SAN DIEGO - Finding a good parking spot at Mission Beach is usually a sure thing only this time of year, but even that could be changing soon.
A parking crunch could impact Mission Beach just after New Year's Day. That's where Rick Daximillion and his son spent a picture perfect Tuesday surfing, boogie boarding, and building sandcastles.
It was a lot of fun and low stress on Tuesday because Daximillion was able to park near Belmont Park, something he told 10News is only realistic now that it's past the peak tourist season.
"In summer, forget it. If you're not here pretty early in the morning, you're going to be on sometimes a very frustrating 20- to 30-minute wait, just circling and circling until you find a spot," Daximillion said.
In January, crews plan to start rebuilding The Plunge, a community pool John D. Spreckels originally built in 1925. Property manager Symphony Asset Pool is asking the Coastal Commission for permission to take up 134 of the parking spots just north of Belmont Park during construction.
"It's absolutely going to frustrate even more people," Daximillion said.
Alex Llerandi, a Coastal Commission analyst, said there would be safeguards in place to help people get to the beach. The commission, which will weigh the request in December, would require the developer to reopen the spots in summer season -- even though the work would take 14 months.
Starting Jan. 7, Belmont Park would have to provide a shuttle to and from the area lots on peak days.
Daximillion, however, is skeptical.
"No, there's not going to be parking in those lots of facilitate anyone that wants to shuttle here," he said.
