Supes appropriate funds for Live Oak, Clemmens Lane parks

The County of San Diego has received its 2009-10 Community Development Block Grant funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, enabling that money to be appropriated into specific projects.

On October 14 the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to appropriate $200,000 of CDBG funds into the capital outlay fund for Live Oak Park renovations and enhancements and $47,000 of CDBG money into the capital outlay fund for additional Clemmens Lane Park improvements.

The supervisors also approved California Environmental Quality Act findings of no significant impact for the two projects.

Additionally, they appropriated $107,000 for the Mountain Empire Campo Community Center playground and issued a CEQA finding of no significant impact for that project.

“I’m really happy to see it go forward,” said Brian Albright, the director of the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “I think they’re all great projects in communities that are all underserved.”

The 2009-10 annual funding plan for Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, Emergency Shelter Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS programs expenditures was approved by the Board of Supervisors on May 5.

In addition to allocating $1,845,701 of 2009-10 CDBG funding to 20 projects in the unincorporated area, the plan also reallocated CDBG funding from previous years for projects which were cancelled or completed with funds remaining.

The 2009-10 allocations included $202,500 to replace children’s play equipment in two play areas at Live Oak Park to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards and to provide additional benches and picnic tables at Live Oak Park.

The $202,500 allocation included $2,500 for oversight. It is estimated the Live Oak Park renovation will be completed by April.

A total of $306,350 obtained from previously funded projects was reallocated, and the $47,000 to construct a covered picnic pavilion at Clemmens Lane Park was funded from balances of the completed shade structures projects at the Fallbrook Community Center playground and at Collier Park in Ramona.

Clemmens Lane Park is currently under construction.

The half-acre park will also include a junior play structure, a tot lot, swings, a small two-stall parking lot, concrete picnic plazas which will include the metal pavilion, a sand volleyball court, an artificial turf soccer field, security fencing and lighting, irrigation, and landscaping.