proposed three stories. The planned 108 hitting bays would drop to 34 and the height of the netting poles would fall from 170 feet to 140 feet with the shift to a one-story structure.
According to the EIR, those changes would reduce impacts from light and glare, transportation and greenhouse gas emissions.
The area planned for development sits next to Harbor Drive, adjacent to Harbor Police Headquarters and across from San Diego International Airport’s home for car rentals. The site is currently made up of asphalt lots with fencing along the bay, said Lesley Nishihira, vice president of planning and development at the port.
She said the project is intended to be a “huge amenity to the community,” revitalizing the area to bring visitors to the waterfront.
Matt Smith, senior director of real estate at Topgolf, said the entertainment company is excited to see the East Harbor Island draft EIR, which was released July 8, out for review.
“Topgolf has been engaged with the Port of San Diego on the redevelopment of East Harbor Island, which includes our proposed Topgolf, since 2019,” Smith said “We remain firmly committed to working with the Port to see this entitlement process through to a successful conclusion.”
The public is part of that process.
The comment period, which is open through Aug. 24, is a required part of EIRs under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). EIRs must be completed before the approval of a project.
CEQA gives the public the chance to review an analysis of proposed developments and their potential impacts and allows them to weigh in on the projects.
“This is the time in the process to make concerns known,” Nishihira said. “Rather than (once) it’s under construction and people go ‘Hey what’s going on?’”
California Department of Fish and Wildlife is one of the parties that noted the height of the poles and golf netting, as well as the impacts from artificial light at night.
In an email statement, agency officials said developments like the port’s can harm ecosystems in many ways, including over predation, disruption of migratory bird species and entanglement of birds in the nets.
“The indirect impacts can lead to reduced overall health of the animals, population declines and even direct mortality of individuals,” a spokesperson from CDFW said.
Lesley Handa, lead ornithologist at the San Diego Bird Alliance, said there are about 522 species in San Diego County that use the bay for migration routes and as their main habitat for nesting.
She said concerns focus on Raptors, a carnivorous bird that preys on other birds. They would be able to perch on the 170-foot poles, which could increase the mortality rate of prey that nests in the harbor.
Migratory birds also could fly into nets as they navigate the coastline. On the heaviest migration days, up to 2.4 million birds fly through San Diego County, Handa said.
Even with the proposed alternative nets, operators of Topgolf would need to monitor them closely to watch for birds needing rescue.
“There are other locations that would have a lower impact than putting it along the coastline,” Handa said. “I’m hoping that they might consider moving the location because this is a very unfavorable location.”
Plastics in the water are another issue.
San Diego Coastkeeper’s Senior Attorney Patrick McDonough said that beyond the airspace questions, there are risks from golf balls heading into the bay, along with bits of the projected 4.5-acres of artificial turf at Topgolf.
He said this is not only a problem for the animals, but for humans as fish tissue absorbs plastics, which end up in the food chain for humans.
“At Coastkeeper, we are trying to connect people with our waters.” McDonough said. “That’s what we want to be connecting people to, not 170-foot-tall driving nets.”
In addition, he points to the Public Trust Doctrine, which protects the use of tidelands and other waterways for “the benefit, use and enjoyment of the public,” according to the California State Lands Commission.
McDonough encourages not only organizations, but the general public, to take part in this comment period if they have concerns over the port’s development.
“This is the public’s land,” McDonough said. “These tide lands are to be held for the benefit of the people of San Diego.”
Port staff will review the comments on the draft EIR and respond to them. Both will be included in the final EIR.
Late this year, the project and the final EIR could go before the port board for consideration, along with an Option-to-Lease agreement for the proposed Topgolf portion of the redevelopment.
View the EIR online or in person at the Port of San Diego clerk’s office, 3165 Pacific Hwy., or San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd.
The public comment period closes at 5 p.m. Aug. 24. Comments can be submitted in writing via email, to mhamilton@portofsandiego.org, or the post, Port of San Diego, Attn: Megan Hamilton, Development Services Department, 3165 Pacific Hwy., San Diego, CA 92101-1128.
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