No golden plated shovels at this ground-breaking, just getting to work breaking ground on the new Ranger Station at the lagoon.
Here we are, 2019, the River Park’s 30th year. If you’ve been following our 30th anniversary blog series this past year you may have noticed that several projects were mentioned repeatedly over the course of a few years. First the project concept may have been approved, or funding received, then in the next year (or two) you may have read about construction starting and in the following year, project completion. This blog series has not only highlighted all of the River Park’s success stories over the past 30 years, but also unintentionally demonstrated how complex and time-consuming seemingly simple projects can be in a regional open space park with a vision of establishing a 70-mile long trail system. The Pamo Valley trail segment for example, started in the planning stages in 2008 and promptly finished in 2019.
I am proud of all the River Park staff (some of whom were not born when the Park was initiated) that took on the task of researching each year in the Park’s history and writing a blog for us. It was a good history lesson and a chance to reflect, celebrate, and inspire. If you’ve been following the blog series, we hope that you\\\’ve found it entertaining, informative, and rewarding for those that have been involved with the Park’s development either from the very beginning or whenever you joined the effort along the way.
So, in 2019, our 30th year, in keeping with the tradition of success, we held a ribbon cutting for a new Coast to Crest Trail segment in Pamo Valley, broke ground on the coast ranger station after 5 years of planning, permitting, and fundraising and as of today, closed escrow on a land acquisition of the last remaining privately held acreage in the Sycamore Creek Preserve, formerly known as the Blum property. Oh, and not to forget that little birthday shindig we held on the hottest day in June at the Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead – a River Parkpalooza – bringing back our 1/5/15K races of the past, community fair, volunteer appreciations, farmer\\\’s market, and a silent auction to help pay for it all.
Staff will soon be compiling our 30-year blog chronology of the San Dieguito River Park as we wrap up our 30th year. Stay tuned and stay involved as we look forward to the next 30 years of success with all the support of our member agencies, non-profit and community partners, and dedicated volunteers.
Kevin McKernan – Executive Director
Functional, aesthetic architecture facing the wetlands – Board Meeting and tour of the Ranger Station underway.
No one appreciates, or gets more excited about receiving paperwork (permits) from the City of San Diego than our Principal Planner, Shawna Anderson. Permits for the Ranger Station re-design were pulled within a day of our expiration window.
Sycamore Creek Preserve Acquisition
Chris Khoury and Linda Corey, long-time River Park supporters and key donors toward the acquisition of the Sycamore Creek Preserve with the property in the background.
2018 – Growth Continues at SDRP