It is too bad that "SMSP.org" didn't approach it from a better angle, but I don't think the outcome would have been any different, given the attitudes of some of the local city employees. Everyone was looking at dollar signs, and none were coming from the park users.
Some moron even started a campaign to pay the entry fee in pennies to make "our" point... like the guy in the booth really knew or cared what was going on. Heck... it was just a month ago that I found out that entry to Whittier was free if you flashed your AMA card... I've been paying my $3 for over 10 years
The unfortunate problem that we are faced with is that no land that is not ACoE and in a flood plain is safe from development, and too valuable for us to attempt to keep open as flying sites. A solid, safe flying site that is surrounded by commercial and residential development needs to be located on clear property of no less than the size of MSP. That's a big problem in a part of the state where a 1000sq ft condo sells for 1/4 mill. I see the development down on Cajalco creeping in on the field off of Temescal. Fortunately, the owner is very modeler friendly, but when he dies, or if he decides that he doesn't want to mess with the property anymore, it's gone.

We'll probably always have Santa Fe, Prado, and Sepulveda. Whittier is having problems of it's own right now, due in no small part to the actions of one or two individuals. Overflights are now totally restricted over the range, so the old "high speed approach" is no longer permitted... there's been a BMX track on the other side of the range for quite a while, but there is now a HUGE soccer field just north of that where the nursery used to be.
The runway and riverbed are safe, but the field is now shut down and locked at 2:30pm 7 days a week.

RE: Prado, I heard that they are hosting "Best of the West" there this year. Do you know the dates?