SAN MARCOS — The City Council has officially approved names for two new parks planned for the redeveloped Restaurant Row site along West San Marcos Boulevard and in the North City West area along Discovery Street.
Council members unanimously made their decisions on Tuesday, after reviewing a final list of name options developed with input from the community and the San Marcos Planning Commission.
“These naming efforts reflect the values, heritage and geography of our city. The Parks and Recreation Commission is proud to bring forward names that resonate with community identity and historic continuity,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jay Franklin.
Old California Row Park
As an homage to the Old California Restaurant Row area that was established by the Eubanks family in 1978, the park at the redevelopment site will be named Old California Row Park.
The 1.5-acre park is part of a larger mixed-use development by Lennar Homes that includes 202 housing units and 10,000 square feet of commercial space.
Other names considered for Old California Row Park included Old California Park, Old Row Park and San Marcos Row Park. City leaders said they tried to consider names that would capture the historical legacy of the once-thriving dining destination, which was closed after being sold to a developer in 2020.
“I think that keeping that original site name within the name of the park will help us to preserve the history,” said Commissioner Leticia Robles.
Amenities at the park will include an “all-wheel flow course” for skateboards, rollerblades, scooters and bikes, four pickleball courts, a playground, a lawn, a stage for public events, a picnic area, and public restrooms.
“I think for most people inside the city and outside the city … Everyone knew it as Old California Restaurant Row,” said Mayor Rebecca Jones. “It is something very near and dear to our families.”
Sky View Park
The second planned park will be on a 16.5-acre site in North City west of Twin Oaks Valley Road along Discovery Street, across the street from Kaiser Permanente San Marcos Medical Center.
Council members agreed on the name Sky View Park, due to the park’s location on a hill that will offer lookout points. The park is also planned to include tennis courts, pickleball courts, playground structures for different ages, a hill slide, a dog park with areas for small and large dogs, walking trails, an event lawn and a shade structure with an event space.
Sky View Park is surrounded by housing developments currently under construction by Lennar Homes and Shea Homes. The San Marcos Unified School District has also purchased the land immediately west of the park site for the development of a potential future school.
“Being a new park, the area is new. All that was there was a scrub hill, and now it’s being developed — quite quickly, I might add,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Judy Prestininzi.
Other names considered for Sky View Park included Cascade Hills, Hillside, and Horizon Hills. Councilmember Mike Sannella said the name Sky View would distinguish the park from others in San Marcos.
“We have a lot of parks and neighborhoods with the name ‘hills’ in it, which makes total sense because of the way our community is laid out, but I like ‘Sky View’ of these options right here,” Sannella said.
Sky View Park is expected to open in 2026, and the Restaurant Row redevelopment and Old California Row Park are expected to open in 2027, according to city spokesperson Kristina Ray.