Coastal Commission OKs land use changes for National City tourism opportunities

National City is one step closer to seeing a more vibrant and accessible bayfront.

On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission approved changes to a land use plan needed to implement the decades-in-the-making National City Balanced Plan. The project still requires two other approvals by the commission.

The National City Balanced Plan is a sweeping blueprint for guiding how the city and Port of San Diego can best balance the needs of residents, who have urged for better public access to the waterfront, with those of maritime-related industries that generate revenue for the port, while protecting the coastal environment.

More specifically, the plan involves adding 2.5 acres to the 5.2 waterfront Pepper Park, construction of which is under way, adding buffers between industry and recreational areas, rerouting a bikeway and creating revenue-generating opportunities for National City.

Commissioners greenlighted the city’s land use plan, with some changes, to redesignate five parcels from industrial to tourist-commercial use to allow hotels to set up shop. The parcels are north of Bay Marina Drive and west of Interstate 5.

“This is huge for the city,” said National City Mayor Ron Morrison. “We can now start talking about hotels. There’s room there for at least four hotels and the amenities going around them.”

The rede...