By Frank Gormlie / The OB Rag
Donna Frye is trying to upset the apple cart that surrounds all the discussion about the Chargers and the Qualcomm football stadium site. On Monday, June 22nd, she called for “a massive river park” at the 166-acre Mission Valley site.
In an Op-Ed piece in Voice of San Diego, Donna Frye—former City Councilwoman for the district that includes Mission Valley—called for something akin to another Balboa Park or Mission Bay Park.
In her piece, Frye dismissed the discussion about whether the Chargers want the current site and all the discussion about commercial and residential development of it, instead declared that it actually is “a big opportunity staring us right in the face—the potential to create a real San Diego River Park.”
She went on:
I’m not talking about the measly 20-acre kind of park that is currently being proposed. I’m talking about using the majority of the 166 acres and combining that with the same kind of thinking and passion that helped create Balboa Park and Mission Bay Park.
“Instead of creating one more boring development project typical of Mission Valley,” she said, San Diegans ought to “recognize the potential that now exists and do something really great for the public by creating a massive river park that everyone could enjoy.”
Donna Frye stated that for years a San Diego River Park has been contemplated and explained that such a park is supported by the San Diego River Park Master Plan. She cites language that is key and says the site’s
“critical location for meeting community-based park and recreation needs in Mission Valley, no acquisition costs required and critical location for creating continuity in San Diego River Park and San Diego River Park pathway.”
And she adds that the park “could include ball fields, soccer fields, an active sports complex and a natural children’s play area.”
Frye concludes:
The options for the park are limitless and constrained only by our will to make it happen. For once, how about working on a plan that provides more of what we don’t have, and less of what we do have? Rather than doing the usual and unremarkable, we could do something that inspires us – something we could look back on and be proud of for generations to come.
We think her bold challenge is right-on. We’re just not certain how to get there, but Frye – the woman who should have been mayor – has led us before, in high-lighting pollution in our waters, on insisting on governmental transparency, in figuring out the toxins in Mission Bay. And now, Frye has upped the ante in the discussion and in doing so, re-enforces our premise about the continued destruction of Mission Valley and how somebody should be watching what’s going on there.
Right on, Donna. Now what?
Latest posts by Frank Gormlie (see all)
- Mayor’s Office Confirms Sale of Liberty Station Leases by McMillin – But Questions Remain - December 5, 2018
- Why Would Anyone Want to Flee Beautiful Honduras? - November 29, 2018
- A Progressive Looks at the San Diego Mid-Terms – OB Rag Interview With Doug Porter - November 21, 2018
I’m down with this!!
I agree with both Don and Rosemary except the part about Donna sabotaging her party and yes Filner did stand up to Jacobs and the rest of them.
A park in MV would be a fantastic alternative but the water use and etc. might be a hard sell but then the maintenance for a Charger stadium would probably be the same or more.
Ms. Frye would be a fantastic opposition to Faulkner who shows his constituents on a regular bases that he is weak,easily influenced and heavily indebted to big money rollers in San Diego. Let’s get behind a Donna Frye for mayor movement.
On Google Earth, it appears that the distance from the North City Water Reclamation Plant to Qualcomm Stadium is about 10 miles (running along 805 and allowing for curves etc. en route). Purple pipe isn’t cheap to install but theoretically, that could provide a source of water for a large park at the Qualcomm Stadium site. I support Donna’s concept, it’s not a new suggestion as she wrote in her Commentary, and a park need not be all green, esp. with sports fields in one area. It’s doable with public and political will and would be a far better legacy for local politicians than a new football stadium which would saddle taxpayers with one more huge debt. Just don’t name it Qualcomm Park, please!
I’d much rather see the City spend large bucks on parks, schools, safety, libraries, etc. than anything NFL. However, is the City really up to maintaining another massive park? If you’re hearing the activists, Balboa Park is not well-maintained (at least the structures). The City is good at finding grants and donations but not so good on coming up with operations and maintenance funds. After all the decades (centuries) as a city, they finally came up with a street maintenance budget.
I see your point but refuse to accept that we should accede to the cheapness and dedication to not-so-cheap public structures of our current generation of electeds (this covers several decades of recent San Diego history and not just the current mayor & council members). I keep thinking of what could be accomplished for Balboa Park with just half of the $2.1 million to be spent on a quick-and-dirty EIR… a drop in the bucket of needs for Balboa Park but it would be a beginning.
How can San Diego city voters convince Donna to do us all a big favor and run for Mayor next year? She’s exactly what this city needs.
Too bad Ms Frye sabotaged her party and the legacy that could’ve made something like this happen when she joined the Bob Filner lynch mob. He had the balls to stand up to Irwin Jacobs and the hoteliers, and transformed Balboa Park, downtown, and La Jolla Cove in his short tenure.
I’m with you, Rosemary.
And build some low income Senior and Veteran housing …….!!!!!!
The stadium is sitting on a large floodplain……with our drought problems…we should consider mission valley what it is a lifeblood plain…