SAVE FELITICA PARK Urgent Action Needed

 Dear Friends who care about Felitica Park. 

 Our Park is under threat again.  Now, the city of Escondido is pursuing a condemnation action of parkland in order to install drainage pipes that will greatly increase (60%) drainage from road and Oak Creek in the northeast corner of the park.

Escondido Neighbors United, Environmental Center of San Diego, and the Sierra Club North County Group has long-standing opposition to this project. Many other groups have joined in opposition.

The County has made reasonable requests of the Oak Creek Developer (KB Home) which they have obstinately refused.  KB Home may be familiar to readers as the company building the project and seriously violated storm water regulations in 2019-2020.

The County has asked that three studies be done to evaluate scouring and Impacts to cultural and biological resources AND for a mitigation plan to avoid any impacts be done prior to putting our Park at risk. These actions are essential to protecting the Park!

ENU members are further concerns that the amount of new drainage and scouring could dig deeper into the plum of contamination from Chatham Barrel Yard which continue to underlay the Park where contamination daylights (goes into the air) in the creek in the park.

Massive concentration of drainage going into a small section of the creek and into the main channel could threaten the water quality, cultural, recreational, and biological resources of the Park.

This is an Environmental Justice issue!  Local indigenous people still use this area for gatherings. A large number of park users are Latino families and use Felicita Park often. This Park is a precious asset to our local region and deserves our respect and protection.  We must stand against this action!

WE MUST OPPOSE THIS PROJECT UNTIL IT HAS BEEN ADEQUATELY ASSESSED AND IMPACTS FULLY MITIGATED. 

Please join our action alert list.  Please email conservation@sierraclubncg.org to receive future updates. 

We believe, should this go to Court, a judge cannot credibly make the findings that this is in the public interest, that it has been planned appropriately, or that the downstream implications are known. Since we may have to take legal action against this, please let us know if you can donate to a legal fund.

Here is a link to background letters.  

ENU and Allies to the Regional Water Board and Dept of Fish and Wildlife Jan. 5.2022

ENU's letter  

Sierra Club NCG

As we all know, but KB Home appears not to know, Felicita Park is not just any park! 

Felicita County Park is one of the oldest parks in the San Diego County park system. The area has been a popular gathering place for many centuries. This history has landed this park on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Felicita County Park has an ancient and historic history. With its abundance of water, oaks and boulders, the land was the site of a large Kumeyaay Indian village. Because of its cultural background, the park is named after Felicita LaChappa, a Native American who lived in the San Pasqual Valley.

Below is from this park brochure:  

https://www.sdparks.org/content/dam/sdparks/en/pdf/BrochuresMiscellaneous/2018_Felicita_Brochure_FINAL.pdf