When Escondido residents checked the agenda for tonight’s City Council meeting, many of them expected to see a highly anticipated discussion about Kit Carson Park scheduled. But alas, it is not so.
If you haven’t heard, Escondido leaders are seriously considering a controversial offer to turn a portion of the 285-acre park into a huge ice rink complex. The offer came from the Rinks Foundation, a nonprofit run by billionaire philanthropists Henry and Susan Samueli. They own the San Diego Gulls and the Anaheim Ducks.
What they’re proposing: The foundation wants to lease a portion of the park from the city to build a 16-acre ice sports complex with three rinks, up to 3,000 spectator seats, a restaurant, retail space and 430 new parking spaces.
They would build the complex on the south end of Kit Carson Park where four softball fields currently sit. The Rinks Foundation would pay $4 million to relocate those softball fields to Frances Ryan Park, which is about seven miles north of Kit Carson.
The foundation would fund the construction, operation and maintenance of the complex. Foundation leaders are proposing a 25-year lease after construction, with five opportunities to extend the term for 5-year periods, totaling 50 years. The foundation would pay the city up to $187,500 per year of the lease.
We’re all on the edge of our seats: On June 3, the council unanimously approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding with The Rinks Foundation to explore the feasibility of going through with the proposal.
City leaders said they would vote on a lease agreement sometime “this summer.” Tonight’s meeting is the first one since the council took a month-long recess, but the item isn’t on the agenda.
Escondido and Kit Carson Park Go Way Back
Kit Carson Park is a staple in Escondido. It’s been around since 1967 when Escondido bought the 285-acre land from the city of San Diego. Since then, 100 acres of it have been developed and the rest has been preserved as natural habitat.
Hundreds of residents from Escondido and other parts of the county visit the park every day. The softball fields alone host dozens of teams a week.
Many residents are fiercely opposed to the foundation’s proposal, with one advocacy group called Save Kit Carson Park leading the charge against it. Critics say the ice complex would completely change the atmosphere of the park and create larger crowds. It would also likely be inaccessible to many lower income families—Kit Carson Park is free; ice sports often are not.
The group’s website says it’s not against the idea of building an ice rink in the city that’s the problem; it just shouldn’t be at Kit Carson Park.
Some residents are also frustrated at what they call a lack of transparency. It turns out, the city has been in talks with the foundation since 2023, but the first time the proposal was brought to the public was less than two months ago.
What the city is saying: The city says the ice complex could be a great civic asset that would attract tourism, provide jobs and put Escondido more on the map.
It would also bring in a lot of money to a city that has historically dealt with major financial strain. A sales tax increase voters passed in 2024 has helped the city’s budget recently, but more long-term sources of income wouldn’t hurt, especially because the tax increase expires after 20 years.
The project could produce $12,288,423 in one-time direct construction-related wages and $10,878,627 in recurring annual economic output, according to a June 3 city staff report. The figures came from an economic impact analysis by London Moeder Advisors, which the staff report said would be made available to the public, but has not been yet.
Regarding the facility potentially being inaccessible to the city’s lower income population, Deputy City Manager Joanna Axelrod acknowledged to inewsource that, yes, ice sports can be more costly, but she said the facility would host many community skating programs that will be accessible to families who may not otherwise be able to participate.
In Other News
- The Coastal Commission will do a full review of Carlsbad’s permit for its rock revetment, or barrier, along Carlsbad Boulevard that protects the coastal portion of southbound Carlsbad Boulevard from the Pacific Ocean. The decision to review the permit came after the Surfrider Foundation objected to the permit’s extension, arguing Carlsbad should find a permanent solution. (Coast News)
- A new poll in the general election race for the 48th Congressional District shows Democratic San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert is basically tied with Republican County Supervisor Jim Desmond. The poll was conducted by a Democratic polling and research firm. (KPBS)