SAN DIEGO — A neighborhood in Southeast San Diego isn't playing around about their park. It's in bad shape and they want it upgraded.
People in the area told CBS 8 that Emerald Hills Park has been around since the 1970's and not much has changed. One of the slides is dented and made of metal, making it too dangerous for kids on hot days. A climbing structure is rusted and has chipped paint. Then, there are the so-called 'spring riders' which don't move at all. The tennis and basketball courts are cracked, and the bathrooms are rundown.
“The other parks are getting priority on us. We just continue to get pushed back, pushed back. And it's frustrating, especially with parents that have small children,” said Evelyn Smith, co-President of the Emerald Hills Neighborhood Council.
CBS 8 spoke with Smith alongside Sally Smull, who serves with Smith on the Neighborhood Council, and also chairs the Chollas Valley Community Planning Group.
Both women said they have been requesting a new park for years, and have even worked to secure more than $3 million in funding for it, but the process has been slow and in their opinion, unfair.
“They claim equity is important but it doesn't really seem to be going that way for us. We get a little extra funding but it goes to our rec center advisory group, not to the individual parks," said Smull.
CBS 8 pushed the city for answers and they said the Emerald Hills Park General Development Plan was initiated in 2020 and received community approval in 2021.
However, they still need to complete a biological report, as well as review an environmental report, both of which are being done, but there's no timeline as to when those tasks will be completed.
The City of San Diego tells CBS8 it's working on the Park Needs Index, which will identify the areas of the City with the greatest park and recreational needs.
It also uses the Park Condition Index to rate a park’s equipment and amenities as good, fair or poor.
Emerald Hills Park was deemed as fair.
The Park Needs Index will use the Park Condition Index to identify what the total inventory of recreational value in a community presently exists, which is also combined with other factors, such as the demographics of the surrounding neighborhoods and population density, to determine overall park needs.
“I'm frustrated, but I expected it, especially because they consider we have a nice green land space. We look good even though we don't function and since we were the lowest community of concern, we were put near the bottom of the barrel,” said Smull.
But, not all hope is lost.
The city is re-evaluating its Park Needs Index, and they're asking community members to get involved by offering input.
Here is the city’s entire response, along with links to get involved:
The Emerald Hills Park General Development Plan (GDP) was initiated in 2020. The City completed four community workshops between February 2021 and August 2021 and received community approval upon completion of those workshops. Following the community workshops and approval, a preliminary engineering assessment identified the need for a biological resources report and a Mitigated Negative Declaration environmental report because of the expanded improvements requested during the community workshops. The biological report has been prepared and the environmental report is currently being reviewed by staff. There is no current timeline for the completion of the review. Once the staff review is complete, the draft environmental report will be posted for public review on the City Clerk's website for 20 to 30 days and then the City will provide responses to the public comment before it is finalized. The final environmental report will be approved and posted on the City Clerk's website within 90 days of submission. After the environmental report is approved, the project will move forward to the Parks and Recreation Board for approval of the GDP amendment during a public meeting. Upon approval, City staff can begin preparing construction documents and work toward advertising the project for construction contingent upon funding availability.
The recreational value score for Emerald Hills Park is 269.5 points. This point total was calculated as part of the initial stages of the Park Needs Index project, which is part of the City's Equity Forward initiative. The Park Needs Index will identify the areas of the City with the greatest park needs and where the development of additional recreational value and parkland will have the greatest impact for community members. This work will advance the City's efforts to ensure amenities are geographically distributed, serving all of San Diego's diverse communities; prioritize citywide investment in park-deficient communities; and increase access to recreation amenities.
We encourage community members to participate in the development of the Park Needs Index. Please visit the project's initial website and sign up to receive updates as we advance the project forward: sandiego.gov/planning/work/park-needs-index.
Additionally, community members are encouraged to provide input on where improvements are most needed in their community through the Infrastructure Prioritization program. Input is collected on an ongoing basis and informs where and how infrastructure funding is spent to improve our neighborhoods. Visit sandiego.gov/planning/programs/work-programs/infrastructure-prioritization-engagement to learn more.
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.
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