Santa Maria Secures Funding to Repair & Reopen Downtown Sports Fields
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The City of Santa Maria has secured funding that will repair and reopen a long-closed downtown sports facility.
According to a release from Gloria Soto, the Santa Maria City Councilmember along with State Senator Monique Limón, have secured $1.2 million in state funding that will be used to bring accessibility improvements at Simas Park and throughout Santa Maria, including improvements to sidewalks, Americans with Disabilities (ADA) ramps, streets, and bike lanes.
Once completed, the ADA repairs will pave the way towards reopening Simas Park's Barbettini Field, which has been closed the past two years.
Located between the Elks Field on one side and the Santa Maria Courthouse on the other, Barbettini Field is best known as the home of Santa Maria Southside Little League for decades.
As the first Little League in Santa Maria, the fields have provided a venue for generations of youth baseball players, some of which have later played in the Major League Baseball, including Robin Ventura, Bryn Smith and James Steels, Doug Bernier and Bill Simas.
With the park closed, Southside Little League has played its past two seasons more than three miles away at Robin Ventura Field at the southern edge of the city, creating a hardship on both the league and its families.
Soto and Limón said the improvements will help ensure that athletes, families, coaches, and community members of all abilities can access and enjoy the park and Little League facilities.
"Santa Maria deserves leaders who are willing to work together, build strong partnerships, and get things done for our community," Soto said in a release. "I am proud to have worked with Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón to bring these state dollars home to Santa Maria. Her leadership and commitment to our community have helped make this investment possible, and I am grateful for her partnership. Simas Park belongs to all of Santa Maria, and every resident should be able to fully access and enjoy it, regardless of ability. These improvements will help ensure that the park remains a welcoming and accessible place for young athletes and families for years to come. These are the kinds of investments that make a real difference in the daily lives of Santa Maria families."
The release also said the funding comes at an important time for Santa Maria as the City works to address infrastructure needs while navigating significant budget pressures. It added that by securing outside funding, these projects can move forward while limiting additional demands on local General Fund and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) resources.
"I am proud to be able to secure this $1.2 million state investment to help ensure Simas Park can expand and reach more community members," said Limón. "With new sidewalks, ramps, and bike lanes, this Santa Maria park can be the inviting space it was always meant to be. Thank you to Councilmember Gloria Soto for recognizing such an important need for our community and for working with leaders across sectors to make sure these improvements became a reality."
No timetable on when the improvements will begin or be completed has been determined.
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