For years, College Area residents have been asking for more parks and recreational opportunities.

In 2020, more than 400 people completed a survey to share their perspective with City planners. According to the City, more than 80% of respondents indicated that the park and recreational needs of their household were not currently met in the College Area.

More recently, community members gave input about parks during an open house held by City planners in June, 2022. Some expressed their desire for traditional park amenities like general open space, a playground, and circuit training equipment, while others highlighted the need for public space amenities like community gardens, a farmers market, and a dog park.

Local resident, Kelsey Smith, took part in the 2022 meeting. “My husband and I are raising four children who are age 10 and under, right here in the College Area,” she said. “I want the City to know that we need a park on the El Cerrito side of the neighborhood. A nice place to connect with neighbors, where all the kids can safely play and families can get to know each other,” she added.

Smith and her 10 year-old son, Daniel, met with Martin Flores, a public spaces and parks designer for the City’s planning department with more than 25 years of experience. Together, the three discussed options like green streetscapes, linear parks, trails, pocket parks and overlooks. They also assessed images of various recreational amenities and reviewed maps on easels to discuss possible sites for parks and open spaces throughout the College Area.

Daniel said he goes to parks a lot. When asked what he’d like to be able to do in his neighborhood park, he said, “I like the idea of having things to do in Montezuma Park, like things for climbing, jumping, running and exploring.”

Formal evaluation of existing College Area parks

Park space in the College Area currently includes Montezuma Neighborhood Park, approximately 1.6 acres, and three joint-use agreements with Hardy Elementary School, Harriet Tubman Village Charter School, and The Language Academy.

City staff recently evaluated these four park areas using a new point system per the Parks Master Plan (PMP). Adopted in 2021, the PMP replaces the previous land-based standard of 2.8 acres per 1,000 residents (PMP, 1956), with a recreational value-based standard.

The results of the parks evaluation were presented to 109 participants of the Oct. 26 virtual meeting of the College Area Community Plan Update (CACPU) Committee. Committee members help voice the needs and ideas of the community regarding housing, mobility and other aspects of development in the College Area, including parks.

During the meeting, the CACPUC and area residents viewed a slide presentation by City Parks Planner, Martin Flores. Flores referred to Appendix D of the PMP, explaining that park points are based on population, with 100 points awarded per 1,000 people. According to the most recent decennial census, the College Area population was 24,839 in 2020, making it eligible for 2,484 park points.

Flores informed viewers that the College Area currently has 164.5 park points based on the attributes of Montezuma Neighborhood Park and the three existing joint-use sites. Points correspond to the usable size of an outdoor area, park access, and amenities such as benches, play areas, multipurpose turf and hard courts. With only 164.5 points, the College Area is considered severely “park-deficient” with only 6.6% of its expected park points.

More people should equal more parks

With an anticipated increase in College Area housing density being planned in the CACPU, the parks deficit has the potential to grow significantly.

A chart presented during the CACPUC meeting indicated the City aims for a potential buildout population of 85,371 residents by the year 2050, based on 2.44 people per household. The potential deficit could increase to 8,372 points (8,537 points allowable by population minus the 164.5 points for existing parks).

Such significant growth in new College Area high-rise dwellings will only increase demand for parks and open spaces in those built-out areas.

Prioritizing the development of parks

There are several policies and frameworks which work in concert to determine park needs and prioritize development. The Parks Master Plan is the overarching guide to park investments with Council Policy 800-14 and the Parks Needs Assessment feeding into it.

City Council Policy 800-14 establishes the basis for prioritizing projects of the Capital Improvements Program (CIP). CIP projects support a community’s infrastructure, like libraries and parks. This policy tool is intended to efficiently and equitably deliver infrastructure across the City. Similar projects vie for prioritization and resources within categories, like Neighborhood Assets, which includes park and recreation facilities.

A Parks Needs Index, not yet developed, is the City’s intended tool to evaluate a neighborhood for park quality, quantity, safety and accessibility. The Index should identify the areas in the City with the greatest park needs and where added recreational value will have the greatest impact for community members.

Despite these policies which aim to ensure parks are developed in communities that need them most, College Area resident Danna Givot believes, “The Parks Needs Index is yet another black box. We don’t know what the standards are or how they will remedy our severe park deficit in a meaningful way. We don’t know if we’ll get a fair shake from the City, so we don’t end up with little parklets instead of really usable parks.”

Funding for Montezuma Park improvements and College Area parks

Earlier this year, the Montezuma Neighborhood Park (MNP), became a focus of the City’s Capital Improvements Program.

The Montezuma Park General Development Plan is in the process of seeking input about two design alternatives which would add play areas for 2-5 and 5-12 year olds, as well as off-leash enclosures for small and large dogs. Residents within 300 feet of the park should have received a notice about the planning process and an upcoming meeting for community members. 

Funding will be needed for the improvements to existing locations and for new parks. Typical funding mechanisms are: Development Impact Fees, the General Fund, and grants. Communities deemed park-deficient should have priority status for park funding.

Development Impact Fees (DIF) – These fees are paid by developers and can be used to fund infrastructure assets like fire stations, libraries, streets and parks. According to Jefferey Nguyen, the policy advisor and College Area community representative for Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, the College Area has some $920k unspent DIF funds generated from past College Area development projects.

Presently, the City has a new formula that creates a Citywide Park Development Impact Fee, which will be used to invest in park priorities. At a minimum, 30% of the citywide impact fees will be prioritized to park-deficient communities, while 50% will go to Communities of Concern as defined by the City’s Climate Equity Index.

The Climate Equity Index (CEI) works to address the historical inequities experienced by people living in certain census tracts deemed Communities of Concern. The CEI aims to ensure that residents citywide have equal access to opportunities, including “Proximity to Community Recreation Areas.” Like park-deficient communities, communities of concern will receive priority when it comes to parks.

General Fund – This is the City’s main operating fund and is created by general tax revenue. The General Fund provides for city services, including revenue for the City’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP). This funds projects that improve the City’s infrastructure, like upgrading an existing park or building a new one.

Grants – Additional funds and seed-money can come from public and private grants. These typically include state and federal funds from government agencies, community institutions, and private foundations.

Possible sites for College Area parks and open spaces

When asked how the City intends to actually generate parks in the College Area, Tara Lewis, a senior public information officer, stated, “The College Area community is mostly built-out, so the Draft Community Plan Update will aim to provide guidance on creating greater recreation value in existing parks, developing new plazas and park spaces with new development, connecting parks spaces with accessible pathways and trails, and creating new parks on City-owned land or through the purchase of private property.”

Community members have identified several possible sites for new parks as part of a 7 Visions report given to City staff, which highlights recommendations for the CACPU.

These include: park space tied to the redevelopment of Alvarado Road, a linear park along Montezuma Road east of College Avenue, a park associated with redevelopment along a portion of the east side of College Avenue, pocket parks along El Cajon Blvd. in the El Cerrito area, a potential park adjacent to the College-Rolando Library, open space trails, possible joint use agreements with SDSU and other willing partners, and upgrades to the existing joint use parks.

It should be noted that the College area does not currently have park sites which can be readily accessed by people living throughout the College Area, and no large sites have been identified for activities like indoor basketball, court sports, soccer, football, baseball and softball.

Residents can still give input about parks

Residents still have opportunities to give their input through the College Area Community Plan Update (CACPU) process.

Currently in draft form, the Plan Update will guide College Area redevelopment through the year 2050. The Planning Department anticipates releasing a first draft of the updated Community Plan, referred to as a Discussion draft, by early 2023. The Discussion Draft will include draft policies and concepts for parks and public spaces, as well as housing, mobility and other areas of community development. The City will continue meeting with the Community Plan Update Committee to seek public input and make refinements through the summer.

Community members are encouraged to attend a presentation and give input about upgrades for Montezuma Park on Nov. 16 – 6:30 p.m., Colina Del Sol Community Recreation Center, Hybrid meeting. In-person at 5319 Orange Avenue. To register by Zoom contact: [email protected]

Feedback can also be shared with at any time with Mayor Todd Gloria, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera (College Area, District 9), Planning Director Heidi Vonblum, and Nathan Causman, the College Area community planner.

Resources: www.sandiego.gov (general access to City departments and policy information)

www.sandiego.gov/planning/parks-master-plan

www.sandiego.gov/parks-for-all-of-us

www.planccollegearea.org

– Karen Austin is a College Area resident and new member of the College Area Community Council, not the Planning Board.