20-Acre Wildomar Park Proposal: Community Meeting Scheduled

WILDOMAR, CA — Residents and business owners in Wildomar have an opportunity to learn more — and weigh in — about a proposed 20-acre park on the city's west side, adjacent to Windsong Valley.

During a 6-8 p.m. Feb. 15 "Conceptual Design Community Meeting" at Anne Sullivan Preschool & Transitional Kindergarten (21776 Palomar Street), Architerra Design Group and the city will provide more details about the "passive nature park" proposed for vacant land east of Palomar Street, south of Gierson Avenue and southeast of Pasadena Street. Anyone interested in attending the meeting is asked to RSVP by 5 p.m. Feb. 12 to [email protected]

Passive parks typically feature limited sports amenities. According to city documents, the park plans include parking lots; walking trails; landscaping; fencing; basic site amenities (picnic tables, bike racks, signage); park infrastructure including electrical and water utilities, shade structures, pedestrian bridges, restrooms, community garden spaces, Frisbee golf stations and additional landscaping features.

Vehicle access to the park would be off Gierson Avenue and a parking lot is currently proposed there, according to city documents. The city's current Windsong Park on Prairie Road is within walking distance of the proposed park.

On June 14, 2023, Wildomar City Council approved the acquisition of the 20 rolling acres of vacant land for the park. The property currently features trees, vegetation, some irrigation and some unimproved walking trails.

During a Dec. 13, 2023, City Council meeting, councilmembers learned more about the proposed park design and also approved funding to Architerra Design Group for design work and OK'd costs attached to the preparation of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents.

Construction cost for the entire park is estimated at approximately $10 million, according to city documents. Funding sources have not been identified to build it out at one time, so the city is aiming to contruct in phases to allow the facility to open as soon as possible, according to city documents.

Before proceeding with any construction, the city must prepare and approve a CEQA analysis for the project.