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APG directs county to move
forward with Albertsons park site
By Susan Hogoboom
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — Local parkland was the main
topic at the Alpine Planning Group’s meeting held last Thursday,
July 23. The group discussed prospective new parks, funding and
maintenance issues.
Board chairman Dana Zeno was absent from the meeting, as well as
member Scott Tuchman. Vice-chairman Chuck Taylor, who recently
announced his intention to step down from the board, was also
absent, leaving planning group secretary Jim Easterling to
preside over the meeting.
Gustavo Godoy, from the county’s Parks and Recreation
Department, gave an overview of Alpine’s Park Land Dedication
Ordinance (PLDO) funds. PLDO funds are fees paid by developers
and used for “active recreation.” They may be used, for example,
to purchase property, to construct facilities, or to develop
parks in the areas in which the fees are collected.
Member, George Barnett, said that property the APG has
selected for PLDO funds does not necessarily meet the criteria
to qualify for such funds.
For example, the APG authorized an approximate $400,000
in PLDO funds to be used to purchase property behind the Valero
gas station on Tavern Road, next to the Tom Dyke property.
“Our expectations were to develop it, but under PLDO
guidelines, it does not qualify,” Barnett said. It fails to
qualify, at least in part, because of the landscaping that does
not meet terrain guidelines. Portions of the property are
sloped, for example.
Planning groups simply make recommendations to use PLDO
funds, but the San Diego County Board of Supervisors must
authorize the use of such funds.
“We look at the site. We look at all the different
factors that affect that property. Sometimes we come back to the
planning group and tell them the property that they had priority
for may not be suitable for PLDO,” said Godoy to the board.
The Dyke property had been prioritized as the first
priority on a list of prospective projects, but the PLDO funds
are contingent upon the General Plan Update (GPU) and Dyke’s
relocating his blasting business.
“Mr. Dyke’s property was encumbered with virtue of the
general plan update, not yet to be approved, because it required
some re-zoning and relocating,” Barnett said.
“We don’t know what the GPU will do,” Godoy said. “It’s
not adopted, so until we have something with more certainty, the
County Counsel is not going to allow us to spend public funds on
a gamble.”
“Keeping the focus on Mr. Dyke’s property for a very
large park is the best option available, but it has some
timelines associated with it out of the county’s control,”
Barnett said, after citing the need to change the Alpine
parkland prioritization list.
The board voted to change the priorities. Number one is
now the design and construction of the land behind Albertsons
into a park. Conversion of the Dyke property into a park is now
number two, and number three remains working with the Grossmont
Union High School District to allow public access to a sports
complex at a future high school.
Development of the Albertsons property into a park
would not necessitate as much red tape as the development of
Dyke’s property.
“We don’t have to go through the expense of subdividing
the property. The county can just go ahead and develop,” Godoy
said.
“That’s the only site that’s free and clear,” Barnett
said.
Godoy and APG members had an open discussion regarding
a drawing of the prospective park. At the APG’s request, Godoy
said county staff would come up with a conceptual drawing.
“We have to go through the process of selecting a
design company. They would come up with a concept plan. If we
all agree to what the park should look like, they will come up
with some estimates at that time,” Godoy said. “We know that we
have $400,000, more or less. If the cost estimate is more than
that, we either cut back on the features of the park or we try
to obtain more money. I know the supervisor has pledged to
assist to some degree, so until we know what we want, what we
can put on there, and have a cost estimate, we just have to
assume the $400,000 will be sufficient.”
Godoy said that this any discussion and planning at
this point is going to be very basic, and more intricate studies
will be required.
“Until we do geotechnical and we do surveys and stuff,
our cost estimates are going to be basic and general,” he said.
After the discussion, APG approved the recommendation
of PLDO funds for design and construction of the Albertsons
site, but added the words “contingent upon approval of the
preliminary design.”
The group also discussed the possibility of whether or
not PLAY (Park Land For Alpine Youth) should be evaluated by the
county to assume the responsibility for maintenance of the
prospective park.
Even if public funds are used to construct a park, the
county will not assume responsibility for maintain the park.
“We are required to have a local non-profit entity to
undertake that,” Barnett said.
PLAY, founded by Zeno and Taylor, has already expressed
interest in taking over the responsibility.
“We have received copies of the incorporation papers.
We need… a financial statement,” Godoy said, adding that PLAY
also needs to submit a description of how they are proposing to
maintain and operate the facility as well as proof that it is
financially capable of assuming the responsibility.
“I’m waiting for some responses, but right now, what
we’d like to see before we say, ‘yes’ to PLAY, that it is a
viable, non-profit organization to do the maintenance and
operation,” Godoy said. “We need to see their financial
statements. We need to see the program they propose for the
maintenance and operation.”
Easterling expressed hesitation about the APG deciding
upon PLAY during that meeting.
“It seems to me like this may be an item that may need
to be continued in the next meeting,” he said, suggesting that a
presentation from a PLAY representative might give APG, “a
comfort level.”
“Before we go to the Board of Supervisors asking them
to allow us to use the PLDO monies for the park, we have to tell
them we have this viable organization in place that will take
over the maintenance; otherwise, they’re not going to authorize
us to use the money,” Godoy warned.
The APG voted to authorize the county to evaluate PLAY.
New APG Vice-Chairman
With the APG in possession of Chuck Taylor’s written
resignation letter, the group attempted to vote on a new
vice-chairman. After three rounds, the group could not get the
necessary eight votes for a majority and will readdress the
issue at the next meeting on Aug. 20.
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