VISTA — The Vista City Council reviewed conceptual designs this week for two planned parks in the city as well as updates to Brengle Terrace Park, in addition to community feedback regarding desired park amenities.
The city is planning to develop a future park at a property on Matagual Road near the Vale View neighborhood, and another at the vacant site next to the Vista Courthouse along Breeze Hill Road (not to be confused with the existing Breeze Hill Park at the nearby elementary school).
Over the past year, consultant Next Practice Partners and the Vista Parks and Recreation Department have been gathering input from residents through public workshops and mailed surveys about their priorities for the future parks.
This input was used to create conceptual plans presented to the City Council on Tuesday, with plans also added to the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
“This will give us the ability to cost these parks out and understand what the projects are going to require us to put forward to make them happen,” said City Manager John Conley.
Park plans
The 2.2-acre Matagual Park project is expected to cost around $5.9 million, with the city acquiring the land for $2.1 million in 2023. The site was previously planned for a controversial hotel development.
Potential park amenities at the site that received the most support from residents were walking paths, playgrounds, and restrooms. The conceptual plan for the Matagual park includes a playground with benches and shade structures, fenced dog parks, walking paths, picnic table areas, a bathroom, and a small parking lot.
Over at the courthouse site on Breeze Hill Road, the top-desired amenities voted by residents were restrooms, walking paths, playgrounds, parking, and a dog park. Conceptual plans presented by the city include a splash pad, inclusive playground, two dog park areas, pickleball courts, exercise equipment, bench seating, tables with shade, walking paths, and a restroom.
While pickleball courts were not a top choice for residents at the Breeze Hill site, the city is planning to implement new pickleball courts in an adjacent parking lot at the site to replace courts that were removed from Thibodo Park.
City officials noted that the site is surrounded by fewer homes than other parks, making it a better location for pickleball as there will be less noise impacts on residents.
“Pickleball may not be at the top of the list, but it’s kind of the best location,” said Councilmember Katie Melendez.
However, some residents still have concerns about the level of noise that will be generated by pickleball, the dog park, the splash pad, and other planned amenities at the Breeze Hill/courthouse site.
“Keeping the development modest would be both beneficial and respectful to local residents. A park of this scale should be reserved for a location that is large enough to accommodate the features without undue burden to the local neighborhood,” Rick McAvoy, a resident of the nearby Charlemont Condominiums across Breeze Hill Road, wrote to the council.
Melendez also said that while it’s important to have splash pads at parks outside of just the Wave Waterpark, she wasn’t sold on having it at the Breeze Hill site. However, she said she would be okay with leaving the splash pad in the conceptual plan for now.
Improvements totaling nearly $17 million are also planned at Brengle Terrace Park. One major planned improvement is the addition of 287 parking spaces for the Moonlight Amphitheatre along Jim Porter Parkway, in addition to a new walking path to the theater from the lot.
The city is also planning the development of a small building for theatre operations. Other planned improvements are a new splash pad next to the sand volleyball court, renovations to the existing volleyball courts and restroom, and a new pathway from the pickleball and tennis courts to the restroom.
Parks and Recreation staff also provided an update on Wíivay Park, also known as Paseo Buena Vista Park, along the Vista Conservancy Trail, which went out to bid in late 2024.
In recent months, the city has implemented exercise stations at the north end of the site, and is planning other uses including dog parks, benches, and shaded tables. However, staff found out that a large portion of the site has a cultural easement, requiring further discussions with local Native American tribes before additional plans can move forward.
Other plans for the park based on resident feedback included walking paths, a community garden, and restrooms.
Several residents shared opposition to using synthetic turf at any of the park sites, including improvements to the Wave Waterpark. They noted that many forms of turf contain harmful chemicals, and that this material grows very hot in the sun and does not result in water savings compared to natural grass.
Council members said they would like to use alternatives to synthetic turf wherever possible but did not discuss the topic in-depth.
Funding priorities
As far as funding for new parks and improvements, the city has around $10.2 million in park development funds and is also seeking various grants to help leverage these funds, according to City Manager John Conley.
The Matagual park site is believed to be a strong contender for national funding through the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, but the federal government has paused the next round of its funds.
“I know there’s another round of federal grants that were supposed to come in the fall, but everything is on pause right now. We really are signed up for every alert for any kind of grant that’s out there, so the second something comes up, we’re right on top of applying for it,” said Parks and Recreation Director Mike Pacheco.
For next steps, city staff recommended prioritizing the implementation of pickleball courts at the Breeze Hill/courthouse site, followed by improvements at Brengle Terrace Park, then the Matagual Park site, followed by the other park plans for the Breeze Hill/courthouse and Wíivay sites.
“We recommend just waiting to see what future grants are out there and trying to see which of those parks would be more competitive,” Pacheco said for the latter two parks.
City leaders will discuss park plans and improvements again in September when reviewing capital improvement projects.
Vista currently has 21 parks, and 49% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, according to the city.
