Ramona Planning Group members question $5 fee for Mt. Woodson parking lot

A parking fee for use of the soon-be-completed Mt. Woodson Gateway parking lot was a point of contention at the latest Ramona Community Planning Group meeting.

Planning Group members didn’t realize a fee would be applied to the new parking lot when county Department of Parks and Recreation officials announced in August that standard park fees of $5 per day or a $50 annual pass would be charged at the Mt. Woodson Gateway County preserve, said Lauren Welty, group chair, at the Jan. 8 meeting.

“It was brought to our attention that the county had used PLDO funds — specifically allocated by the RCPG for a skate park — on the Mt. Woodson parking lot project, and then later notified us that users of the parking lot would be charged $5 for ‘on-going maintenance,’” Welty said.

PLDO funds, collected from developers building new community projects, can be used to acquire parkland or construct or improve existing park and recreational facilities.

The estimated 200 spaces at the Mt. Woodson parking lot were designed to provide safer parking for drivers, who currently have to park vehicles along either side of busy state Route 67 or neighboring streets to use the Mt. Woodson trails. The project is expected to be completed early this year.

The fees, which were approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2023, have “definitely ruffled some feathers,” Welty said. 

“The County provided a diagram illustrating where there will now be ‘no parking’ signs in some areas. However, there is a segment that will allow people to still park on the SR-67 when unable or unwilling to pay the parking lot fee, defeating the original intent of keeping people safe and off the SR-67 shoulder,” Welty said.

Emmet Aquino, parking lot project manager for County Parks, told the group that the fees will be used to help maintain and improve the facilities and parking.

He said the parking lot provides trash cans and restroom facilities and rangers will be assigned to the area.

Free passes are available for San Diego County residents aged 62 and older and the disabled. There are several Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking spaces in the lot.

Planning Group member Andrew Simmons proposed asking county parks officials to issue a free parking sticker for Ramona residents to use at the parking lot, since PLDO funds are being used for the project. 

“In retrospect, the Grasslands has the same amenities that Mt. Woodson is offering and there is no fee charged, thus furthering the question of why,” said Welty, adding that the Planning Group will write a letter to county parks, asking for clarification of the issue.

The Planning Group also confirmed that the majority of items from fiscal year 2025 remain on the PLDO priority list for 2026, including a skate park, dog park, a combined tennis and pickleball court and a 5K route through Ramona Community Park.

A potential new pocket park or playground area is also under consideration, as well as a speed, strength and agility training facility proposed as a joint venture with Ramona High School. 

Through the PLDO program, the Planning Group suggests projects that could be funded with the fees based on community input. The county parks department then reviews the list, the overall recreation goals of the community and plans for funding and scheduling the projects. 

The department then works with the Board of Supervisors to prioritize those needs with other county-wide needs. 

Once approved, the projects have full funding, including design, environmental review, construction and maintenance, and initial planning can begin. 

“For now, these items are essentially our wish list of what residents of Ramona have said they would like to see the funds spent on, not a guarantee,” Welty said.