County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher, Vice Chair Nora Vargas, students from Mt. Miguel High School, its Adult Transitional School, park officials and eager visitors celebrated the opening of Ildica County Park Friday in Spring Valley.
The newest, roughly half-acre County park was created to give Spring Valley families and residents a new space to play, grow things in its community garden area, exercise, meet others and enjoy nature. Spring Valley residents helped design the new park by prioritizing what features they wanted it to have through County meetings and surveys.
Some of Ildica’s features include 22 newly planted native trees, oaks and sycamores; drought-tolerant native landscaping nourished by a water-conserving irrigation system; a walking path; lighting; and a community garden with 20 gardening plots. It also includes an exercise station; a covered picnic area and covered play area with an Earth-friendly permeable play surface that will let rain percolate through it naturally, rather than running off or pooling.
Fletcher, Vargas and parks officials held an official ribbon-cutting to open the park, followed by a gardening presentation by adult transitional school students and a walking tour of the park.
“One thing we’ve seen over the last few years is the importance of our local and regional parks,” Fletcher said. “We want to create more opportunities for San Diegans to spend time outside; to stand in the sun and breathe in fresh air. There is an immediate physical reaction, but nature also helps us to focus and find peace.”
Vargas added, “Places like this unite residents of all ages, interests and backgrounds,” Vargas said. “They strengthen community and foster relationships. More important, they eliminate barriers for underserved populations by providing free access to quality recreation.”
Ildica County Park is located at the corner Ildica Street and Sweetwater Road and will be open to the public seven days a week from sunrise to sunset. The park has four parking spaces, including one for people with disabilities.
For more information about County parks, go to their website at sdparks.org.
