San Diego City Wire

The County of San Diego has opened Estrella Park in Casa de Oro after a long wait from the neighborhood for the promised improvements, according to a press release.

The park was opened during a small, socially-distanced ceremony that consisted of various county officials. 

In all, the park received $1.4 million in funds that were invested to turn the vacant lot into a park for community use. The park includes a nature play area, hills, trees, boulders, rope bridges, picnic areas, a beach, log benches and more.

The park could not have happened, if not for the "Green Light for Parks" initiative, which was put in place to overcome maintenance issues that were holding back various parks from being improved upon. 

“Before those actions were in place, we didn’t have the resources we needed to build and maintain this park. Parks like Estrella benefit everyone — supporting regional health and safety, and a better quality of life," County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said.

The improvements to the park took place over the course of the year, during which the community became very excited about the reopening of the park.