Santa Maria Breaks Ground On Oakley Park Renovations

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SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A much needed and long awaited project to help renovate one of Santa Maria’s busiest parks is now officially under way. During a ceremony held Monday at Oakley Park, city leaders broke ground to signal the start of the $1.3 million dollar improvement project that will include two new Little League fields, a soccer field, security lighting, paved parking, walking path, trees, landscaping, irrigation and improved access.

The four-acre park, which is located along Western Avenue, adjacent to Oakley School, is one of the city’s oldest parks and has not been updated in several years. The renovations are the direct result of a town hall meeting held by City Council in October 2012. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit new ideas from residents on what they would like to see done to improve their neighborhood.

“It went from a suggestion to a reality and I would like to think that it’s because the city council likes to listen to people and we listened and here we are,” said Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino.

The majority of the project will be paid through funding acquired through a Federal Community Development Block Grant, with the rest from city park funds.

“You’re going to see it last, probably, for the next 20 years easily, so there’s 15,000 residents in the immediate area, and we expect a lot of them will use the park,” said Alex Posada, Santa Maria Director of Recreation and Parks.

Public workshops were held by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department to allow residents an opportunity to give input on the planning. Once completed, Westside Little League will have a vastly improved facility for its teams to practice and play on. The project will double the league’s playing facilities from one to two fields and will provide families a better atmosphere for attending games.

The project, which is scheduled to be completed by March 2016, will close off public access to the park. Oakley Park will remain close once renovations are complete to allow landscaping to become established.