North What?

The North Park Community Plan Update Advisory Committee (CPUAC) held a meeting at Garfield Elementary School auditorium on May 19.

The meeting became quite animated when staff tried to explain the City's concept of “park equivalencies” making up for the 150+ acres that North Park "should have" but cannot be provided. A number of tiny plots of land were identified as potential sites for additional "open space,” but together they were a drop in the bucket when compared to the deficit required by current code.

Because Balboa Park is near North Park, several options of using some of NP's $2,000,000 of "park" money (received from permit fees over the years) to enhance Balboa Park were mentioned, but many saw this as a City money grab instead.

A mapping exercise was held to ID current and future "opportunities" for locations to provide park and/or open space in North Park. Some of the ideas proposed were: conversion of alleys into “linear art-walking trails,” getting access to local schoolyards after school hours, and providing community garden plots.