Makeover of Santa Maria’s Russell Park is complete

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria families will soon be able to enjoy the new and improved Russell Park.

The grant-funded rehabilitation at Russell Park is complete, and the space will reopen to the public when reseeded grass can withstand foot traffic.

The nearly two-acre park located on the southwest side of the City at 1000 West Church Street, has been undergoing improvements since June.

The park is now equipped with new and improved amenities including a new playground, new restrooms, new energy-efficient lighting, water-wise colorful landscaping accompanied by a new and improved irrigation system, a decomposed granite trail, and upgraded concrete paths along with on- and off-site accessibility improvements.

The lawn was recently planted from seed and will undergo an establishment period of 60-90 days. This establishment period allows the lawns roots to mature so it can hold up to foot traffic.

If this is a warm fall, Russell Park will open around December 1st. If the weather is cooler, and the grass takes longer to establish, the park will open in early January.

The Recreation and Parks Department will set the opening day as soon as they are confident the grass can withstand foot traffic.

Federal dollars in the amount of $625,142 were awarded from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program.  

State dollars in the amount of $232,414 were awarded to the City through the Housing-Related Parks Program.