The time has come for the City of Sacramento’s boundaries east of Watt Avenue to change and for Del Paso Regional Park’s east side to be managed by Sacramento County. The park should be under a governing body that is representative of the community that resides closest to it.

The County of Sacramento’s Board of Supervisors has politely reached out to the City of Sacramento with a resolution of interest in having LAFCo explore the feasibility and benefits of such a boundary change. The land use decisions that are made for this park should be those that create an enjoyable and well-maintained recreational space for the community- now and for generations to come. 

Many neighbors directly surrounding the park, as well as those representing unincorporated county communities nearby, objected to the City of Sacramento creating a full-time homeless shelter at the old Powerhouse Space & Science Museum at 3615 Auburn Blvd in 2022. This location was for many years a children’s museum and a delight to the community. Unfortunately, after the City of Sacramento abandoned the site, they did not seek or plan an appropriate alternate use. The building sat vacant on a list of city “surplus property” - until in late 2021 when it was considered for one of the locations for Mayor Steinberg’s “Master Siting Plan” homeless shelter sites project. This project fizzled out, being unsuccessful to establish any lasting sites elsewhere. It was entirely inappropriate to place in the park, near a foster care facility, close to schools and the Arcade Creek. 

Del Paso Park should have had an educational program established in the former Science Museum program - such as a Nature Center/ Local History Museum, or another type of children's museum that would enrich and serve residents and the surrounding community. Even when the Supervisor and Councilmember representing the area objected- the mayor insisted on pushing things forward, at any cost. 

As a result, what used to be open space/natural habitat/parkland in our community is slowly being fenced away, parceled off for other uses and our community's green space is disappearing. City Park funds are not spent on creating a family friendly space here- a homeless shelter is directly adjacent to a (currently renovation in progress) youth sports facility. How does this even make sense? Will the city continue to operate a homeless shelter directly next to their brand-new YOUTH sports fields- once opened? 

Please visit our website at http://SaveDelPasoPark.org