San Diego (KGTV) - A group of people from communities across Southeast San Diego want the city to prioritize access to nature in urban neighborhoods.
Groundwork San Diego presented an idea to the City Council on Wednesday night, asking them to help create a connected series of trails that would stretch along Chollas Creek from the Oak Park Trail to the bayfront near Barrio Logan.
"To be able to go all the way down to the bay, and make the circle, eventually, that would be a really great benefit to the residents here who don't have to drive outside the city to have the same experiences," says Oak Park resident Richard Diaz.
The group wants the city to take a more holistic approach to infrastructure improvements in their area. They see city crews do road maintenance and stormwater repairs. They'd like them to begin including upgrades to the trails when that happens.
"It's the beautification of San Diego," says Mount Hope resident Roxana Mejia. "I think we all take pride in the city. And there's no need to do these projects in disconnect."
Their vision to create a Chollas Creek Community Trail Network would surround neighborhoods in Southcrest, Mount Hope, Webster, Chollas Creek, Oak Park and more. Access to nature in these areas is limited, and the group believes this would be an easy way to help people connect with the outdoors.
It could also help bring the communities together.
"It would bring more people out," says Diaz. "And once you bring more people out to the parks, that helps improve the social infrastructure. And that's very important to an urban center like this."
