The city of La Mesa is calling for final resident feedback on a MacArthur park redesign priced between $73 and $77 million by Jan 30.
The park redesign dates back to 2017, when city council directed staff to re-purpose a nine-acre golf course located in the park at 4975 Memorial Drive to be included in future redevelopment of the entire 22-acre park.
Since then the city, along with KTU&A Planning and Landscape Architecture, have developed options for how to proceed with the full park redesign, primarily based on expanding green space, improving facilities and replacing the municipal pool at the park.
Throughout the planning process, the city received community feedback during public meetings and surveys which indicated the existing facilities, including the circa-1950 municipal pool and recreation center are inadequate for the needs of a growing community, La Mesa Director of Community Services Sue Richardson said.
“The current pool does not have ample space for our popular learn-to-swim programs or adult lap swim; the community center is frequently requested for large banquets and events with over 275 people but the facility doesn’t have space to accommodate that, so community members have to go outside La Mesa to host their celebrations. The city does not have a gymnasium for community use,” Richardson said.
Based on analysis of an initial Opportunities and Constraints study, the city council asked staff to explore the option to build replacement facilities to serve the existing and future needs of La Mesa for the Master Plan, Richardson said.
The proposed design was developed by conceptualizing where park amenities would best sit within the existing topography of the park.
“The center and west side of the park are preserved as open space to balance the more active areas. Features such as pickleball, a bicycle pump track and playground with a hillside slide and universally accessibility design commonly included in new parks are being built, in addition to more traditional features,” Richardson said.
The redesigned Community Center is slated for placement above a parking garage so more green space can be preserved in the park. Recreation programs that currently meet out of the Adult Enrichment Center would move into the new community center.
Additionally, some features such as proposed lighting were driven by increased park use at all hours during the pandemic.
“It has been great to see so many people getting outdoors to enjoy our parks… The new lighted pedestrian paths would allow people to get out and safely exercise after dark or early mornings,” Richardson said.
The park is designed for multi-generational use, Richardson said, including active and passive space for all ages.
One multi-generational component of the park, a community garden, has already been up and running for over six months.
La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation Executive Director Misty Thompson said all the garden beds at the community garden are currently leased and families who grow food in the garden all reported a successful fall harvest.
“We received a grant to start a compost program through Community Composting for Green Spaces and the garden has a seed swap which is a selection of seeds for gardeners to choose from to plant in their garden,” Thompson said.
Different funding approaches were considered in the park’s master plan such as El Cajon’s 2008 approach which favored using sales taxes to fund general community services including city parks, and the city of Tucson’s 2018 bond package. According to the proposed master plan, the city of La Mesa “is encouraged to pursue bond or sales tax measures in future election cycles” to fund the park redesign.
“If you look at each of the three main features in the redesign, Richardson said, costs are in line with other agencies who are building new stand-alone aquatics centers, community centers or new parks. The plan allows for a phased approach to work on the park so that elements can be built as funding is received.
The final KTU&A draft Master Plan document and a resident survey are available at: cityoflamesa.us/1550/MacArthur-Park or residents can visit https://youtube/gP2ngkVrKig to view a recorded presentation of the draft plan and take the survey directly afterward.
Public feedback is due by Jan. 30.
