Strawberry Stand Conversion
The River Park embarked on a new project in August 2003, with the
volunteer assistance of the employees of the engineering firm Montgomery,
Watson, Harza (MWH). The project was to convert an existing wood
agricultural building (the Strawberry Stand) that is currently
located next to Via de
la Valle
Road,
into a temporary interpretive center.
The site where this structure
is located will be the site of a permanent River Park Nature Center
someday in the future. The temporary structure will utilize
materials
that will be re-used in the future permanent Nature Center. Funding
for this project was provided by 3rd District County Supervisor
Pam
Slater-Price
and private donations.
The project will renovate and re-use an agricultural landmark
and social focal point. The “Strawberry Stand” will
become a community center for environmental education with interpretive
signs featured to tell the story of restoration of the adjacent
400-acre San Dieguito Lagoon and upland habitat area. The “Strawberry
Stand” renovation will be finished in time for a Grand Opening Event on Saturday, June 26, 2004. The Grand Opening Event will also kickoff the San Dieguito Lagoon Wetland Restoration Project that is scheduled to be ongoing
from 2005-2008.
Here is an artist’s rendering of how the temporary interpretive
kiosk will look when it is finished:
click here for larger version
1. The Wetland pavilion room will have transparent siding revealing
shadows and patterns of tall grasses on the interior walls.
2. The entrance to the pavilion will have planted columns displaying
the invasive plant species detrimental to the wetland.
3. Native, flowering vines will climb the light structure of the
open pavilion.
4. Berms will be used to create swales that capture runoff into
created wetlands with native, seasonal marsh plantings. The green
swales will contrast with the surrounding dry grassland/upland
landscape.
5. Locally collected, native willow branches will be bundles and
anchored vertically in the soil. Gradually with irrigation provided
in the swales they will sprout and the tops and form small trees.
6. The swale and berm adjacent to the open space provides a boundary
and elevated pathway for viewing the river valley. The pathway
symbolically serves as a piece of the Coast to Crest Trail with
the interpretive signs placed along the walk overlooking the lagoon
restoration. The educational signs will be coordinated with displays
in the kiosk to emphasize the importance of restoring and preserving
the natural habitat of coastal lagoons.
The photographs below document the transformation. And, as you can see, it really is a TRANSFORMATION! The first pictures below show the “Strawberry Stand” as
it appeared before construction began:
The following pictures show the first steps in
the “remodeling” ” and were completed August 23rd:
The wood siding and roof wereremoved and will
be replaced with a translucent plastic material that will have
a sand-blasted wetland reed pattern. The effect inside the building
will suggest being surrounded by wetland plants.
John Kearny, Construction Foreman from MWH, uses
a hydraulic jack to raise the structure. A new foundation system
was installed on September 13th.
Raising the wall – San Dieguito River Park
Executive Director Dick Bobertz (closest to camera) is working
with the MWH team. “All together now, lift!” 
The relocated walls in place on 9/27/03, the MWH
team takes a break for the camera. 
Raising the wall – San Dieguito River Park
Executive Director Dick Bobertz (closest to camera) is working
with the MWH team. “All together now, lift!”
For more updates, please see the construction updates listed at
the top of this page. Follow this link for November
2003 updates.
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