ESCONDIDO — The City Council this month approved several updates to projects throughout the city that will be paid for by federal pandemic relief funding.
Escondido received $38.8 million from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, funds that can only be used to support public health costs, address negative impacts caused by the pandemic, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay to essential workers, and make investments in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.
The City Council first approved a list of ARPA-funded projects in September 2021 totaling $22.8 million. In April, the council directed staff to finish allocating the remaining funds. Staff returned to the council on Dec. 7 with additional funding needed for several of the approved projects.
Most of the projects receiving additional funding are within the city’s many parks.
The Queen Califia event space plan requires an additional $585,000 to construct a new, rentable event space next to the Queen Califia Magical Circle sculpture garden in Kit Carson Park.
Due to a lack of interest in designing the event space because of the project’s small scope in size and budget, staff recommended purchasing an event structure in advance and issuing another request for proposals to construct a concrete pad and install the pre-purchased event space there.
“Community input is important so if there’s a way to get the community involved in that before its final design, I would very much recommend that,” Councilmember Consuelo Martinez said.
An additional $400,000 will be allocated to build standalone pickleball courts at Mountain View Park in an effort to prevent clashes between pickleball and tennis players. And $35,000 will be dedicated to creating an archery range at Lake Wohlford.
Another $300,000 will be used to match a previously approved $271,000 grant to construct a 1-acre bike park at Jesmond Dene Park named after the late John Masson, a council member until his death in March 2020.
The city is currently working with Kimley-Horn to design the park with opportunities for public input coming in January. Construction on the park is expected to begin in late summer 2023.
Two tennis courts at Washington Park are set to be replaced by futsal courts with an additional $215,000 from ARPA funds. Futsal is a soccer-based game played on a smaller court, typically indoors. The San Diego Loyal soccer club has committed to providing programming at the futsal courts, which will be open to the public at times as well.
An additional $675,000 has been allocated to provide LED lighting on seven of the eight fields at Ryan Park, which will allow soccer teams to play into the evening during the winter months.
Plans have been in the works to make El Caballo Park a reality since 2014, but there have been hang-ups with the park’s environmental impact report. Another $200,000 of ARPA funds has been committed to complete the environmental document for the El Caballo Park Master Plan.
“I’m happy for those folks who held on for 10 years,” Deputy Mayor Tina Inscoe said during her last council meeting. “I’m looking forward to El Caballo Park becoming another truly appreciated and well used amenity.”
ARPA-funded projects that have been completed include replacing 15 ambulance gurneys for $230,000 and allocating $1.5 million to the Escondido Community Foundation, which provides funds to nonprofits in the community to adopt safer operating procedures, sustain operations during closures like the COVID-19 shutdown and mitigating financial hardship stemming from the pandemic.
Other projects still in the works include $150,000 for the relaunching of Visit Escondido to promote economic development and tourism; $500,000 for business improvements; $400,000 for economic revitalization; $1 million for Kit Carson amphitheater improvements; and $2.5 million for sidewalk and Escondido Creek Trail connection improvements throughout the city.
As with Inscoe, Dec. 7 was also Paul McNamara’s last council meeting as mayor. He commended staff for their work on the additional ARPA allocations.
“It’s really impressive what you’ve done,” McNamara said.
