Park Proposed at Mast Boulevard Dead End, City Council to Consider

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

The placement of the park would seem to block any option of connecting Mast Boulevard in the future, but that is not confirmed. The city was planning to connect the boulevard at one time and told residents the project would be considered after he SR-52 extension.

At the upcoming City Council meeting, 7 p.m. Wednesday, staff will present plans for the proposed park and ask council to provide feedback 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."

This area of Santee is considered "not currently served by a neighborhood park," according to the 2010 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update. Planned amenities at the park include a loop trail connecting to the upcoming river trail, parking, benches, landscaping, a playground and dog park or run.

The staff report describes a linear 1.8 acre area of "city right-of-way" land situated between a single-family residential neighborhood to the north and undeveloped open space to the south and east, part of "Tank Hill" where a Padre Dam reservoir sits. 

One reason a park is being considered for this spot is the scenic view of the Laguna Mountains, and the "underutilized and unattractive" nature of the area.

The thoroughfare is currently open to bicyclists and pedestrians. An unused and unmaintained asphalt road 1,000 feet long exists in the area now.  The report says the lock to the gate keeping vehicles out has been cut many times, often by illegal trash dumpers, and there is a graffiti problem in area. The Sheriff's Department worked with the city to suggest safety enhancement for the area that would include a path wide enough to accommodate patrol car and street lights retrofitted with motion detectors at night.

The city of Santee published a blog post opposing the connection and reacting to Turko's reports:

"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."

Mayor Randy Voepel and City Councilmember Jack Dale have both publicly spoken out against connecting the roadway because of the $4 million price tag that city would have to cover.

The Santee side of the project was started and abandoned, but it was done so long ago, the city said they would have to start over. In one report Turko said that the county has done their share of the project in Lakeside, building a boulevard to Santee city limits. 

Photo-simulations in the staff report refer to the park as "Mountain View Park."

If you want to publicly comment on any topic at the council meeting, fill out a speaker slip and turn it in at the beginning of the meeting.

See the attached PDF for the full agenda details or click here to download.