Property owners vote to pay for upkeep of parks

By: BRIAN ECKHOUSE - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 30, 2006 11:53 PM PDT ∞

WILDOMAR -- Six years after the community's three parks were closed, a majority of voting Wildomar property owners have agreed to pay a yearly upkeep fee allowing the parks to reopen and a fourth site to operate.

About 55.7 percent of the completed ballots were marked in favor of the measure, which calls for a yearly maintenance fee of up to $45. About 44.3 percent voted against the measure, said Bill Brown, operations manager for the community services division of the county Economic Development Agency. The measure needed more than 50 percent approval for passage.

"I never thought it'd be this close," said John Lloyd, chairman of the Wildomar Parks Formation Committee. "But we're very happy. I'm proud of the community."

The three parks in Wildomar ---- Marna O'Brien on Palomar Street, Heritage Regency on Autumn Oaks Place and Windsong on Prairie Street ---- could open in about six to ninth months, Brown said. A fourth park will be built on 10 acres near Susan Drive and La Estrella Road east of Interstate 15.

Wednesday, EDA officials tabulated the nearly 2,150 mail-in ballots cast by Wildomar property owners this summer as several parks advocates, including Bridgette Moore, watched. Brown and others counted 1,129 'yes' votes and 891 'no' votes. Nearly 130 ballots were not counted because they either were not signed or didn't contain a vote, Brown said.

Moore, an outspoken supporter of the parks, experienced a roller coaster of emotions Wednesday.

Early in the morning, Moore surveyed the stacks of ballots for 'yes' and 'no.' The stacks were about equal, she said.

"I was crying," Moore said. "We didn't know if it was going to pass; (the stacks) were exactly the same size."

But as county officials processed more ballots, the doubt subsided some.

"We were sweating it out all day," said a relieved Moore.

The same could have been said for much of the parks committee's months-long campaign.

In her pleas to the community, Moore frequently predicted that the three community parks would never be reopened if voters rejected the measure.

She had surmised that the community, which is unincorporated and thus governed by the county, would have to live without the parks if the measure failed, the second time the issue was before voters.

In 1999, property owners summarily rejected a $25-per-year fee to keep parks in Wildomar. A year later, the parks were closed, and the community's Ortega Trails Recreation and Park District disbanded amid allegations of the board mishandling funds.

In the years that followed, parents had to take their children to parks in Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula. Community leaders disagreed how they would proceed in their efforts to reopen the parks.

"There was a lot of in-fighting," Lloyd acknowledged. "But finally, we got ... together and pushed it through."

Bob Buster, the 1st District county supervisor, said Wednesday was "a bright and brand new day for Wildomar."

"They completely buried the gloom and dismissiveness of Ortega," Buster said. "That's been soundly exorcised. Both new and old community leaders came to the front and brought the community to a new level of strength and solidarity. It's a new turning point."

Moore believes the vote indicates the community is more united than before and could help Wildomar's efforts to incorporate as a city.

"I think it's going to bring us so much closer together," she said.

But incorporation's an issue for another day.

Today, Moore ---- to the delight of her 9-year-old son, Jake ---- can finally turn her cell phone off or at least ignore every incoming call. The parks campaign is over.

"He asked me, 'After (Wednesday), is your cell phone going to ring less?'" Moore recalled, laughing.

Today's a good day for Moore and other parks advocates, but most likely a better day for Jake and other kids: The political wrangling is in the past, and the community's parks open in six to ninth months.

-- Contact staff writer Brian Eckhouse at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2626, or beckhouse@californian.com.

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