Parks & Quality of Life

by Councilman Scott Peters
February 2002

San Diego is blessed with some of the best weather on earth, so it is only natural that San Diegans are so engaged in outdoor activities and creating and preserving spaces in which to enjoy them. Our city has some great open space parks, like Penansquitos Canyon and Mission Trails, fantastic beaches from La Jolla to Ocean Beach, and our urban anchor, Balboa Park. Knitting these regional parks together is the network of neighborhood parks that provide the majority of recreation for our communities.

Carmel Valley has some of the finest neighborhood parks in the city, and I am excited that two new parks will soon come on line here. The Carmel Knolls Park, which is located on the corner of Camel Knolls Drive and Carmel Canyon Road, will open officially in February. This beautiful 5.8 acre park is equipped with picnic areas, a tot-lot, half-basketball court, frisbee golf, security lightning and other important park amenities. The Ashley Falls Neighborhood Park, located adjacent to Ashley Falls Elementary School, is in final construction and I am optimistic that we can open it in March. This 6.1 acre park has ballfields, a picnic area and tot-lot, a sand volleyball court, and other amenities that the community will enjoy.

It also looks like we have found a place for dog owners to exercise their dogs off-leash. This month the City Council will likely approve the necessary funding to fence off the southern end of Torrey Highlands Park for an off-leash dog park, and designate this area for off-leash dog use. We had some difficulty initially when City staff incorrectly posted that a decision had been made to use a site that was clearly inappropriate. In the end, however, I was proud of the collaborative community process that brought the athletic groups, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board and the Friends of Carmel Valley Dogs, together to find a mutually acceptable site for off-leash recreation. Many other communities have not been able to work through this sometimes contentious and emotional issue, but Carmel Valley is a model for how the process can succeed.

In addition to these neighborhood parks I am working with the Park and Recreation Department to create a comprehensive trail system that would allow people to hike from the beaches to the back country, connecting Carmel Valley Trails with those in Penansquitos and into the unincorporated areas of the County. This web of trails will give people access to the open space areas we have set aside, and allow them to enjoy the natural environment while still staying close to home.

As many of you may know the Park and Recreation director recently retired and we are conducting a nationwide search to find a top-notch replacement. I have made it clear to the City Manager that I expect the new director to be someone with a vision for making San Diego's park system the envy of other cities. I am chairing a budget working group for the Park and Recreation Department, which also includes Councilmembers Jim Madaffer and Toni Atkins. The working group is looking at how to improve park services and the ways in which the department can better serve the public. I also am working with the department to develop a 5 to 10 year strategic plan that sets out a vision for how our parks should look and function in the next decade. A strategic plan will provide us with a tool to budget towards goals and hold people accountable for reaching those goals.

I am always looking for input from community members who have suggestions on how the park and recreation department can improve service to its customers. Please feel free to e-mail me at scottpeters@sandiego.gov. I look forward to working with the community, the Park and Recreation Department and the new department director on creative strategies that will improve the quality and services of our park system.