Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Lawsuit over wheelchair access at Torrey Pines Gliderport

"Caused Plaintiffs difficulty, anger, frustration and embarrassment"

(image from Torrey Pines Gliderport Facebook page)
(image from Torrey Pines Gliderport Facebook page)

It's a bumpy ride for disabled persons hoping to catch a glimpse of the hang gliders and paragliders at the Torrey Pines Gliderport — at least that's the claim made by two men in a federal lawsuit they filed on December 12.

Scott Schutza and John Karczewski say the cliffs overlooking Black's Beach is far from safe and is inaccessible to those in wheelchairs, as is the case for both men. During a visit in March of this year, Schutza and Karczewski arrived at the park and were unable to find a designated disabled parking space, nor were they able to gain access to the restrooms or the concession area via the dirt parking lots.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"The unlawful and discriminatory barriers at the Gliderport have caused Plaintiffs difficulty, anger, frustration and embarrassment and made them feel unwelcome and like second-class citizens," reads the lawsuit. "The Gliderport is a place of exhibition or entertainment, and therefore a place of “public accommodation” for purposes of Title III of the [Americans with Disabilities Act].

Considered the "Kitty Hawk of the West" by glider enthusiasts (says Wikipedia), the gliderport is located on city-owned property and is privately operated by Air California Adventure. The site has been the hang glider hangout since 1930, when it was first "established as a soaring site."

But improvements on the land aren't easy to accomplish, says owner and flight director Robin Marien. He says the permitting process is arduous and he isn't sure what can be done on city park land, contiguous to Torrey Pines State Preserve.

"We've been doing a lot of improvements since [March] and as far as doing more, well, there isn't much we can do about it."

Marien declined to comment further about the complaint.

According to the complaint, Schutza and Karczewski filed a claim with the City of San Diego's Risk Management Department in May of this year. Those claims, however, were denied.

"Plaintiffs intend to return to the Gliderport in the future, to watch the sailplanes, hang gliders and paragliders. Until the unlawful and discriminatory barriers at the Gliderport are remedied by Defendants, Plaintiffs will continue to be denied full and equal access to the goods, facilities, programs, services and activities offered by Defendants to the general public, and will suffer ongoing discrimination by being prevented and deterred from returning there."

The complaint says that until those improvements are made the Gliderport should be shut down. In addition, the two men are asking they be awarded general, compensatory, and statutory damages."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Kratom Capsules: Top Brands, Benefits & Where To Buy

(image from Torrey Pines Gliderport Facebook page)
(image from Torrey Pines Gliderport Facebook page)

It's a bumpy ride for disabled persons hoping to catch a glimpse of the hang gliders and paragliders at the Torrey Pines Gliderport — at least that's the claim made by two men in a federal lawsuit they filed on December 12.

Scott Schutza and John Karczewski say the cliffs overlooking Black's Beach is far from safe and is inaccessible to those in wheelchairs, as is the case for both men. During a visit in March of this year, Schutza and Karczewski arrived at the park and were unable to find a designated disabled parking space, nor were they able to gain access to the restrooms or the concession area via the dirt parking lots.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"The unlawful and discriminatory barriers at the Gliderport have caused Plaintiffs difficulty, anger, frustration and embarrassment and made them feel unwelcome and like second-class citizens," reads the lawsuit. "The Gliderport is a place of exhibition or entertainment, and therefore a place of “public accommodation” for purposes of Title III of the [Americans with Disabilities Act].

Considered the "Kitty Hawk of the West" by glider enthusiasts (says Wikipedia), the gliderport is located on city-owned property and is privately operated by Air California Adventure. The site has been the hang glider hangout since 1930, when it was first "established as a soaring site."

But improvements on the land aren't easy to accomplish, says owner and flight director Robin Marien. He says the permitting process is arduous and he isn't sure what can be done on city park land, contiguous to Torrey Pines State Preserve.

"We've been doing a lot of improvements since [March] and as far as doing more, well, there isn't much we can do about it."

Marien declined to comment further about the complaint.

According to the complaint, Schutza and Karczewski filed a claim with the City of San Diego's Risk Management Department in May of this year. Those claims, however, were denied.

"Plaintiffs intend to return to the Gliderport in the future, to watch the sailplanes, hang gliders and paragliders. Until the unlawful and discriminatory barriers at the Gliderport are remedied by Defendants, Plaintiffs will continue to be denied full and equal access to the goods, facilities, programs, services and activities offered by Defendants to the general public, and will suffer ongoing discrimination by being prevented and deterred from returning there."

The complaint says that until those improvements are made the Gliderport should be shut down. In addition, the two men are asking they be awarded general, compensatory, and statutory damages."

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Nation’s sexy soldiers stage protest at Pendleton in wake of change in Marine uniform policy

Semper WHY?
Next Article

Angry Pete’s goes from pop-up to drive-thru

Detroit Pizza sidles into the husk of a shuttered Taco Bell
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.