El Cajon seeks $11M in state grants for parks
EL CAJON
The El Cajon City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to seek about $11 million in Proposition 68 funds to make improvements at three sites — Wells Park, Bostonia Community Center and Kennedy Community Center — and to build a new park where the city’s old animal shelter used to be on Marshall Avenue. Two of the parks would feature pickleball courts, said Director of Parks and Recreation Frank Carson.
Proposition 68 was passed by voters in 2018 and is a $4 billion parks and water bond intended to partly revitalize existing parks and create new parks and recreation facilities.
“Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport for adults over 60 years of age for the past 20 years,” Carson told the council. “We know that it has staying power, and the community is asking for it.”
The animal shelter site near Heartland Fire Station 9, has been identified by the city as a place for a new park, and is being tabbed for some pickleball playing areas. Carson said that the request of $2.8 million for that site would include demolition of existing structures, new landscaping fitting state requirements, a new adult fitness area, solar energy installation and a fire department-themed playground area for kids.
Carson said his department is also looking for a grant of $3.4 million to create the “Wells Park Pickleball Complex & Arena Soccer Complex.” He said surveys of park users at Wells Park since June 2018 show “the overwhelming request is more access to soccer, and our 55-plus population is requesting more access to outdoor pickleball.”
The park’s pickleball complex would be located where the former Boys & Girls Club Teen Center used to be with the courts built adjacent to that structure, Carson said. The center would also be retrofitted with solar energy installation.
The arena soccer complex would replace Wells Park’s current multipurpose field and add four arena soccer artificial turf courts.
The City Council also said it was on board with Carson’s department seeking $2.3 million apiece in grant requests for renovations at aging community centers at Bostonia and Kennedy parks.