Mayor Says Park at End of Mast Blvd. Would Cost $500,000 to Construct

Read the original story: Park Proposed at Mast Boulevard Dead End, City Council to Consider

The Mayor of Santee said the proposed "pocket park" at the east end of Mast Boulevard would cost about $500,000 to construct and would prevent the road from ever connecting into Lakeside.

The city of Santee will touch on the controversial topic of the Mast Boulevard dead end at the City Council meeting Wednesday. They will present a proposal for a park in the area where many residents would like to see the road extended into Lakeside.

"It would cost the City of Santee about $4.5 million that we don't have, to connect Mast with Lakeside," said Mayor Randy Voepel. "It would cost about $500,000 to put a nice 'pocket park,' 1.8 acres at the end of Mast that also connects with the San Diego River hiking trails." 

He said the city has money in the park and recreation fund for this type of project. That price tag doesn't include annual costs of keeping up the park.

"My bottom line as Mayor, is that the Mast connection has little or no advantage to Santee other than more problems," he said. "Especially in light of a large housing development that Pardee wants to put right on the border. I am not interested in using Santee money to help a developer's project outside of Santee City limits."

Voepel confirmed that construction of the park would end any chance of making the connection into Lakeside in the future.

In an email to Santee Patch he referred those concerned with traffic along El Nopal to a City of Santee blog post outlining accidents over the years and denying that connecting Mast Blvd. would alleviate those problems- in fact it said the connection could make things worse:

"It should be noted that Lakeside’s portion of El Nopal has two sharp curves, which is where many of the accidents have occurred. State accident statistics compiled over the last decade show that a majority of accidents on El Nopal were the result of speeding motorists...

"Completing Mast Boulevard would offer a convenient route for a few, but it will expose many Santee residents to higher traffic volumes and greater truck traffic."

The presentation at the council meeting this week will allow councilmembers to provide feedback to staff to further develop the design and cost estimates for the project, which, according to city staff, would "improve the appearance of city property, offer new recreational opportunities and enhance public safety."

COMMENT: What do you think about the "pocket park" proposal?