Bird Rock residents began fund-raising years ago in an effort to install an access gate at Waverly Avenue between Bird Rock Elementary School and the adjoining public park. “Things like that are never simple,” Bird Rock Community Council President Joe LaCava said. “The main part is to have a gate installed so that Bird Rock residents can walk directly into Bird Rock Park.” Currently, the park acts as a joint use area between Bird Rock Elementary and the public, but locals must go around through Pacific Beach to access the park, LaCava said. Residents started forming the Waverly Gate project years ago, but soon found they were required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), delaying the work. So, LaCava said, locals decided to refurbish additional park areas, including a baseball diamond. “Just when we had enough money to [start building], the City of San Diego said, ‘We need to construct that,’” LaCava said, adding that neighbors either refunded money to residents or redirected funds toward other projects. In addition, the project, which began as the Waverly Avenue Gate Project, became item two on the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board’s Oct. 2008 meeting agenda. City officials renamed the project Waverly/Bird Rock Park, documents stated. Officials added a street and sidewalk proposal into the newer plan, which created additional problems for neighbors whose property encroached by several feet, according to LaCava. “[The] city presented plans for a street leading to the proposed Waverly Gate entrance to Bird Rock park,” Traffic & Transportation documents stated. “It became a little more complicated. Waverly never got built out for a street,” LaCava said. “Neighbors had a problem with the sidewalk the city was proposing, so they came up with an idea to vacate the public right of way, make it private property and then give back a 6-foot public right of way.” According to LaCava, the neighbors’ proposal was heard by Traffic & Transportation members and then unanimously rejected. But the city continued to work with two neighbors on either side of the street in an effort to come to a solution, LaCava said. “It has taken a long time to get to this point,” LaCava said. “[The city] said they hope to start construction in June and finish it in September.” LaCava said city workers should complete Bird Rock parks construction before the end of this summer. Then BRCC members may use a portion of donations to fund the parks’ signage, LaCava said.