The Valley Center Trails Association is dedicated to connecting the community by advocating for the development of multi-use trails and footpaths and promoting their use.

Goals:

• Establish a series of safe non-motorized pathways and multi-use trails throughout Valley Center.

• Preserve open spaces for future generations to enjoy.

• Link trails and pathways to adjacent communities.

• Encourage private developers to include public trails / pathways within their developments linked to proposed and existing pathways and trails. These trails / pathways must allow access for everyone.

• Improve our environment and reduce air pollution by reducing motorized travel within Valley Center.

Click to learn more about VCTA

You can be part of the effort to create more parks, open space, and trails in Valley Center. The work of dedicated volunteers has resulted in the Heritage Trail, along Valley Center Road, major land acquisitions adjacent to Hellhole Canyon Preserve, the preservation of the Stone House in Keys Creek, public access to Rancho Lilac Preserve and resent Butterfield Trails Ranch approval by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to budget funds for the purchase of Butterfield Trail Ranch.

Valley Center Trails Association is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the creation of non-motorized trails and pathways in Valley Center.

Membership in the Valley Center Trails Association is open to all individuals/households and businesses in the community. A modest membership fee is charged. Please support our efforts with your Membership or Donation. Thank you!

San Diego County Dept of Parks & Rec is conducting a survey looking for your input. How you answer the survey questions will have an effect on the final designs of both Parks and where the IGC is built. 

There are 3 main goals on this survey:

1. Placing the Intergenerational Center (IGC) of one of these two parks. 

2. What does the community want to have at Butterfield Trails Park when developed?

3. What does the community want to have at Star Valley Park when developed?

We encourage you to make your voice heard. We also invite your consideration of our position on the IGC, view our video before you complete the survey.

The priority should be to site it in the best possible location with the future of Valley Center ten and twenty years from now in mind. We are not in favor of it being placed at either of our parks because it would be a huge footprint and isolated at either park location. Rather we would like to see it sited among other compatible facilities.

You can write in comments ask the County to purchase the lot adjacent to Community Hall & Park and locate the IGC on this lot, providing much need services to Community Hall & Park. Details to the right in video.

If you share this vision, please let the County know by sending two emails and taking the County survey:

Email Supervisor Jim Desmond:               Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
Email Planner Luke Taylor:                          Lucas.Taylor@sdcounty.ca.gov
 

Let’s make it easy below are the questions on the survey & our answers. Change as you like!

All Survey Responses are Anonymous

1.  What does “Intergenerational Center” mean to you? * required*
Our community has other needs that must be addressed. We have outgrown the Community Hall & Park.  We support other locations in Valley Center that would be a better fit for the IGC, than either of these parks. Example:  28214 Lilac Road this is the lot next to the Community Hall that was part of the Valley Center Park & Rec and was sold to purchase Star Valley Park. Purchasing this lot would bring wastewater (sewer) services to the Fire Station, Community Hall & Park (VC Little League fields)  

2.  What kinds of activities would you participate in? * required (For example: local classes, activities and games, recreation/sports)
Butterfield Trails County Park: Hikes, Walks, Picnics, Dog walks, Tree planting, painting, enjoying nature, passive activities, keeping it natural, community garden, quiet activities so as not to disturb nature.
Star Valley Park: Going to the Rodeo, and Horse shows, Riding horses, 4-H & FFA activities. Other events: Dog shows, concerts, and movie nights, other community driven events. A place for Valley Center Vaqueros, and the Valley Center Stampede Rodeo to hold events. 

3.  Are there any groups in Valley Center that the County should coordinate with?
Valley Center Trails Association, Friends of Hellhole Canyon, Valley Center Vaqueros, Valley Center Stampede Rodeo & Memorial Day Festival, Valley Center History Museum, Valley Center Art Association, Valley Center Community Planning Group, and County Service Area 138, Little League, VC Squirrels, Valley Dark-Sky Advocates. 

4.  What do you like about Butterfield Trails Ranch?* required*
Butterfield is a unique park in the heart of our developing town. Keep it Green, Dark, and Natural for generations to enjoy. Some possibilities: Picnic Tables, Playground, Walking, Biking, Riding, Paths, Indigenous Interpretive Display, Multi-Station Workout Path, Public Labyrinth, Community Garden.

5.  What do you like about Star Valley Park? * required*
Event Center that supports our Western Heritage, and Country Lifestyle. Large open space that is flat, where all types of community events can be held, bleacher seating, a concession stand for our community groups to use. Space for Valley Center Stampede Rodeo, our Valley Center Vaqueros, 4-H, FFA; also with other community events, concerts, movies, etc. Multi-use fields, parking for vehicles and trucks with trailers for our Equestrian & Livestock needs. 

6.  What kinds of amenities does Valley Center need in its parks?* required*
At Star: We need an Event Center at Star Valley that will support our Western Heritage, and Country Lifestyle.  The park is home to  Valley Center Stampede Rodeo and Valley Center Vaqueros. This will require a large arena and bleacher area that will support growth into the future as it needs to be very versatile so it can be used by many different user groups.
At Butterfield: the community support was for a natural park to support the wildlife corridor that exists there and preserve the Indigenous history that existed in this park. This park was purchased with a $2,000,000 donation from the Manuel Arango Foundation. This foundation promotes conservation and environmental education. We do not want sports fields or an IGC on this land. 

7.  How do you like to provide input on future park design?* required* (For example: questionnaires, in person workshops, online surveys)
All of these please! We feel in person communication is needed. This community needs to be part of the planning process, not just by survey. No IGC on Butterfield Trails County Park or Star Valley Park.

Important we need you to help to keep Butterfield Trails County Park Natural!

Important Notice: The County wants to build an Intergenerational Center in Valley Center.

Let's call it a Community Center and place it on the land adjacent to Community Hall & Park —formerly parkland. It will serve residents of all ages & bring much needed services to Community Hall & Park.

We’re excited to present our vision to the community. Location is key! Site the New Community Center, next to Community Hall & Park will complete the Community Complex providing room for growth & solve many current issues, Capacity Limitation in Community Hall, Technology Issues, Parking Issues, Septic Issues. As this sight has the capability to connect to the Wastewater system providing services for the New Community Center, Fire Station #1, Community Hall, and Community Park (Valley Center Little League Fields).

We need your support; details of this plan will be discussed at the meeting. Please wear a green shirt and a baseball cap to show your support.

We have the support of the Valley Center Community Planning Group (VCCPG), Valley Center Little League, and Friends of Hellhole Canyon.

Thank you to everyone who joined one or both of our recent meetings—whether in person or on Zoom. Your participation and support mean so much. Our plan to place the new Community Center (IGC) on the west corner of Valley Center Road & Lilac Road will bring long-overdue improvements to our aging Community Hall and Community Park.

We truly need the continued support of our community—residents, clubs, groups, and any organizations you’re part of. Please consider sending one simple email to both contacts below:

Supervisor Jim Desmond: Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov
Lucas Taylor: lucas.taylor@sdcounty.ca.gov

Your message can be as short as:

“I support locating the IGC on the property next to Valley Center Community Hall & Park at 28214 Lilac Road. I support the County’s purchase of this property as the future home of the Valley Center IGC.”

Thank you for helping move this important project forward for our community!

Clink on this link for our presentation slide show or video below.