Borrego Sun - Since 1949

The sidewalk and shelter/shadeway improvements recommended by the Borrego Village Association for key downtown Borrego areas has been put on hold, as are many other projects on the list for San Diego County due to budget crunches because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This announcement was noted during San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond’s Revitalization meeting with several of the committees on June 10 via Zoom.

In better news, the sidewalk project from the Library to the Borrego Art Institute is still in the works.

A design is projected to be completed in the next month, and will be scheduled for a presentation and public viewing at a Borrego Springs Sponsor Group meeting.

The shelter/shadeway that is currently on hold for the time being, if many don’t remember, was first introduced in a press release via Desmond on Aug. 6, 2019. It is a quite controversial project, with a current hefty price tag of $650,000, and is County taxpayer-funded.

In the press release, Desmond stated that, “parks play an important role in our community,” further adding that one of his goals as Supervisor of District 5 is to “provide as many parks and recreation centers as possible.”

Borrego Springs is just one of the many areas in the District to have a new development, others including Bonsall, Fallbrook, North County, San Dieguito and Twin Oaks.

The shadeway will help connect the new Borrego Springs Park, Library, and Sheriff’s Office complex to Christmas Circle Community Park, and span about 0.21 miles. One location option has an “intermittent” shadeway stretching along the southern side of Sunset Road (opposite of the ArtFarm and sidewalk project) to provide respite for pedestrians from the desert sun.

It will also include discrete sections, plus its own oasis of shade and seating. Palm trees currently in the area along the south side of Sunset will also help block the summer sun.

Also noted during the Zoom meeting, Desmond suggested that local businesses in Borrego should apply to the San Diego Foundation, which is distributing loans for small businesses of up to $50,000. If businesses are interested, they should contact Candyce Yee for additional information at candyce-yee@sdcounty.ca.gov.

He added that Borrego’s share of Transient Occupancy Tax will be down this year due to the closures in the result of the pandemic, but assured the committees he will continue to look out for the unincorporated communities, including Borrego Springs.