Supervisors approve grant application for Bonsall Community Park

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The County of San Diego will be applying for state grants for four current or future county parks including Bonsall Community Park.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Oct. 20 to authorize the grant applications and the acceptance of the grant funding if awarded. The county is seeking a total of $9,525,000 for the four parks including $3,000,000 for Bonsall Community Park.

In June 2018, the state's voters passed Proposition 68, which allocated $4 billion for state and local parks, environmental protection and restoration projects, water infrastructure projects, and flood protection projects. The first round of competitive grant programs (Proposition 68 also included $185 million in per capita grant funding to local governments for park projects, and the County of San Diego's share of that is $5,487,140) includes $23,125,000 for the Statewide Regional Park Program.

Bonsall Community Park is part of the San Luis Rey River Park and is thus expected to attract visitors from throughout the county rather than only from Bonsall. To be eligible for a Statewide Regional Park Program grant a park site must be at least 50 acres and must have a feature which will attract visitors from at least a 20-mile radius. The Department of Parks and Recreation determined that Bonsall Community Park, the future Alpine Community Park, Stelzer County Park in Lakeside, and Sweetwater Summit Regional Park meet the criteria.

The county acquired the land which includes the future Bonsall Community Park in 2015. Bonsall Community Park will be located near the intersection of State Route 76 and Camino Del Rey. The park will total 63 acres including 55 acres to be developed. Two public workshops to ascertain community desires and preferred amenities were held in 2019 and a virtual public meeting was held in November 2020.

The amenities for Bonsall Community Park will include soccer fields, baseball or softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a skate park, a bicycle skills park, playgrounds, multi-use pathways, picnic areas, a dog park, and restrooms. If funding permits, the initial construction contract will include a photovoltaic energy system utilizing carport roofs.

The estimated total cost for the park improvements is $24,977,000 which includes some design and environmental analysis as well as construction. The one-time costs for vehicles, equipment, and tools are estimated at $155,000 while ongoing services and supplies costs along with adding four full-time equivalent positions are anticipated to be $552,000. The four full-time positions will consist of a supervising park ranger, a recreation program coordinator, and two park maintenance workers.

On Sept. 15, the county supervisors approved the bid and award process for Bonsall Community Park. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2022 and be complete in summer 2023.

"We're excited to see construction starting next spring," said Supervisor Jim Desmond.