$5 million land purchase approved for SLR River Park

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 May 14 to approve the purchase of 142.9 acres of land for the future San Luis Rey River Park.

The property will be purchased from the Frank Nelson Vessels Family Trust for the appraised value of $5,001,500. The parcel is southeast of the intersection of Via Monserate and State Route 76.

“Ten years ago this was a vision, and we’re now making it a reality,” said Supervisor Bill Horn.

The river park had been discussed prior to January 15, 2003, when the county supervisors authorized the county’s Chief Administrative Officer to begin work on a concept plan for the San Luis Rey River Park.

In May 2004 the supervisors approved a consultant agreement to complete the draft master plan, which was released to the public in May 2006. The final master plan will require certification of a completed Environmental Impact Report.

The San Luis Rey River Park will cover approximately 1,600 acres, and the linear park will stretch for approximately nine miles.

The draft master plan indicates that approximately five percent of the park will be for active recreation such as ball fields, play areas, and picnic facilities, while the rest of the park will consist of open space areas including trails, staging areas, and habitat preservation corridors.

The county initiated the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report in spring 2006, and the PEIR is expected to be complete this year.

Although no construction of park facilities can occur until after the completion of environmental review, land purchases can be made prior to the approval of an environmental impact statement.

Because no specific land within the draft master plan area is designated for a specific purpose, the river park concept also enables the California Department of Transportation to use potential portions of the land for the future widening of State Route 76.

If CalTrans purchases any portion of that land from the County of San Diego, the county Department of Parks and Recreation intends to use the proceeds from such a sale to purchase additional land for the park.

The park concept also includes the possibility that CalTrans will purchase land as mitigation for its Highway 76 improvements.

The county’s initial acquisition of land for the river park was as off-site mitigation; in early 2005 the county took title to 83 acres as part of an off-site mitigation program involving the Rincon Indian Reservation.

In July 2005 the county appropriated $5 million for land acquisition for the river park, and in December 2005 the county supervisors approved the purchase of 116 acres of land for the park.

An additional $3 million was appropriated for the river park when the county’s 2006-07 budget was approved in June 2006. All land purchased for the park will be acquired from willing sellers.

The property acquired from the Vessels Family Trust is entirely within the draft North County Multiple Species Conservation Program boundaries. It is within the 100-year flood plain of the San Luis Rey River and contains riparian and wetland habitat.

On March 25, 2008, the county’s Department of Planning and Land Use determined that the proposed acquisition for open space preservation was consistent with the county’s General Plan and with the Bonsall Community Plan. On March 29 the county’s Department of Environmental Health completed its review of investigating the property for hazardous materials and recommended that no further investigation was necessary.

The supervisors set the May 14 hearing date during their April 9 meeting.

In addition to the $5,001,500 purchase cost, the county’s one-time costs will include $10,600 for title and escrow fees, $8,500 of staff time costs to complete the transaction, and $143,000 for one-time stewardship expenses such as installing fencing and signage, removing debris and invasive vegetation, and decommissioning wells.

Area-specific management directives will be developed when the county’s ownership in the area exceeds 300 acres. Ongoing stewardship and monitoring annual costs for the property are estimated at $21,450.