Will city leaders finally realize the potential of Mission Bay Park?

Re “S.D. eyes hotel in Mission Bay as part of parcels’ redevelopment” (July 28): Millions upon millions of dollars flow out of Mission Bay Park, year after year, and go directly into the city’s general fund, but precious little goes back into the park as maintenance. That’s why we have restrooms that have been closed for years, and why many of the others are disgustingly filthy. That’s not the fault of city workers; it’s because of underfunding and understaffing. The reason that the land in question is underutilized is because it was poorly developed the last time. The shoreline is all rock, and the commercial development blocks all access to, and view of, the water. If the space were developed for the recreation and enjoyment of the public, it would be a world-class waterfront park, instead of surplus land.

— John Heatherington, Rancho Bernardo