The lily pond at Balboa Park is getting a clearer look as the City of San Diego moves forward with a major cleanup effort tied to the second phase of the Botanical Building and Gardens Project.
City officials said the work is being led and funded by Forever Balboa Park as part of broader improvements to the historic site. The complete cleaning of the lily pond is expected to go into next week, through Wednesday.
Regular parkgoer Matt Wechter said he’s glad to see the maintenance happening.
“We walk here every Sunday.”
Wechter said the cleanup was overdue.
“I think any cleaning is good. I think it was the first time in 15 years, so I guess it’s got to get cleaned sometime. And if it’s cleaner, maybe it’ll look better.”
During the maintenance, some koi fish can be seen sunbathing with turtles in a smaller pond in front of the Botanical Building. The city said once Parks and Recreation finishes fixing the planter boxes that house the lilies, the fish will be returned to the main pond.
Wechter said continued upkeep is important.
“The more we can do to keep it nice the better.”
However, some residents said the timing of the project adds to existing frustrations over parking in Balboa Park.
Jeff Safford, a La Mesa resident, questioned the planning behind the effort.
“Sounds to me the city should have done some better research.”
Wechter said he has noticed an impact in nearby neighborhoods.
“We’ve seen a lot more people parking in the neighborhood that we have because of the the parking payment here. So it’s it’s clogged up our streets in our neighborhood.”
Despite concerns, residents told NBC 7 they see the project as a worthwhile investment in a landmark public space.
“I don’t know that I’m saying that I’m in favor, but clearly the park requires maintenance,” Safford added, “we pay taxes, I hope it goes to good things.”
Wechter agreed.
“I mean, I think that Balboa Park is a really important institution.”
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.