Fourteen years ago, the city of La Mesa purchased a 3-acre plot of land in the southwest part of the city with the intention of turning it into a park.
Today, there still is no park. Residents are looking for answers, while officials say they are trying to speed up the process.
“I have a two-week-old daughter,” Vaughn Rios, a 20-year resident of La Mesa, said. “We want what families everywhere want: a safe, walkable park where our children can play and our community can gather.”
The vacant lot is located at the corner of Waite Drive and Murray Hill Road. Dubbed informally by residents as Waite Drive Park, the area is enclosed by a fence and a sign that reads “site of future City of La Mesa park.”
That sign was viewed by many in the neighborhood as a promise that has yet to be fulfilled, Rios said.
Plans for a park in the area have been underway since 2012 when the city purchased the property for $650,000. La Mesa’s park master plan was released that same year, identifying the plot as a “valuable option” for a future park space in order to “partially meet the city’s neighborhood park deficiency.”
“The overall distribution of park funds does not feel equitable across all neighborhoods here,” Rios said. “This part of La Mesa has not seen a new park built in over twenty years.”
Of the 15 total parks in La Mesa, only two service residents of the southwestern portion of the city, Councilmember Laura Lothian said.
Next steps for the park were delayed for years as the city sought funding for design. The process picked up again in 2021 when La Mesa secured a state recreation grant program to create a master plan for the park.
A draft master plan was approved by the city council in 2023. The proposed park was designed to create a “natural feel,” featuring a nature themed playground, a fenced dog run, large lawn spaces, shaded tables, a basketball court, restrooms and an outdoor water station.
“Construction documents are currently in development as the city actively pursues project funding,” a February city report said. “At this time, there is no anticipated date for construction as it is dependent on securing the necessary funding.”
Staff estimates that construction of the final design could cost up to $7.2 million.
The city will likely finance the park through state and federal grants, according to a staff report, but the process can sometimes move slowly.
“When park projects are delayed year after year, families are effectively told to wait, even if we continue to pay taxes and invest in this city,” Rios said. “I’m asking the city council and parks and recreation department to prioritize the Waite Drive park with real, visible action.”
The issue has not gone unnoticed by city officials. Lothian said she plans to “make this a priority,” noting that she plans to check-in with city staff to ensure the project is moving forward as quickly as possible.
Increased access to recreational spaces has been a hot topic in La Mesa in recent months. Late last year, a group of advocates successfully pushed the city to expand an off-leash area for dogs at MacArthur Park after complaining that the city lacked adequate space for animals to roam.
“The city of La Mesa has been conducting workshops and surveys, as well as environmental studies, and that takes time, but these people have been waiting for too long,” Lothian said. “We’re going to make this a priority.”
Once construction documents are completed, the city can start looking for funding opportunities to breathe life into Waite Drive park.