SAN DIEGO — People who live in Encanto say Emerald Hills Park has been in need of repairs for so long, it’s considered frozen in time.
“I really want to see it nice and clean,” said five-year-old Noah.
Noah speaks for a lot of people in the area who say the park is anything but a shining example of what a recreation area should be.
“Little run down, old, probably built in '78 when the houses were built around here,” said Patrick Carroll.
Abby Marden, Noah's mom, called portions of the park embarrassing.
“Everyone talks about how rundown the playground equipment is here,” said Marden.
Take the slide for example, which is dented and made of metal, making it too dangerous for kids on hot days.
The climbing structure is rusted and has chipped paint.
Then, there are the so called "spring riders," which don't move at all.
Neighbors have long list of complaints
The tennis and basketball courts are cracked, and the bathrooms are rundown. Add in the water fountains, which neighbors would like to see replaced as well.
A petition on change.org is calling on the city to revamp the entire area, saying it’s been ignored for too long.
"It's not meeting the needs of the community now," said Evelyn Smith.
Smith has lived in the area for 50 years. During that time, she said the neighborhood has grown, yet the park hasn't evolved.
Smith chairs both the Emerald Hills Town Council and the Encanto Park and Rec Board.
She told CBS8 Emerald Hills was slated a few years ago to get a new park, which will include and amphitheater and dog park, but progress has been slow, in part because there's not enough money for it.
“We have some fundings, but we do not have enough funds to do the entire park, so there are things that will be in stages,” said Smith.
CBS8 checked with the city, and found Emerald Hills Park listed on its website as a "to be determined project" with no set date.
A city spokesperson said they are working to get answers to the questions CBS8 has.
In the meantime, people in the neighborhood will continue to wait for an update, which they hope will happen soon.
“They want a park just like we have in the parks on the north of eight. We want nice things for the children of this community,” said Smith.
WATCH RELATED: Port of San Diego looking to expand South Bay parks (Sept. 6, 2023)