SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- It was a more than four-year passion project for the parents of Max LeNail -- a memorial bridge to remember the 21-year-old who died while on a run at Mission Trails Regional Park.
“It’s horribly disappointing because it's a project we did for Max, and it's almost like Max died a second time,” said Max’s father, Ben LeNail.
Max died while trying to cross the river at Mission Trails Regional Park during an unexpected storm in January 2021.
Public records showed that a bridge was included in the Mission Trails Master Plan and was asked to be given “a higher priority” in 2010. However, it appeared that money and other priority projects stalled the project.
Fifteen years later, funding is a big reason the bridge is stalling again.
Despite raising $1 million for the memorial bridge, Ben LeNail said it’s not enough.
“We're dealing with considerable bureaucracy and red tape to get to the three permits that we need, which are a site development permit, a grading permit, and then a building permit,” Ben said. “Meanwhile, we ran out of money.”
He said hurdles arose with the City of San Diego’s Department of Development Services, as well as some state agencies.
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife discovered a potentially endangered species at the site -- [the] bumblebee -- and so these issues take a lot of money because you need to do a survey,” Ben said.
Ben said overcoming that step could cost another $500,000. He added that hurdles in the current administration aren't making it any easier.
In a letter sent to supporters, Max’s parents wrote that the grant application submitted to Rep. Sara Jacobs’ office “is unlikely to go forward due to the political situation, with the Trump administration having cut most infrastructure and other grants to the State of California.”
“It's a huge setback for me personally, for my wife and all the people who supported us along the way,” Ben said.
The City of San Diego’s Department of Development Services said that staff have always “been supportive” of the efforts on this project.
“While the project would be within public property, the bridge has always been a private project with multiple complexities” which includes “its impact to the local ecosystem and accessibility within the area.”
The statement goes on to say: “On June 10, Mr. Lenail expressed both his frustrations with the process and his intent to pause the project. In response, the directors of both the Development Services and the Parks and Recreation departments provided suggestions related to options for fundraising and communication with community groups and committees, in terms of ways Mr. Lenail can advocate for the project needs. Suggestions included possible extensions of his project application and other potential next steps in the process to keep things moving forward.”
San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo, an outspoken supporter of this bridge, also released a statement to ABC 10News, writing that he remains “hopeful that someday we will be able to build this necessary and lifesaving project.”
“It's also a huge investment of 4.5 years of my life,” Ben said. “Max would have loved to see it built there and I hope that his spirit can inspire people in San Diego to get to see the project to fruition.”
A spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said they were working on a response, but the agency has yet to release a statement on the project.
Rep. Sara Jacobs also released this statement to ABC 10News: “Max Lenail’s accidental drowning was tragic – and entirely preventable if we had the necessary safeguards in place. Mission Trails needs this pedestrian and bicycle bridge to ensure public safety and save lives. I’m disheartened that the Army Corps of Engineers’ stop-work order and their eligibility requirements for federal grants have prevented progress from being made on this project. My office will continue to explore ways to get this bridge built to benefit our entire community.”
