Rio Prado Park acquisition moved to fiscal year 2022-23

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Modifications in the county’s Capital Improvement Needs Assessment plan will move land acquisition and other funding for Rio Prado Park to fiscal year 2022-23.

The May 10 San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting included a 5-0 vote to add six capital projects to the 2022-23 timeline of the five-year plan. The six projects have a combined estimated cost of $29,750,000 including $5,000,000 for Rio Prado Park.

The Capital Improvement Needs assessment reflects the county's facilities’ needs. The approval of the CINA itself does not include funding for projects on the list but includes direction to the county’s chief administrative officer to determine timing and funding mechanisms to implement the individual projects. If funding is designated for the next fiscal year it is included in the preliminary budget for that year. A change letter to the initial 2022-23 budget which has already been prepared will reflect the addition of the six projects.

The CINA is updated annually and covers a five-year period. The March 1 Board of Supervisors meeting approved the CINA for fiscal years 2022-23 to 2026-27. Rio Prado Park will be part of the San Luis Rey River Park, and the March 1 CINA earmarked $5,000,000 for the river park during fiscal year 2023-24, $12,000,000 for 2024-25, $6,000,000 in 2025-26, and $7,000,000 during 2026-27.

If the acquisition of the Rio Prado Park land is complete by the end of fiscal year 2022-23, design and future construction of the park can begin. The San Luis Rey River Park boundaries are yet to be determined since land will be acquired only from willing sellers, but the river park will stretch for approximately nine miles and encompass approximately 1,600 acres.

The park will provide open space areas including trails, staging areas, and habitat preservation and will also include active recreation land such as ball fields, play areas, and picnic facilities. The plans for the San Luis Rey River Park include two active parks. Bonsall Community Park will total 63 acres including 55 acres to be developed. Rio Prado Park, which is near Rancho Monserate, will be the other active park within the San Luis Rey River Park.