La Mirada’s 26-acre Creek Park — built along a flood channel in the 1960s — is starting to show its age, but a plan recently commissioned by the city could spruce it up.
The plan calls for replacing aging bridges, building new accessible restrooms at both ends of the park replacing the one in the middle, adding a 1-mile loop walking trail and upgrading lights. In addition, the flood channel will be renovated to hold more water.
The park stretches from Santa Gertrudes Avenue to Cordova Road and is best known for hosting the city’s “Stroll in the Park,” a musical concert held during the summer.
“There are a lot of good ideas,” said Diane Gramajo, a Community Services commissioner, who recently viewed a presentation on the master plan.
“There are different activities throughout the park for exercise,” Gramajo said. “There are drought-tolerant plants they’re going to put everywhere. I’m excited. I want them to get started already.”
Finding the money will be an issue. The cost is estimated at nearly $8.6 million, and the city doesn’t have the money yet, although it does have enough to hire a designer, La Mirada City Manager Jeff Boynton said.
The City Council is expected to approve the master plan and environmental documentation by June of this year, he said.
Once the final design is complete — presumably some time late this year or early 2019 — the city will go looking for grants, said Boynton, who is optimistic money is available.
“This type of project deals with water, accessibility and energy efficiency,” Boynton said. “There are a number of sources (of grants) for this project.”
La Mirada hired San Juan Capistrano-based RRM Design Group to pencil out a plan to renovate the park because of its age, said Mark Stowell, La Mirada’s public works director. In addition, the park doesn’t meet federal accessibility rules and the flood channel is building up with silt, reducing the amount of water it can hold.
The master plan calls for removing the sediment, replacing the concrete with rocks and creating a series of drops along the channel to slow the speed of water.
The lowest intensity option was chosen in reaction to residents who don’t want a “destination park” with picnic areas and playgrounds, said Mike Sherrod, a principal for RRM. This plan has none of those.
Rosa Michelle of La Mirada isn’t for much change. She likes the new plan.
“Keep the park the way it is with the trees and everything else,” she said.