Agenda Item Wording:
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Inclusive park project - Receive a presentation on the inclusive park project and authorize staff to move forward with the updated concept layout to prepare design and construction drawings.
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Agenda Date: 08/17/2026
Prepared by:
Cody McLaughlin, Associate Engineer, Cody.Mclaughlin@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4595
Dolores Verduzco, Financial Analyst, Dolores.Verduzco@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4540
Rebecca Keenan, Senior Civil Engineer, Rebecca.Keenan@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4541
Chris Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.crawford@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Director of Engineering & Building, Jason.huckleberry@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4495
Jason Glick, Director of Parks & Recreation, Jason.glick@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4042
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive a presentation on the inclusive park project and authorize staff to move forward with the updated concept layout to prepare design and construction drawings.
Summary:
The Bridging Horizons Inclusive Park is a Proposition 68 grant-funded initiative to design and construct the City of Visalia’s first fully inclusive park. The city was awarded funding from the California Department of Parks and Recreation to develop a park that expands accessible recreation opportunities. Following the grant award, the city retained a design consultant and initiated the park design process. During development, unforeseen site constraints, conditions, and obstacles were identified resulting in an alternative project site at the northwest corner of McAuliff Street and Millcreek Parkway. The proposed relocation preserves the project scope while maintaining consistency with grant requirements. Staff is requesting authorization to proceed with design and preparation of construction documents for the updated location. Staff estimates the design will be complete by the end of 2026, bid advertising for construction will begin in the spring 2027, construction will begin in early summer 2027, and construction completion by early 2028.
Background Discussion:
In spring of 2022, the City of Visalia was awarded $7,829,352 for the new inclusive park project through the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program. The purpose of the grant is to create new parks and recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California. The city submitted a proposal for a new inclusive park to be located on Oak Street between Burke Street and the Imagine U children’s museum facility.
In the fall of 2022, the city proceeded through the consultant procurement process and retained Odell Engineering for professional design services for the project. Working with the consultant, preliminary engineering and coordination efforts began in 2023. As the design progressed, staff determined that additional public outreach was necessary to re-engage with the community, confirm that proposed amenities continued to meet the needs of future users, and ensure the project remained consistent with the intention and goals of the Proposition 68 grant.
In coordination with the grant agency, staff was told that in order to propose modifications to the approved project scope or amenities, the request needed to be supported either by: community outreach and feedback; design engineering and feasibility reasons; or cost considerations. To satisfy these requirements staff organized and heavily marketed a public outreach meeting that was held at Imagine U Children’s Museum, presented the project and met with community members and future park users at Able Industries, and incorporated their feedback into an updated conceptual layout. The revised concept was presented to the City Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council which authorized staff to proceed with the updated conceptual layout and design scope.
Additionally, the Inclusive Park project was coordinated with another city project, the “Oak Avenue Extension”. The Oak Avenue Extension would build a one-way road south of the railroad tracks between Tipton Avenue and Burke Street and provide access to the Inclusive Park. Unfortunately, during the design phase and numerous meetings with the railroad agencies, obstacles emerged that have resulted in the need to relocate the park project to an alternate site. Some of these obstacles included land use restrictions, design approvals, and conditional requirements that would significantly impact the Inclusive Park project, schedule, design components, and project budget beyond reasonable recovery.
Staff conducted a comprehensive evaluation of alternate park sites to identify a location that provided an opportunity to the area, foundational design components to service the project, and satisfied the grant agency requirements as an area of need. The evaluation identified a site that satisfied all parameters, a city owned 4.8-acre parcel located at the northwest corner of McAuliff Street and Mill Creek Parkway. Staff recently held a preliminary meeting with the grant agency representative to ensure that the identified location would be acceptable, and a site change would be allowed through a request process. The grant representatives indicated that a site location would be possible, and encouraged staff to formally submit a package requesting the change for further review by their administration. Following the council approval of the new project site, city staff submitted and has been notified that the site change request is under review with the grant agency. Additionally, a Phase 1 and Phase 2 environmental site assessment were performed, with neither assessment identifying any significant concerns.
Outreach for New Site:
Staff hosted an outreach meeting on April 15th, 2026 at Valley Oak Middle School. Notices were mailed to 900 nearby neighboring residents. At the meeting, 14 residents attended. Staff presented the new site for consideration, the type of function, and use of the future inclusive park.
This outreach generated a variety of public opinions and comments. While some attendees expressed interest in the new proposed inclusive park, others raised concerns about the project’s possible impact to the area.
A common concern expressed by several attendees was the perceived presence of transient activity in the area around their homes, including along Mill Creek, on the vacant City owned parcel south of the proposed location of the proposed park, and within Mill Creek Park just west of the proposed location. Attendees also reported concerns with the individuals rummaging in trash cans in the neighborhood. These existing concerns influenced attendees’ perception of the proposed park and expressed concerns that the park could attract transient activity closer to their neighborhood.
Listed below is a summary of several of the more significant concerns and the methods city staff is researching to incorporate during the design phase of the park: Concerns with transients utilizing the park and the bathrooms - city staff response is that this is going to be an enclosed park with a 6’ tall fence and it will only be open during specified hours. City staff will be opening and closing gates in the morning and in the evening so there will be a city presence that can report any issues to the appropriate departments. In addition, city staff intends to explore design options for the bathroom equipment that would prioritize heavy duty commercial quality as an effort to prevent vandalization.
1. Park hours concern - The attendees’ opinion is that negative behavior in the area is most likely to occur after dark and requested that the park only be open during daylight hours. Staff will do more investigation into the appropriate park hours with this in mind.
2. Concerns about the parking lot being utilized for non-park activities - Staff response is that consideration can be made to place a vehicular access gate across the drive approach entrance that can be closed to coincide with park hours. This will need to be further discussed and investigated with the parks department during design.
3. Noise Nuisance - This comment seemed to be a misunderstanding about some of the park equipment. Various park equipment has the ability to make noises that are learning type tools for some of the special needs users. Staff does not believe that these noises will be loud enough to significantly affect the adjacent neighborhood.
4. Increased traffic activity in the neighborhood - Staff has kept resident concerns in mind when placing this drive approach. In order to manage traffic to the park the drive approach has been located to turn vehicles as soon as possible once turning onto Manzanita Street. In addition, the site entrance has an elongated drive aisle leading to the parking lot in order to control any potential vehicle queueing.
5. Request that the parking lot not be placed on Manzanita - Some of the attendees expressed concerns that they don’t want to be looking at a parking lot right next to their homes. This comment seemed to be geared towards residents wanting whatever was adjacent to their homes to look nice and be maintained. Staff will keep this in mind when placing the parking lot on the new project site.
6. Safety concerns about the uncontrolled intersection at McAuliff and Mill Creek Parkway - Staff informed the residents that the design is currently underway for a traffic signal at this location.
At the City Council meeting on May 04, 2026 city staff presented on the proposed site location and the events leading up to the presentation. At this council meeting various attendees provided public comments with some comments in support of the upcoming project and other public comments from attendees of the prior outreach meeting expressing their previous concerns. Further comments in addition to the previously documented concerns included:
7. Request to consider locating the restroom further away from Manzanita St. side of the site.
8. Request to consider locating the parking lot entrance and park entrance to minimize impacts to the adjacent homes.
9. Reiteration of previously stated comments (1-6) and for consideration to be given to those concerns.
City Council authorized the new project site location and to move forward into the conceptual layout phase on May 04, 2026. City Council directed staff to take the public’s comments into consideration and make attempts through design measures and strategies (as feasible) to mitigate and manage public concerns. In addition, City Council requested that city staff return and present the concept layout for review and approval.
City staff believe that the updated conceptual layout presented with this report addresses some of the noted concerns. In addition, through strategic design approaches during the design phase and future planned operations and management approaches to the project, the public comments and concerns will be addressed and mitigated.
City staff presented the updated concept layout to the City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Commission on August 11, 2026. Prior outreach meeting attendees were notified and invited to the Parks and Recreation commission meeting. Public comment by attendees included questions about the concept layout and fencing type, as well as a comment by an attendee stating they felt city staff had acknowledged all of their concerns and they were all addressed with the updated concept layout. The Parks and Recreation Commission has made the recommendation that Council approve the updated concept layout and move to authorize staff to move forward with the design and construction drawings for bid.
Upon approval of the updated concept layout by City Council and approval of the formal site change request with the state grant agency, city staff would immediately move into the design phase of the project and begin working with the consultant to develop construction drawings, specifications, and estimates for bid. Refer to the tentative project schedule below:
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Tentative Project Schedule |
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Approval of Concept Site Layout |
August 17, 2026 |
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Completed Design for Bid |
January 2027 |
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Construction Begins |
May/June 2027 |
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Construction Complete |
January 2028 |
Fiscal Impact:
There are no fiscal impacts at this time.
Prior Council Action:
May 04,2026 - Authorized the new site location for the Inclusive Park Project and approve contract amendment No. 2 in the amount of $405,500.63 to Westwood Professional Services for the change and update in design scope
March 18, 2024 - Received a presentation on the Inclusive Park Project updated concept layout and provide direction regarding the updated layout.
November 07, 2022 - Council authorized the City Manager to enter into a contract with Odell Engineering (now Westwood Professional Services) for professional consulting services for the Inclusive Park Project in the amount not to exceed $547,095.00.
June 06, 2022 - Authorized the City Manager to accept and appropriate $7,829,352 in funds awarded form the State of California Natural Resources Agency, Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant and appropriate $51,000 for staff indirect costs from the Parks Fund (211).
Other: NA
Alternatives: None Recommended
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to receive a presentation on the Inclusive Park Project and authorize staff to move forward with the updated concept layout to prepare design and construction drawings.
Environmental Assessment Status: Categorical Exemption
CEQA Review: Categorical Exemption
Deadline for Action: 8/17/2026
Attachments: Project Presentation
Updated Concept Layout
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
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☐ Economic Vitality |
☐  Organizational Excellence |
☐ Fiscal Strength |
☒  Infrastructure & Growth |
☒  Quality of Life |