Residents are left wondering about the fate of the Fanuel Street Park playground in Pacific Beach after the City determined the equipment to be unsafe and removed it.

Charlie Nieto, Pacific Beach Town Council president, said it’s an unfortunate situation. “In August, the park was deemed unsafe and closed to the public,” he said. “The short-term solution presented to us from Parks and Recreation was the removal of the dangerous equipment and to reopen the area as a simple sand pit. The long-term solution is that the City will need to create a new playground as a Capital Improvement Project (CIP). However, there is currently no funding allocated for that.”

“The Fanuel Street Park playground was deemed unsafe and unusable due to substantial corrosion and deterioration of the play structures and footings, leading to its closure on Aug. 13,” said Benny Cartwright, City spokesperson.

“To restore access to the playground area as soon as possible, the Parks and Recreation Department implemented a short-term solution to remove the damaged play equipment and reopen public access to the sand area. Parks and Recreation Department staff will work to install small spring toys in the open sand area over the next three months,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said a CIP project will in fact need to be initiated to replace and improve the Fanuel Street Park playground equipment. He added design work is needed to ensure that the playground, and area around the playground, meet current accessibility standards while introducing more inclusive play elements.

“Staff is currently evaluating whether the Mission Bay Improvement Fund can be used to create a new CIP project to replace the playground,” Cartwright said. He added funding a CIP project with the MBIF requires approval from the Mission Bay Park Improvement Fund Oversight Committee.

“Staff will add the project into the next iteration of the MBIF five-year financial outlook,” said Cartwright. “Adding this into the CIP requires a funding plan that ensures MBIF can fund both design and construction over the course of the project life cycle. Typical capital projects take four to seven years to complete. If MBIF is determined not able to fund the replacement playground, staff will examine other options to locate funding to replace the playground.”

Nieto noted the community is sad to see the deteriorating condition of Fanuel Street Park, one of the community’s most popular and used parks, especially by families with small children who extensively use its sandy playground facilities.

“It’s disheartening to see the ongoing decline of Fanuel Street Park, a long-time community hub,” Nieto said. “The latest issue, the deteriorating playground, adds to a series of events that have made the park feel less safe and inviting. In 2023 alone, several car accidents destroyed bollards and even the playground’s cement turtle, among other growing safety concerns that have led some to nickname it ‘Felony Park.’”

Nieto said PBTC plans to work with the City Council and local officials to “push for essential upgrades to make Fanuel Street Park a safe, welcoming place for families and visitors from across San Diego.”