In the News 2007
Plans for San Diego River to Revitalize Mission Valley
August 30, 2007
River could prove strong investment opportunity.
Discussions continue on projects involving the largely neglected San Diego River. A panel organized by Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 has talked about how a river park could renew Mission Valley, while providing solid investment opportunities they hope will excite the business community.
Rob Hutsel, executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation, revealed planning documents for a "River Park Conceptual Plan" that may include such projects as a 17-acre "Discovery Center" and a five-acre botanical garden in Mission Valley. He said the River Park Foundation, which was created in 2001, hopes to make the a river celebrated part of the city, with trails and other recreation.
"The river most people know about has rail lines, bridges, buildings and fences and places to stay out of," said Hutsel, who moderated the panel. "How do we change the dynamic of Mission Valley, a growing residential community, and make the river a place for the people, at the same time protecting the natural systems and allow for necessary flooding in the future?"
The river park could affect Qualcomm Stadium, and as the Chargers look for a new stadium site, the team has been in discussion with the River Coalition, a group of 64 organizations dedicated to enhancing the San Diego River.
"They came to the coalition and gave presentations and we talked about it quite a bit," Hutsel said."But at this point everything is kind of on hold because we don't know what's going to happen with the site. But whatever happens, if something happens, we've agreed with them that the river needs to be accommodated."
Hutsel said the park would, at minimum, extend from the Qualcomm parking lot to the trolley station.
"What the master plan did was try to look at all the alternatives, and it proposed four different configurations," Hutsel said. "It didn't make a decision about stadium, no stadium; development, no development."
But lack of funding for the park poses a significant problem, said panel member Andrew Spurlock, principal of Spurlock Poirier Landscape Architects, which is in charge of architecture for the proposed park.
But there is hope, he said.
"Infrastructure can achieve the plan, as long as we make 'green' infrastructure, and 'green' development in the valley,"
Spurlock said. "Developers see people are looking for the relationships to the river, because that's where the quality of life comes from."
Michael Nelson, another speaker, said convincing the business community that investing in the river park and a healthy river is a good investment, and one that will pay dividends in the future could generate funding for the park. Nelson is executive director of the San Diego River Conservancy, a non-regulatory agency created by the California Legislature (AR 2156, Kehoe).
"We've got to bring together the economic interest," he said. "Urban parks, greenways and river parks are sort of the new return on investment," Nelson said. "For example, Hotel Circle is right along the river, and there would be real value in completing the bike path from Ocean Beach to connect it to the hotels and have the visitors hop on a bike and go to the beach. That would help the businesses, too."
The discussion was sponsored by Sudberry Properties Inc., an example of the positive linkage that will eventually bring the necessary funding, according to Nelson.
"The state has already invested about $12 million in projects along the river and the mayor is a member of my board, as is Donna Frye, and they both seem to be in agreement on the direction of the river park," Nelson said. "If we’re going to martial the kind of financial resources at the federal, state and local level that will be necessary for this effort, we need everybody."
By KATIE EUPHRAT
The Daily Transcript
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