Nineteen parks projects across the city of San Diego, mostly in low-income neighborhoods, were awarded $16 million this week from a new citywide developer fee fund.
The contributions are part of a campaign to boost parks in underserved areas by revamping how the city spends money developers are required to contribute to city parks.
Before summer 2021, parks fees contributed by developers were spent only in the community where the developer’s project was built. Since then, the city has pooled the funds so they can be spent citywide.
“It’s important that all San Diegans have equitable access to park and recreation resources,” said Andy Field, the city’s director of parks and recreation.
In addition to renovations and new equipment, the money will be spent on land acquisition. The projects approved for funding are in various phases of either design, planning or being put out to bid.
The parks and recreation facilities receiving funding are:
- Beyer Community Park in San Ysidro
- Carmel Mountain Ranch pool
- Oak Park Branch Trail
- Clay Neighborhood Park in Rolando
- Howard Lane Park in San Ysidro
- John Baca Park in Linda Vista
- Marcy Neighborhood Park in University City
- Memorial Community Park in Logan Heights
- Montezuma Neighborhood Park in the College Area
- North Chollas Community Park in Oak Park
- Rancho Bernardo Dog Park
- Robb Field in Mission Bay Park
- Southcrest Community Park lighting
- Sunshine Berardini Park in City Heights
- Chollas Triangle Park in City Heights
- Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla
The money will also cover land acquisition for parks across six communities in Council Districts 4, 7, 8 and 9, as well as improvements to Golf Course Drive in Golden Hill and hard court upgrades in Emerald Hills, Encanto, Southcrest, Skyline and Otay Mesa.
In addition to $15.9 million from the citywide developer fee fund, the contributions include $363,000 from community-specific developer fee funds.
The Parks and Recreation Department has a list of 187 other capital improvement projects with a total funding need of more than $500 million.
