Opposition to the county plan for Bonsall Community Park

There are about 4,000 residents in Bonsall, most of whom received no notice regarding the County Plan for the Bonsall Community Park. The notice apparently went out during COVID during which time residents were encouraged to stay at home.

Mark Kieser, the Senior Park Project Manager, stated a few weeks ago at the Fallbrook Community Planning Group that a County presentation notice was given at one of the San Luis Rey Association Homeowners meetings, yet no known notice is reflected in the minutes of this HOA. We wonder to whom the notice was given?

We have twice emailed Mr. Kieser requesting a meeting with us in the hope that he would listen to the residents who know the needs and shortfalls of the community – especially in the area of the park’s size and relative ingress and egress. Mr. Kieser has ignored us with a pat on the head.

As we were informed this week regarding the huge crisis of thousands of immigrants from everywhere pouring into San Diego, presenting a huge problem for San Diego, this present County Park Plan, on a daily basis, will attract thousands of people from everywhere into the Bonsall Community Park – continually disrupting our daily lives and devaluing our properties and rural lifestyle – forever.

Opposition

The County Plan for the Bonsall Community Park is designated as a highly active park including four soccer fields, three baseball fields, a skate park, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, a bike course, and much more! Bonsall cannot sustain a highly active park.

There is an already huge traffic pinch point on Camino Del Rey, a two lane road, with no sidewalks, at the traffic light at Calle De Las Brisas.

Because there are no sidewalks on Camino Del Rey at this time, it is mandatory that every school child be driven to the school. During drop off and pick up times, there can be up to a 25 minute wait to get past the school entrance on Camino Del Rey on a daily basis.

We understand that “dirt” trail-like sidewalks are planned for Camino Del Rey after the park is installed, but who knows when.

The entrance to the elementary school is located at the one traffic light at Calle De Las Brisas. The entrance to the 93 homes adjacent to the school is also at the one traffic light at Calle De Las Brisas. And the only one designated entrance to the Bonsall Community Park is also at this same traffic light, at Calle De Las Brisas.

Adding to the traffic congestion, the Park has 467 planned parking spaces. A minimum of two persons per vehicle will add 934 people.

There’s more – the proposed new 400 homes at Ocean Breeze Ranch located adjacent to the park will add to the already horrific traffic conditions.

If the Bonsall Community Park Plan goes into effect as planned, it will cause a nightmare traffic congestion at all times.

This County plan incorporates a large drainage ditch around the entire park preventing all pedestrians and drivers from entering and leaving at any other location than Calle De Las Brisas. Even a San Diego County 4-unit development requires a minimum of two ingress and egress points. We would like a minimum of four ingress and egress points.

Fire

In an emergency evacuation such as we experienced during the Lilac fire, all will be in danger. The school children and their parents trying to pick them up, Bonsall residents, park visitors, the Thoroughbred Training Center, Polo Club, Moody Creek Farms, Udder Feed – all will be trying to flee at this pinch point at the same time.

Tom Harrington, representing the NCFPD, reported a few weeks ago at the Fallbrook Community Planning Group that Camino Del Rey at Calle De Las Brisas is a pinch point that the County has not addressed although previously requested to do so.

No improvements to Camino Del Rey nor Lilac Road are being proposed despite the anticipated significant change in the level of use.

Did you know that the County of San Diego leases its soccer fields to AYSO and other entities for big tournaments? This will bring hundreds of extra people (not from our area) to our park, and, even on a daily basis, for practice, forever – it’s not just for weekend games.

There are 22 full size soccer fields in Oceanside at the So Cal Sports Complex. This facility is relatively close to Bonsall. We don’t need any more soccer fields. Parking fees are $15. To avoid parking fees, vehicles will park on Camino Del Rey using any available street space, including Villas Four-designated street parking and street parking along the 93 homes across from the park.

The baseball fields have no planned chain link fencing to stop a foul ball or home run from injuring people – which company will insure that?

Restroom facilities only show two locations – clearly insufficient to serve the anticipated hundreds and hundreds of visitors on 63 acres.

The tennis courts could be better utilized with more popular pickleball courts.

The bottom line is our rural community infrastructure cannot accommodate a “highly active” park. A highly active park will negatively impact the already impaired access to our elementary school, homes and businesses, all of which use Camino Del Rey as the only access on a daily basis.

All the soccer fields, baseball fields and skatepark must be “eliminated” from the Bonsall Park existing County Plan.

Horse staging facilities

The promised horse staging facilities are non-existent in this County plan. We realize that it was omitted due to the park being so active, but we believe with the omission of the soccer and baseball fields and skate park, that it could work into a corner of the acreage that directly accesses the trails. It would be much less expensive than many of the other amenities and it would be greatly used. Please see this as a high community need that overshadows other high-cost amenities that are not as usable to our residents.

The designated “horse-only trails” should be provided with an ample staging area and trailer parking. This addition to the park will not cost very much.

Bonsall is an equestrian community.

The horse-only trails should prohibit cyclists, e-bikes and scooters, as these can be operated in the sand trail footing and can accelerate up to 20 mph. A horse can spook with an e-bike, cyclist or scooter coming at it around a corner at 20 mph. They just don’t mix.

The bridge

The small “bridge” on Camino del Rey at the 76 intersection states a maximum weight of 7 tons.

The weight of an average car is 1.5 tons. It follows that the bridge can safely hold a maximum of four cars at one time. Congestion on this bridge may cause the 2-lane bridge to collapse. What then in an emergency? Nobody will be able to escape this way.

No improvements are being considered to reconstruct this bridge to withstand the onslaught of traffic congestion.

If there is going to be a park, let’s get it right before the county sends the plans out for bid in early 2024.

We ask the County to preserve the quality of our Bonsall community by not approving this existing Bonsall Community Park plan without the minimally above stated changes.

Here is what you can do…email San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond at [email protected].

“I oppose the existing planned Bonsall Community Park and request you make the suggested changes in the Opposition to County Plan for the Bonsall Community Park on file with your office 9/18/23.”

Your opinion matters! If you do nothing, you agree with the existing Bonsall Park Plan.

Deborah Howard