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Wright's
Field plot thickens
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — The Alpine Planning Group voted last Thursday, June 23, to put the 83 of the remaining 143 acres of Wright’s Field on a list of possible active park sites in Alpine. The vote came after the current owner of the land offered to provide it to the community for a park site.
Richard Singer of the Apollo Growth Group, Ltd., owner of the land for more than 40 years, recently offered to donate 83 acres of the remaining 143 to the community for use as an active park. His letter to Price, dated June 22, states that the Apollo Group believes the land should be considered for an active park site in Alpine and that the entire community should have a chance to give input.
“These issues should be considered from the perspective of the Alpine population as a whole, rather than perspectives of individual groups concerned with the particular issues,” Singer wrote. “We want to use that land for the means available for the majority of the people of Alpine.”
According to Price, the land has been offered for the possible use of ball fields, swimming pool, a library, performing arts center, senior center or others. Price said the owner also suggested that he might be willing to provide cash to help with the building of a park and to offset the cost of development.
“Based on this offer, it is our responsibility to at least submit this option to the county,” said APG chair Mark Price. “We want to put it on the list of sites for the county to study and then the county’s going to do what the county’s going to do.”
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors recently voted to approve a priority list for parkland and to have county staff work with the community to locate park space in Alpine. There are currently four sites on the list for further study by the county. Wright’s Field is now one of these.
The late addition of this item to the APG agenda drew many Alpine residents to the meeting to speak against the proposal.
“I'm here to beseech our esteemed Alpine Planning Group to consider seriously the preservation of our beautiful Wright's Field,” Alpine resident Jim Beckett. “I don’t think I've ever seen any of you out there in the three years that I've been walking in the field.”
“I'm a big supporter of parks and I believe Wright's Field is a treasure that's unique to Alpine,” said 24 year resident Jamie Clelland, “I think the APG should be fighting to keep Wright's Field wild.”
Another long-time resident, Ken Dawson, asked whether the planning group was pushing this issue too hard, too prematurely, before any of the plans for the field are finalized. “I don’t understand why some members of this board are so adamantly opposed to Wright’s Field,” he said.
Many residents and APG members questioned the timing of the action considering the recent announcement by the Back Country Land Trust that it had exercised its exclusive option to purchase the land.
“It’s extremely premature to vote on space for parks that another entity has an option on,” said APG member Jane Fitz. “The owner has no right to make this offer when the land is in option to BCLT.”
“If negotiations with BCLT fail, and the owner still wants to offer us the land, then that’s great,” said Paul Rohal, “but this is all very premature.”
According to Singer, language within the contract with BCLT allows him to market his property as he likes. APG parks Sub-Committee Chairman Brad Bailey said that argument had no grounds.
“It’s ridiculous to pass up this opportunity,” Bailey said. “Every property we’re looking at has some sort of negotiations taking place. All we’re doing is, we want to explore this as a possibility.”
Another argument made by a few board members was that the Wright’s Field land had already been found unsuitable for active park space by the county.
“I’m really tired of good community-minded people being lied to and manipulated, all in the name of personal gain,” Fitz said. “This whole proposal is just an attempt to develop the land and I feel that this is a blatant attempt by the chairman to curry favor with his developer friends.”
Price was quick to respond to Fitz’s comment.
“It’s interesting sitting here and being accused, as often as we do, of breaking the law or doing things wrong,” he said. “Just last month county staff spent taxpayer dollars looking into allegations against this board and they were all found to be false.”
“Time and time and time again, certain people keep making these allegations and figure that the allegations of wrong-doing are all that’s important — fact, truth doesn’t enter into it, just make the allegation and put it out there. So far, the county council, in every single case that they’ve investigated, has found this planning group to be right and legal on every issue.”
When it came to a vote, the motion passed with nine members voting in favor of adding the Wright’s Field land to a list of possible sites. Joe Forlenza and Jane Fitz voted against the motion and Paul Rohal abstained from the vote. The proposal has been included in a letter to county supervisor Dianne Jacob to help acquire money to purchase and develop parkland in Alpine.
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Christy Scott
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