Two conservation groups are challenging the development of an Alpine park project over its decision to include a sports complex that the groups say will harm native flora and fauna.
A lawsuit filed last week by the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and California Native Plant Society states that the project’s 25-acre recreational space — which includes a baseball field, playgrounds, an off- leash dog and equestrian staging area, picnic spaces, and more — would harm habitats for the Quino checkerspot butterfly, Western spadefoot toad, and the pallid bat.
The groups also say the project’s Environmental Impact Report does not adequately account for the project’s risks regarding wildfires, traffic, and effects on biological resources.
A county representative declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
The lawsuit specifically challenges the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ Dec. 6 approval of the project and alleges the county did not consider alternative versions of the project that opponents say would have less impact on the area and its populations.
“This project would do direct harm to the unusually fragile biological resources of this unique area,” said Jana Clark-Sanders, president of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation.
“It defies logic to place this oversized sports complex in such a rural area, miles from where most San Diegans live. Building the project here would put the communities around the national forest, and the array of imperiled plants and animals within it, at risk of the negative impacts that come from sprawl.”
Along with the recreational spaces, the project is slated to feature 73 acres for an open-space nature preserve.
The first phase of the project is set to begin in the spring and be completed in winter 2025, at a cost of $11.4 million. When fully developed, the Alpine Community Park is estimated to cost $45.5 million, according to the county.
City News Service contributed to this report.
