Shannon Sutherland has been waiting to see a park built at Cambria’s East Ranch for nearly three decades. It’s still not happening.
“I’m easily brought to tears. My frustration level is so high,” Sutherland, a longtime Cambria resident and member of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Committee, told New Times. “My kids are already gone, my grandkids are now hoping for playing fields.”
At the March 12 Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) meeting, the board declined to adopt the latest phase 3 plan for the East Ranch Community Park, citing gaps in planning, funding, and long-term maintenance. The decision leaves the decades-long project still incomplete, frustrating residents who have advocated for a community park for families and children.
Sutherland has been involved with the project since the late 1990s, when she and other community members began fundraising to buy the property with the goal of providing public recreational fields. At the time, many in Cambria assumed the school district was responsible for community recreation, but Sutherland said the initiative aimed to create a space accessible to all residents, not just students.
“My son was born, and we were literally trying to raise the money so we could buy the land so we could put fields on there for the kids,” Sutherland recalled. “The school district is responsible to the students, not the community, and we wanted to be able to put playing fields, soccer fields, baseball fields in an area where families and children could use them on a daily basis.”
The property, historically known as the East-West Ranch portion of the larger Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, was preserved in 2000 through a coalition of public and private efforts, according to phase 3 planning documents. The CCSD holds the title, while Friends of Fiscalini Ranch Preserve manages the conservation easement. Early plans for the East Ranch included a community park, but development has moved slowly.
Phase 1, carried out from 2007 to 2017, focused on grading, drainage improvements, parking lot construction, and relocating the dog park.
Phase 2, completed in 2024, added a public restroom.
Phase 3, which remains unapproved, proposes transforming the former rodeo grounds into a fully accessible park with a multi-purpose playing field, playground, volleyball court, picnic areas, a nine-hole disc golf course, and an upgraded loop trail.
‘I’m not dead yet. There’s a bunch of us that still live here, and I would like to live and make noise and be messy and have fun.’
–Shannon Sutherland, resident and PROS Committee member
Community surveys cited in phase 3 planning documents show strong support for the park’s planned amenities, with 88 percent of respondents backing a playground, 90 percent supporting the multi-purpose field, 81 percent favoring a volleyball court, and 79 percent for disc golf.
Despite broad public support, the board expressed concerns over the feasibility of the final phase within the park’s floodplain, cost estimates, maintenance responsibilities, and alignment with permitting and conservation requirements.
“The phase 3 plan was not adopted on March 12 in order to allow for further refinement,” CCSD General Manager Matthew McElhenie told New Times. “The direction was not to abandon the plan, but to ensure that the next iteration is both buildable and financially sustainable. Specifically, relocating several of the features out of the floodplain, perhaps downsizing the dog park, and placing some of those features in that footprint. However, this is an ongoing discussion.”
McElhenie noted that the board has invested roughly $400,000 to $600,000 in planning, environmental review, engineering, and permitting work over the years. The district does not have a dedicated parks and recreation fund.
“Any expenditures for park development have historically come from the general fund, which is primarily supported by property taxes and is largely committed to essential services, particularly fire protection,” he said. “Given increasing operational costs, infrastructure needs, and long-term fiscal sustainability considerations, the majority of the board has discussed that additional general fund allocations for park development are not feasible at this time.”
While financial and regulatory hurdles have made progress slow, Sutherland said she remains committed. She highlighted concerns about building in a floodplain, where some areas require elevated or flood-resistant construction, engineered drainage, and additional permitting. Yet she pointed to similar parks across the country that successfully occupy floodplain areas, making the space ideal for community recreation.
“The actual footprint of what will be the community park … is already a community space. It’s historically always been a community space,” Sutherland said. “It was a rodeo ground when I was a kid. There were barrel racing competitions and cattle there. I would love to see in my lifetime my grandchildren run around on some sort of natural grass playing field or playing disc golf or anything. It’s a beautiful space; it’s meant for the community, and I would love to see something actually get done other than the dog park and the parking lot.”
The project’s future may rely on partnerships with non-governmental entities. In Cambria, most recreational facilities are provided by 501(c)(3) nonprofit groups. While she noted concerns about transparency and accountability with nonprofits, Sutherland said she is willing to explore a 501(c)(3) to raise funds and manage maintenance, but only with a commitment from the CCSD.
Sutherland also hopes the park can finally be officially named, rather than referred to as “East Ranch,” a label used simply to differentiate from the West Ranch portion of the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.
“It’d be nice to name it and own it,” she said. “[The park] exists; it has nothing on it, but it exists. The community should be able to claim it.”
Community input has been a priority for the PROS committee, she said. Surveys and outreach efforts at farmers markets and other local organizations included hundreds of residents.
“We really tried hard to broaden the scope,” Sutherland explained. “The board has said going only to the farmers market limited input, but we also went door to door and reached every organization in town. We tried everything we could think of to make sure the community’s voice was heard.”
Still, some in Cambria have dismissed the park as unnecessary, claiming the town is a retirement community. Sutherland disagrees.
“More than 60 percent of our houses are empty, so we’re not a retirement community, just by virtue of the data. I’m not dead yet. There’s a bunch of us that still live here, and I would like to live and make noise and be messy and have fun.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Chloë Hodge at chodge@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in April 9-16, 2026.
If the CCSD is lacking funds for the East Ranch then why doesn’t the Friends of the Fiscallini support them.
They have over $6 million in their account that would greatly support funding.
Look, at this point, CCSD has treated the East West Ranch Park like a never-ending GoFundMe—except nobody remembers signing up. We’ve passed ‘support’ and blown straight through ‘generous’ into ‘okay, that’s enough, please stop.’ The community has spoken, and we’re not asking for a sequel… let alone a whole franchise. Enough is enough—let’s keep our dollars where our enthusiasm actually is. And, that’s still not the skate park!
Regarding the above comment by Karen D. I would like to make it very clear this is not me, Karen Dean, making the above comment.
Three decades? Shoot for 4 or maybe 5!
Regarding the above comment posted by Karen D., I would like to make it very clear this was not me, Karen Dean of Cambria, making that above comment.
The park is unnecessary, but Directors Farmer, Dean and Thomas consistently prioritize funding to parks and recreation. Ever wonder why the CSD has no money? Look to them.
Cambria board meetings aren’t just comical—they’re a masterclass in how to waste oxygen and accomplish absolutely nothing. Watching them handle finances is like watching someone try to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing and the other half upside down. They argue in circles, contradict their own decisions without a hint of self-awareness, “receive and file” reports like it’s a ceremonial ritual, then drag them back out to dissect them into oblivion. Hours go by, nothing changes, and the only consistent outcome is everyone’s time being thoroughly squandered. If inefficiency were a sport, they’d be undefeated champions.
With the exception of two directors, the Cambria board has seriously mismanaged the CCSD and the impacts are visible across the district. The decisions made over time have raised real concerns about leadership, transparency, and accountability.
It may be time for the community to come together, document these concerns clearly, and consider a petition calling for accountability measures and potential leadership changes. At minimum, a thorough independent review of board actions and outcomes seems warranted so that the full scope of what has happened is properly understood and addressed going forward.
I find it ironic that a CCSD director felt the need to comment twice just to clarify that the remark wasn’t hers. Since Karen is clearly following along, perhaps she can explain why parks, recreation and open space continue to take priority over the fire department.