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San Diego supervisors set aside Alpine Community Park approvals after court finds environmental analysis needs revisions
Summary
The board set aside its December 2023 approvals of the Alpine Community Park and directed staff to update the EIR on western spadefoot toad, pallid bat, wildfire and traffic impacts, circulate the revision for public review, and return with a certification timeline; the item divided local stakeholders.
County parks staff told supervisors the Alpine Community Park project would place active recreation on roughly 25 of 98 acquired acres and conserve the remaining 73 acres as open space. Jason Heammons, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, described a community‑driven design and a phased build approach.
Heammons said a Superior Court ruling requires the county to revise its environmental impact report in narrowly defined areas. "On January 20th, 2026, the Superior Court of California ruled in the county's favor for all issues except for the CEQA claim regarding the EIR's analysis of potential impacts related to the western spadefoot toad, pallid bat, wildfire, and traffic," Heammons told the board.
Staff recommended the board adopt a resolution to set aside prior approvals so the revised EIR can be recirculated and the public given an additional review period; staff said they expect to return to the board in FY 2026‑27 with a revised document and that construction would proceed only after recertification. Public commenters were sharply divided: local residents and groups asked that the county reduce the scope or shift active amenities into the village to avoid sensitive habitat and unsafe access; others, including local planning‑group members and a school board member, argued their community lacks parkland and needs the amenities.
After hearing arguments on both sides the board voted unanimously to set aside the December 2023 certification and send the matter back to staff for revision and public recirculation.
