Keep Parks Accessible to All

In a short-sighted action opposed strongly by Murray Storm, the director of the county’s Environmental Management Agency, and Supervisor Bruce Nestande, the Orange County Board of Supervisors has moved away from its long-standing policy of encouraging the development of public local parks. It did so by easing park dedication requirements for home builders. It was a decision that in the long run will work against, not for, residents of developing areas in the county.

In the past, to comply with the county park code, developers who wanted to build private parks in their projects had to either donate other land for a park accessible to the public or pay fees that went to improve and maintain public parks.

But last Tuesday, after heavy lobbying by the development industry, the county board changed direction. Instead of maintaining the official incentives for public access, the board decided to allow full credit for the development of private parks, as long as the developer agrees to improve and maintain them.

That means local parks can be located in gated communities and be inaccessible to anyone living outside or lacking a homeowners’ association membership card.

Developers arguing for the private parks contended that they have been giving up land for public parks but the county has not had the money to improve them.

In the early years of its development, the county, like many other areas of the state, lacked an adequate park-acquisition program. Then, after a state law required cities and counties to make provisions for neighborhood parks in new housing developments, the county began making developers donate land for local public parks.

The only problem with that approach was that the county did not have enough money to develop the park sites. But its priorities were in order. At least the opportunity to acquire the irreplaceable park land wasn’t being lost forever. Development could come later, or, as in many cases, the builders would go ahead and develop the park immediately because it helped in the sale of houses. Either way the public paid, in taxes or the price of the home. But open space was preserved. So was the opportunity for a local park for everyone, not just a select few.

That’s the approach we think the county should continue to encourage, rather than a system that will allow builders to create private, exclusive playgrounds in contrast to the public local parks created elsewhere throughout the county for the past two decades.

The county must begin dealing with the shortage of park-development funds. Maybe special tax assessment districts are one answer. Or a provision that would allow the county to reclaim a private park for future public use. Even a small, non-prohibitive admission fee could be considered. Whatever the approach, the county board must be sure that it is one that accommodates the public.