Donna Frye is trying to upset the apple cart that surrounds all the discussion about the Chargers and the Qualcomm football stadium site. Yesterday – 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?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Before the hungry beasts of development feast and destroy.
Turn this land into a park.
I agree 100% with Donna Frye. Mission Valley is already too congested and it’s about to become more congested with all the development off Friar’s Road.
you know i’m down for anything having to do with water – and having a massive river park in the middle of mission valley sounds awesome. it also, you landlubbers, sounds almost impossible to imagine that the powers that big would even allow it.
is that a pipedream donna? holly mercadrode
Great idea. The trolley stop is already there. Maybe we’ll finally be able to see the Chargers play on television every week.
Thank God for Donna Frye!!!!
Donna! Someone with balls and a vision that would make Mission Valley a better place!
How do we put this idea on the ballot?
What a beautiful idea! With it I can see that it would be great to visit and view instead of a new stadium and all the cars and poulltion, and then I will just enjoy the Chargers on the big screen. Now it doesn’t feel bad if they leave to be honest, and it’s something all of San Diego could use and tourism would increase too if done right.
Thank you Donna! This is the best idea for and about San Diego printed this decade. All strip malls look the same, whether blighting our treasure Mission Valley or atop a toxic landfill in the middle of nowhere (i.e. bad). It’s high time we force the bad actors and elitist “Good Ol’ Boys”: the NFL, the craven Spanos’, and their minions of like-minded, short-sighted “developers” of Mission Valley, into permanent retirement; for the good of our precious city and future generations here.