Mission Beach-Pacific Beach Reunification: Can Merger Fix Crumbling Seawalls and Infrastructure Crisis?

After 50 years of separation, Mission Beach and Pacific Beach face a historic decision. In January 2026, community advocates formally proposed reuniting the two coastal neighborhoods into a single Community Planning Area, reversing the 1974 split that created separate planning boundaries. The driving force? A mounting infrastructure crisis that has left Mission Beach with crumbling seawalls along its entire length, aging utilities that lag behind modern standards, and decades of deferred maintenance.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, the city has "ignored nearly every issue identified in the 1970s Precise Plan," leaving Mission Beach effectively voiceless and unable to secure the capital improvements that Pacific Beach has obtained. For Pacific Beach property owners and contractors, the reunification push represents both an urgent infrastructure challenge and a potential pathway to securing millions in needed coastal resilience investments.

Why Are Mission Beach and Pacific Beach Separate Communities?

Mission Beach and Pacific Beach weren't always divided. In 1970, the City of San Diego adopted a unified Mission-Pacific Beach Community Plan covering both neighborhoods. However, on July 11, 1974, the City Council amended the 1970 plan to remove Mission Beach and adopted the separate Mission Beach Precise Plan. This action created the first standalone Pacific Beach Community Plan by splitting the planning area in two.

The 1974 separation was intended to provide Mission Beach with more localized planning control, but advocates now argue it had the opposite effect. Over the subsequent five decades, the smaller Mission Beach community lost political leverage while Pacific Beach maintained stronger representation and secured regular capital improvement allocations. The geographic boundaries drawn more than 50 years ago no longer reflect how the communities function today, particularly as coastal resilience challenges and infrastructure needs require coordinated regional responses.

What Infrastructure Problems Is Mission Beach Facing Right Now?

Mission Beach's infrastructure crisis is both widespread and urgent. The most visible problem is the seawall that separates the oceanfront boardwalk from the beach. Since June 2023, only one 8-foot section has been repaired, while cracks throughout the structure allow moisture infiltration that accelerates crumbling. Except for a 0.3-mile section reconstructed between Ventura Place and San Gabriel Place in 2015-2016, the entire seawall shows signs of deterioration.

Beyond the seawall, aging utilities lag behind modern standards, alleys remain substandard, and street lighting—including historic court lamp lights—remains burnt out for months at a time. Visual blight along Mission Boulevard, inadequate landscaping, and lack of community amenities documented in the 1970s Precise Plan remain largely unresolved today. These aren't minor maintenance issues—they represent decades of deferred investment that threaten property values and public safety.

How Did Short-Term Rentals Impact Mission Beach's Political Power?

Mission Beach has experienced a dramatic demographic shift that directly undermines its political influence. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of Mission Beach housing units now operate as whole-home short-term rentals, far exceeding the 1% cap applied to the rest of San Diego. This is possible because Mission Beach received a unique exemption allowing up to 30% of total housing units to be licensed for short-term residential occupancy (STRO).

While this cap recognizes Mission Beach's historical role as a vacation destination, it has hollowed out the permanent resident population. Many properties sit vacant during winter months, reducing community engagement and weakening representation on the Mission Beach Town Council and Community Planning Group. With fewer permanent residents advocating for infrastructure improvements, Mission Beach lost the political leverage needed to secure capital improvement funding from City Hall—creating a vicious cycle where infrastructure neglect further reduces the appeal of year-round residency.

What Would Reunification With Pacific Beach Actually Accomplish?

Advocates argue that consolidating Mission Beach and Pacific Beach into a single Community Planning Area would restore the political representation and advocacy capacity that Mission Beach lost through the 1974 separation. According to the Union-Tribune, reunification would give Mission Beach "the leverage it needs to protect its coastline and its future" by combining resources, expertise, and political influence with the larger Pacific Beach community.

A unified planning area would streamline advocacy efforts for coastal resilience projects, enable coordinated infrastructure planning across both neighborhoods, and provide a stronger collective voice when competing for limited capital improvement funds. The proposal recommends that District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava direct the Planning Department to evaluate consolidation feasibility, engage both the Pacific Beach Planning Group and Mission Beach Town Council, schedule an informational hearing at the Planning Commission, and facilitate community outreach. This process would likely take 13 to 21 months and require Planning Commission approval, but advocates believe it's the only viable path to securing the tens of millions in infrastructure investment Mission Beach desperately needs.

How Much Would It Cost to Fix Mission Beach's Infrastructure?

While comprehensive cost estimates for Mission Beach's complete infrastructure backlog haven't been publicly released, available data suggests the investment needed reaches into the tens of millions. The Mission Beach Town Council has advocated for seawall repairs, with some estimates suggesting comprehensive seawall reconstruction could approach $50 million when accounting for the full 1.2-mile oceanfront length, though specific project scoping remains pending California Coastal Commission review.

The 2015-2016 boardwalk and seawall restoration project between Ventura Place and San Gabriel Place cost $4.5 million for just 0.3 miles, providing a baseline for the scale of investment required. Beyond seawalls, alley rehabilitation, utility system upgrades, street lighting replacement, Mission Boulevard corridor improvements, and drainage system modernization would add millions more. Compounding the urgency, 89% of Mission Beach properties face severe flooding risk over the next 30 years, making infrastructure investment not just about maintenance but about protecting substantial property values and public safety.

What Can Property Owners Do to Support Infrastructure Improvements?

Pacific Beach and Mission Beach property owners have several actionable opportunities to support both immediate infrastructure repairs and the long-term reunification proposal. First, attend Pacific Beach Planning Group and Mission Beach Town Council meetings to voice support for infrastructure investment and planning area consolidation. Second, submit written comments to District 1 Councilmember Joe LaCava's office requesting that the Planning Department initiate a feasibility study for reunification. Third, participate in community outreach sessions once the formal reunification process begins, which would include informational hearings at the Planning Commission.

Property owners should also document infrastructure deficiencies—photographing deteriorating seawalls, burnt-out street lights, substandard alleys, and drainage issues—and submit these observations to the City's Get It Done system to create a public record of maintenance needs. For contractors and builders, this advocacy period offers an opportunity to assess infrastructure conditions, provide technical expertise on repair requirements, and prepare for the eventual capital improvement pipeline that reunification could unlock. The key is sustained community engagement: as the Union-Tribune editorial board noted, Mission Beach's decades of neglect stem directly from reduced political influence, making broad-based advocacy essential to reversing the pattern.