By KEITH ANTIGIOVANNI
The Paradise Point Resort at 1404 Vacation Road on Vacation Isle, just southwest of the Ingraham Bridge in Mission Bay, is set to get a facelift and become a Margaritaville resort but not without a price as it must first pay the state $1 million in fines for years of violations of the California Coastal Act.
Paradise Point has had many violations over the years including not posting “public access” signs to advertise free access to the property, which was built on public lands, restricting public right away to the beach, and an installation of a shack and security guard at the main parking entrance.
The 44-acre resort was set to become a Margaritaville in 2019 but the pandemic and violation issues caused a four-year delay until recently when the California Coastal Commission brokered a settlement with Paradise Point ownership with the company agreeing to pay the $ 1 million in fines and install a series of improvements to Vacation Isle that will finally help clear the path for the transition to a Margaritaville resort. The California Coastal Commission meeting on Sept. 6 made it official.
The fines will go toward a statewide reserve for initiatives that include improving public coastal access, acquiring open space, and completing regional trails.
Paradise Point will be installing 70 signs throughout the property, they will remove anything that interferes with public access around the island along the half-mile coastline (garbage cans, fencing, or trees). They will also be implementing a marine debris reduction plan, installing water bottle refilling stations, no longer allowing single-use plastics at the resort or restrooms, adding laundry filters, storing all garbage bins and waste in covered containers to protect it from wildlife, and the construction of a new public restroom near the beach.
A resort has been at Vacation Isle since 1962. Before becoming Paradise Point it was originally named Vacation Village, four years after the City Council approved the master plan for the Mission Bay Aquatic Park. The plan allowed for public access to Mission Bay as Vacation Village was constructed on public trust lands. The resort includes 462 guest cottages, a spa, a fitness area, four tennis courts, five swimming pools, three restaurants, a marina, and an 18-hole miniature golf course, creating the perception that the property was a private resort only.
The owner is Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a real estate investment firm that bought the Paradise Point property in 2018 after the previous owner was informed of the violations. The redevelopment plan was on the Coastal Commission’s agenda in June 2022, but Pebblebrook was forced to pull its application because of pressure from local government officials.
Paradise Point and Pebblebrook representatives could not be reached for comment.
