Re: Encinitas Communty Park…Finally!
I agree with everyone that it is great that the park is open.
The skate park is state of the art; Maggie’s Dog Park is magnificent. The kids’ play area is terrific, fun and innovative. And the vast majority of the park, the six sports fields and walkways around them are a very positive community asset. Hopefully, with this addition, the 22 sports fields within a one-mile radius of the park will help solve the stated need for more sports fields.
I agree with council member Lisa Shaffer’s sentiments,”…that those on all sides of the earlier controversies can set aside any disagreements and enjoy what has been built.”
From the comments of the author of the community commentary, “Encinitas Community Park….finally!” (Jan. 9, 2015) it appears the disagreements and unpleasant rhetoric that has helped delay this project persist.
Our city has witnessed over a decade of divisive acrimony pitting an uncompromising group who wanted a special use sports park with a plan to “maximize sport fields” and those who wished for a Community Park with sports fields and other amenities, that the commentator opposed, have been deleted from the plan.
The truth is everyone wanted a park.
The author’s hurling the derogatory veiled threat directed to our newest council member, Catherine Blakespear and her mother of: “things could get awkward for her at work in Del Mar where her park-opposing mom work together,” is inappropriate.
No one opposed a park.
The portion of the community that the commentator refers to as “opponents of the project,” merely wished for other amenities to be included, as indicated by the community input map, sponsored by the city. Our city planning commission, agreed with these “opponents” after hearing from all sides and input from the entire community.
Amenities included: sports fields, dog park, skate park, three tot lots/playgrounds, multiple gardens, basketball courts, tennis courts, community center, amphitheater, sheltered areas, water features and an aquatic center.
Hopefully, in time, some or all of these amenities that help define a community park can be added and all the identified traffic issues resolved.
It is time to enjoy the beautiful park we have, make the improvements when possible to serve more of the community and halt the divisive dialogue.
Thank you Encinitas for our wonderful new park.
Morgan Mallory,
Encinitas
Missing the city of old
I miss the city of old Del Mar! Old Del Mar has always been just a very small village, which had to be friendly, with a beach and fairgrounds/racetrack attached.
The city had to be small, also, to carry out the business of being a city (only 2 square miles, they say), most of it being old Highway 101, the railway right-of-way, fairgrounds, lagoon and the beach.
The first city hall was in the old Del Mar Hotel. Now that was small! Next, it was on the 2nd floor above the 7-Eleven, which was big enough to hear my neighbors and I talk down the first city proposal for curbs and sidewalks on the streets east of Camino Del Mar.
The next city hall, which I thought was a really neat one, was in the old Post Office at the corner of 15th Street and Stratford (Rusty’s today). Even though the city was still only two square miles, that city hall contained offices for the city manager, the half dozen other city office employees PLUS a council meeting room big enough for all of us to attend (spilling outside) for most all of the usual contentious meetings. But the city business got done!
Then, The Catholic Church sold their school on the block South of 11th Street to the city for a city hall of the still 2 square mile city.
Today, the city is preparing plans to cover that property with a new city hall to replace the building that originally housed elementary school children, needed new restrooms, was more than twice as large as the previous city hall, but, they say, is badly in need of repair (falling apart). Why the latter? Because the city had not spent the money to properly maintain and preserve the property like most property owners do in Del Mar. Too bad!
Remember, that we are talking about a city that is still only 2 square miles, had only a half dozen office employees in the previous city hall, yet got the real city business done!
In my opinion, if the property is too big for just doing the real city business, the excess should be sold for the private sector to develop as apartments, retail stores, restaurants, etc. — that is their real business!!
Ralph Peck,
Del Mar
