LAKE COUNTY — Brightly-colored playground equipment, stretching lawns and new creature comforts can be seen at parks around the county. Big plans for the future are another common feature, according to Lake County Public Services director Kim Clymire, and none of it is cheap.
“We”re using a combination of funds wherever we can get them to try to make things happen,” Clymire said. The average price tag for a restroom alone is $250,000. Redevelopment money can be used for parks in the Northshore communities of Upper Lake, Nice, Lucerne, Glenhaven and Clearlake Oaks.
Clymire said he is almost done using $1.2 million in park bond money that came to Lake County from Prop. 40, passed by voters in 2002. Clymire said some of the county”s general fund money will be used to improve county parks. Additionally, he plans to apply for grant money from Prop. 84, passed in 2006. Clymire said those dollars should be available in 2008. Propositions 40 and 84 enacted bonds for water and public safety, and included money for public parks.
Construction of a new 12-acre park on Hammond Avenue in Nice is under way, as evidenced by $50,000 of playground equipment recently installed. The park will include a ball field, picnic facilities, a restroom, parking and “if funds can be secured, a skate park,” according to a press release from public services office manager Jan Campbell.
Construction will happen in phases because of budget limitations. Clymire said $400,000 is in the county”s budget now for the Hammond Avenue park. With the ball field, playground equipment and restroom planned for phase one, Clymire said the $400,000 in the current budget for the park will go quickly. “The engineer”s estimate for full buildout was about $3.3 million,” Clymire said. A grant application was sent to Caltrans for the approximate cost of the restroom last week.
Clymire said the one-acre Hinman Park in Nice is under renovation to the tune of approximately $200,000, scaled down from $2 million. Recent additions include stamped sidewalks and a new lawn, with trees and shrubs to be added. Plans for a gazebo in the park”s center will go out to bid next month, Clymire said.
Nylander Park is well into its construction in Clearlake Oaks. It boasts a playground, 40 trees, sidewalks and a new sod lawn. “That was 40,000 square feet of sod that was rolled on hands and knees,” Clymire said. Still in the works are benches, tables, trash and recycling receptacles and lights. Perimeter sidewalks and parking are scheduled to go in in the spring of 2008.
Clymire said a new park is planned for Kelseyville Unified School District property adjacent to Riviera Elementary School. Developing plans include a ball field, playground, restroom and parking. The plans will be up for state, county and district approval in the next few months, according to the press release.
Lake County”s unincorporated areas have 17 county parks with a total of approximately 275 acres altogether.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
