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IN THIS ISSUE
- View Trail Now Open
- Swim Complex Proposal
- Housing Developments
- Christmas Bird Count
- Volunteers Needed
- Events Calendar
- Help FELC
- Contact Information
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"The Vision for El Corazon is to create a 465 acre park in the center of Oceanside with a rural look and feel to the trails, roads and amenities so that the park provides an escape from city life."
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VIEW TRAIL NOW OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The "View Trail" is now open to the public, but still not fully landscaped. You are free to walk this trail any time the park is open. Go out the back of the Senior Center to the northwest. On foot, follow the road that goes to the Sports Fields parking lot. Stay on the north side and follow the berm all the way around the parking lot. That is about half the trail.
Continue along the fence of the sports field and near the bioswale that drains the parking lot. You will see some rocks in the dirt. Walk between the rock piles. That is the trail. It is going to look like you are in the stream with the flat sections planted in trees and bushes (mesa) and the bioswale taking the actual water and full of riparian plants. (The wide flat part is not the trail.)
It is fun to walk right toward the first rock pile and extend your right arm out as you act like a rushing stream hitting the rocks and flaring out into an oxbow right toward the next rock pile. "Hit" that one and extend your left arm as you flare out. Repeat as you go down the 20 or so piles. Some of the "flares" are 2 piles long.
As you approach the water storage pond and fountains, go along the fence on the north (right) side and go around to the viewpoint on the other end of the pond.
Then retrace your steps back to the senior center. Enjoy!
The second trail at El Corazon Park, the “Garrison Creek Trail” along Mesa Drive, is not yet open to the public. We are waiting to hear from the City as to when that is going to happen. Only the City has the gate keys. FELC is planning to participate in a Grand Opening celebration in conjunction with the City and we will let you know all the details as soon as possible.
There are joggers and all sorts of people on it regularly, but it is not with approval - yet. A group of birders walked the trail for the Christmas Bird Count with City approval and paperwork releasing liability. The trail is actually in great shape and very nice.
This is a labor of love and will be done sometime soon! If you see anything you'd like to help with, please reach out to Diane Nygaard or Joan Bockman.
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Swim Complex Proposal Reviewed by Reps from Local Groups
Back on December 8, 2015, about 30 people came to a meeting at the El Corazon Senior Center to see a concept sketch of the new Swim Complex. Aquatic Design Center is working with City Planner Nathan Mertz on the designs.
Meeting participants represented Oceanside Swim Club, parents of swimmers, Oceanside and El Camino High Schools, Friends of El Corazon, City Representatives, and architects involved. Everyone liked the designs for the locker rooms and the inclusion of competitive lanes along with a warm-up pool. Southern exposure will ensure warm concrete on winter days. The main issue discussed was how effective the coexistence of recreational swimming will be with the competitive use and whether the right elements will be available for the competitive side. The “must have” items for each group need to be clearly communicated. The next step would be to see if “the wants” could be met as well.
Other Concerns Discussed
The current design for the Swim Complex butts right up against the Senior Center patio, so the character of that area would be changed (noise, visual effects, etc.). Weddings and private parties on the patio would not be compatible with whistles, yelling, splashing, etc. on the other side of the wall!
Parking is also a major concern. This will be a permanent installation so the parking must be adequate per the Specific Plan and should not assume availability of the sports fields’ lot since that is a temporary situation that does not meet the Specific Plan. An analysis is needed to determine what would happen during a worst-case scenario while a major tournament is happening on a hot day when many people may also want to swim.
Many people believe it is important that the Swim Complex building meet LEED standards and the landscaping meet similar environmental requirements. FELC will continue to monitor the design as it progresses through the process. We are thrilled to see members of the Swim Club and others get involved and lend their expertise to the reviews.
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Housing Developments Proposed for El Corazon
When the Oceanside City Council adopted the El Corazon Specific Plan in 2009, there was a maximum of 300 housing units included in the Plan. The thinking at that time was that housing would be constructed on the second floor above retail (vertical mixed-use) along Oceanside Boulevard and Rancho del Oro Drive.
However, it has become apparent that retail will not be viable on much of the property along Rancho del Oro. Subsequently, the two developers involved in the Park are proposing placing all of the El Corazon housing in this area with minimum retail. One developer, Shopoff Corporation, is proposing townhomes, while the other developer, Sudberry Corporation, has yet to submit a specific proposal, but we have learned it is leaning toward multi-story condominiums. If the Shopoff proposal were approved, it would also be constructing a new entry road directly across from Ocean Ranch Boulevard.
The board of Friends of El Corazon has concerns regarding the number of housing units proposed by the Shopoff Corporation. They are proposing 70 units on about 4.5 acres, whereas we believe that no more than 32 units are ideal for that amount of acreage.
We will be presenting our positions on the housing proposals as they progress through the various City commissions and City Council. We will keep you informed as developments occur.
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Christmas Bird Count at El Corazon
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On December 27, 2015, six birders walked El Corazon Park from 10 a.m. to noon and conducted the annual Christmas Bird Count. Those in attendance included: Pete Suffradini, Bruce and Patty Montgomery, Kevin and Joan Bockman, and their son, Bo.
20 species were identified. Here is the official report.
Bird list and quantity: 2 Chipping Sparrow, 1 White Crowned Sparrow, 4 Song Sparrow, 1 Yellow Throat Warbler, 1 Nutall Woodpecker, 3 Lesser Goldfinch, 2 Say's Phoebe, 1 Black Phoebe, 2 Rufous Hummingbird, 10 Anna's Hummingbird, 4 Mourning Dove, 15 Towhee, 20 Crow, 1 California Thrasher, 1 Red Tail Hawk, 30 Ruddy Duck, 20 Canvas Back, 20 Coots, 6 Redhead Duck, 2 Northern Harrier.
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Volunteer Positions Available
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FELC is looking for a member volunteer who would like to train and schedule other volunteers to help at various events throughout the year. We typically like to have teams of two people per shift work our booths at street fairs and other events to answer questions, hand out brochures, and represent FELC. We need someone to coordinate those efforts and be a resource for our eager volunteers! Great organizational skills and communications skills a must!
We are also looking for volunteers to help plant trees and bushes along our new View Trail at El Corazon Park this spring. A planting party is being planned. Watch for details on our web site, our Facebook page and future e-blasts.
For more information, contact Diane Nygaard.
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Events Calendar:
Please like us on Facebook to see where we will be in the coming months!
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Help FELC With a New Amazon Smile Account
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In an effort to further support FELC, one our members changed her Amazon account to an Amazon Smile account and designated Friends of El Corazon as her charity of choice. From now on, whenever she purchases anything from Amazon.com, our organization will automatically receive one half of one percent of the total purchase amount!
If you would like to do the same, please click below
Thank you for your support!
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