Encinitas green lights L-7 as a park

The council supports rezoning the controversial property as parkland, along with other areas; City allocates $3.1 million in mitigation fees to jump-start the process

The Encinitas City Council approved zoning the controversial L-7 parcel as parkland during Wednesday’s meeting. Steve Puterski photo

ENCINITAS — The long journey for one of the most prized pieces of land in Encinitas appears to have found a conclusion.

During Wednesday's meeting, the Encinitas City Council unanimously repealed previous resolutions and will classify L-7 as a park. Also, the city will allocate $3.1 million in mitigation funds to spearhead the design and construction for about 10 acres at 634 Quail Gardens Drive, which is near Encinitas Ranch Golf Course.

Councilman Jim O’Hara’s motion also included other parcels as parkland, while the city will also review the sources of the $3.1 million and other impact fees to determine if more money can be found. He also requested the city research a public-private partnership to help fund other amenities and construction, if needed.

For years, L-7 has been a controversial subject as the property was purchased by the city in 1998-99 using funds dedicated for parks. O’Hara said the city is short 500 acres of parks and open space, while previous councils moved to rezone L-7 for housing.

Many residents, along with O’Hara, Mayor Bruce Ehlers and Councilman Luke Shaffer, campaigned on reverting L-7 to its original use as a park.

“I’m excited to move in this direction,” O’Hara added. “This has been a long project for our residents. We are 500 acres short of parkland in our city. It’s hard to say and recognize.”