A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park

A Community Vision for
DiGiorgio Park
A report from the November 9, 2013 workshop
on revitalizing DiGiorgio Park
September 2014
Prepared by:
Local Government Commission
Sierra Designs, Inc.
A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
September 2014
Acknowledgements
South Kern Building Healthy Communities
City of Arvin
Amerika Nino-Rodriguez
Co-Chair, Recreation Action Team
Jose Flores
Mayor, City of Arvin
County of Kern
Toni Pichardo
Council Member, City of Arvin
Bob Lerude
Director, Kern County Parks and Recreation
Lupe Vasquez
Council Member, City of Arvin
Nicole Villaruz
Chief of Staff to Supervisor Leticia Perez, Fifth District
Bear Mountain Recreation
Jorge Medina
Board Member, Bear Mountain Recreation
Design Team
Local Government Commission
Sierra Designs, Inc.
Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Associate AIA
Associate Director
Daniel Veyna, ASLA
Principal Landscape Architect
Aatisha Singh, MRP
Project Manager
Kay Hutmacher, ASLA
Principle Landscape Architect
1303 J Street, Suite 250
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-448-1198
113 North Church Street, Suite 310
Visalia, CA 93291
559-733-3690
Support provided by The California Endowment.
Views and opinions presented in this report do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of The
California Endowment, the County of Kern, the City of Arvin, or Bear Mountain Recreation.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Contents
The Workshop
Conceptual Park Improvements
Conceptual Street Improvements
Implementation
Acknowledgments
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Appendix A: Workshop Participants
Appendix B: Vision Statements
Appendix C: Park Statistics from Community Fact Finder
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September 2014
A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
On November 9, 2013, the Local Government Commission (LGC) partnered with the South Kern Building
Healthy Communities site, Kern County Parks and Recreation and the City of Arvin to hold an interactive
community workshop at DiGiorgio Park and Caliente Creek Apartments Community Room, located in the City
of Arvin, Kern County. The goal of the workshop was to develop a community vision for how the park could be
improved, and to identify next steps and priorities that the County and community can focus on for the future.
LGC facilitated a half-day discussion and visioning in English and Spanish, and the landscape architecture
firm Sierra Designs Inc. provided design expertise. Funding from The California Endowment made the event
possible. This report documents the event activities and shares the conceptual vision developed at the
workshop.
The Workshop
The workshop drew 33 diverse participants (see
attendance list in Appendix A), which included local
residents, as well as Kern County and City of Arvin
representatives. Local leaders and staff distributed
paper and electronic copies of English and Spanish
flyers in advance at neighborhood events.
Participants gathered at the Caliente Creek
Apartments Community Room, located
near DiGiorgio Park, for the discussion and
presentations. The day featured a welcome and
encouragement from City of Arvin Mayor Jose
Flores and City Council Members Toni Pichardo and
Lupe Vasquez, who talked about the importance of
working together as a community.
Left: Mayor Jose Flores and City Council Member
Toni Pichardo welcome the group.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Paul Zykofsky from the LGC led the group in a
brief visioning exercise (see vision statements in
Appendix B). Common themes from the vision
statements included:
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A positive place for families to gather;
Indoor and outdoor facilities and activities;
Safety and security;
Trees and shade;
Cleanliness and no graffiti; and
An alcohol and tobacco free zone.
Dan Veyna from Sierra Designs, Inc. gave a
presentation on how these aspects could be
addressed and shared images of potential
improvements, including examples of playing fields,
outdoor spaces, equipment, lighting, and structures
from other similar parks. A key point made by
Dan was that when families regularly use a park,
activity goes a long way towards discouraging
criminal activity. Creating a space that is attractive
to families is key to addressing some of the
community’s concerns about safety and security.
There are a number of examples where increased
use of a park has led to an improved park, including
Stiern Park in south Bakersfield.
Participants then broke up into three groups,
walked to the park and spent over an hour walking
through the park and sharing their ideas with
facilitators. Participants were asked to talk about
what was and was not working and to share
observations, concerns and ideas.
Top: City Council Member Lupe Vasquez welcomes the group.
Middle: Participants share their vision statements.
Bottom: Participants begin their tour of the park.
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September 2014
Table 1. Prioritized improvements from community drawn maps
All of the elements below were reported as aspects the community would like to see, and this is the
participant’s prioritized list followed by the number of votes each item received.
Concrete skate park
15
Multi-use hard space
7
Better lighting
14
Community garden w/plots
6
Swap meet / plaza
11
Fitness park
10
More parking with solar panels to power
lights
6
Spray park
10
Vending machines
6
Another pool
9
Amphitheater with stage
5
Children’s playground
9
Expand building
5
“Keep your park clean” signs
9
More trees
5
Trash cans
9
Drinking Fountains
4
Multi-use path around park
8
Expand basketball area
2
Rest rooms on north end of park
8
Dog park
1
Walking path
8
Murals
1
Benches under trees
7
Smoking area
1
The participants then returned to the Caliente Creek Apartments Community Room to put some of their
ideas on maps. Participants shared their ideas with each other and the group created a list of potential
improvements based on the maps and the day’s discussion. The group then voted to identify their priorities.
(See results on Page 3, Table 1.)
In the following months, the team worked to turn the community’s maps and priorities into a draft plan. This
draft was presented back to the community for further feedback during a follow up meeting at Caliente Creek
Apartments Community Room on April 30, 2014. Several community member participants returned to see the
draft vision, ask questions, and voice general support.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Conceptual Park
Improvements
A conceptual illustration of how to incorporate the
community’s vision is seen on the next page and
described below.
In order to better organize informal activities at
the northern end of the park, the plan calls for
creating a circular 10-foot wide pathway with radial
links that would provide an all-weather walking
track for people of all ages and good connections
through the park. The radial paths would converge
on a community plaza or gathering space with
a bandstand. Playing lawns would be located to
the north, east and west of the plaza. The eastern
quadrant of the circle would include a water or
spray park that could be accessed through a new
parking lot with room for approximately 34 cars
aligned with Holden Street. Restrooms would be
located just north of the water park. Play areas for
younger children would be located in the northeast
of the park. A small plaza with a fountain could
be located at the northern end along Haven Drive
to provide a formal entrance to the park. The
radial pathway to the southeast would provide a
connection to the existing pavilion and to Hood
Street.
A concrete skateboard park (which received the
highest number of votes and which has been under
discussion by youth in the community for several
years) would be located adjacent to the southwest
radial arm near Meyer Street. This location would
be visible from the street to provide surveillance
and would give teenagers a place to hang out away
from the centers of activity for younger children
located on the east side of the park.
Right: Participants walk through the park and
share their ideas with facilitators.
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September 2014
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
In response to discussions about expanding the
existing community room that is currently used
by a boxing club located in the center of the park,
the designers proposed a new, large recreation
center with space for a large gymnasium flanked
by a multi-purpose room, computer lab, tutoring
room, an office, bathrooms and equipment storage.
Outdoor covered patios could be additional
features of the building and would connect to
volleyball courts to the south and the existing
basketball courts to the southeast. Access to the
building could be provided through a new circular
driveway aligned with Hood Street to the west
and a new parking lot with room for 30 cars along
Meyer Street.
At the southern end of the park the changes are
less dramatic. The plan calls for enhancing the
existing baseball field by adding bleachers and
bullpens. The plan also proposes added more trees
along the west edge of the park to buffer it more
from Meyer Street.
Lighting would be improved in all sections of the
park. The plan also proposes that exercise stations
and pavilions be interspersed throughout the park.
Conceptual Street
Improvements
During the walks in the park some residents
expressed concerns about safety of children
walking and bicycling to the park. Although not
shown on the plan drawing, the City should
consider adding curb extensions at all of the
intersections adjacent to the park. Curb extensions
help slow down vehicles and help pedestrians cross
the street by shortening the crossing distance and
improving visibility.
Right: Participants return to the workshop room to
put some of their ideas on maps of the park.
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September 2014
Implementation
Based on community priorities, the skate park,
water/splash park and walking paths are seen as
having the most potential impact on making the
park more family-friendly and attracting more
legitimate users. From this point, there are some
options in terms of next steps. Additional input
from more community members to further refine
the vision could be sought. If done, it is wise to
document any additional community engagement,
as the more buy-in from residents is shown, the
more attractive of an investment it will be for
funders.
A common next step in park revitalization projects
is to follow visioning with developing an estimated
cost for improvements, which can serve as a
shopping list to seek funding for individual plan
components. Documented costs are often needed
for grant applications and can also help determine
fundraising goals.
In terms of the timing of implementing various
components of the plan, it makes sense to begin
with the priority list, start at the top and work
down — with a few considerations in mind. First,
if an opportunity presents itself to accomplish
something further down the list, then it makes
sense to take advantage of that. Second, when
a feature has been identified as needing to be
relocated, the replacement facility should be
constructed before the existing facility is removed,
so that the amenity is preserved.
Left: Participants create a list of potential improvements
based on the maps and the day’s discussion.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Third, an important consideration is to include
the possibility of additional improvements when
any change is made. For example, if a water/spray
park will be installed, electrical improvements
would likely be needed, so while working on
the main electrical panel, future capacity can be
installed to handle all of the future improvements.
If implementing all of the improvements means a
large electrical panel is needed, but the spray park
alone only needs a medium size panel, the large
panel (but not necessarily all the circuit breakers)
should be installed. Another example would be
if a conduit for wires needs to be installed below
ground, provide space for future additional wiring
to run through it as well, so that portion of the park
does not need to be torn up again to install that
future improvement.
Above: Participants vote to identify priority improvements.
One way to make an immediate difference in the park while waiting for funding is to increase the use of
DiGiorgio Park with the help of nearby supportive organizations. Partnering with nearby churches and
community groups to schedule events and activities in DiGiorgio Park will help people become familiar with
what the park has to offer, and every legitimate use further decreases opportunities for bad behavior.
As mentioned by participants, there are existing efforts in the area that could provide assistance in the shortterm. There are some specific funding opportunities to consider, including, but not limited to, Community
Development Block Grants, Proposition 84 Grants, and State and Federal Safe Routes to School grants. The
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) commits federal funds to local governments to provide
decent housing, provide a suitable living environment, and to expand economic opportunities. Kern County
receives funds in amounts determined by applying a formula to the total amount of CDBG funds appropriated
by Congress. The distribution, or grants, is made after the Grantee has submitted their Consolidated
Community Development Plan. The Board of Supervisors has appointed the Planning and Community
Development Department as their staff to plan for and implement projects and programs approved by the
Board for use of these funds.
State or federal Safe Routes to School grants could be sought for improvements along Haven Drive and Franklin
Street leading to Sierra Vista Elementary School and Haven Drive Middle School. Sidewalk improvements along
the park, and improved pedestrian crossings of South Hill Street would have the dual impact of making it safer
for children to walk and bike to school, as well as increase pedestrian access to the park.
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September 2014
There is also the opportunity to fundraise from individuals, organizations, and businesses, and use volunteer
labor to make some improvements. The Greenfield Walking Group used this approach successfully to get a
sidewalk installed in Stiern Park in South Bakersfield. In another example from the City of Visalia, local Rotary
Clubs funded the installation of two water play features. The City provided the location and power, and waived
permit fees. The cost of construction materials was covered by Rotary donations, and they also provided
volunteer labor. The City assumed the ongoing maintenance expenses.
Acknowledgements
The Local Government Commission and Sierra Designs, Inc. would like to sincerely thank Southern Kern BHC
Recreation Action Team Co-Chair Amerika Nino-Rodriguez who helped promote and organize the workshop,
County and City elected officials and staff for making a strong showing on a Saturday, and most of all, the
community members who worked hard to develop the vision.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Appendix A: Workshop Participants
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Beto Abrego, resident
Jesus Alonsa, Dolores Huerta Foundation Youth Leadership Program
Eduardo Benavides, resident
Aurora Cervantes, Adelante Coalition
Marylou Chavez, Building Healthy Communities South Kern, Adelante Coalition
Estela Escoto, Committee for a Better Arvin
Jose Flores, City of Arvin
Lupe Garcia, Dolores Huerta Foundation
Desiree Gomez, Dolores Huerta Foundation
Gustavo Gomez, resident
Patricia Gonzalez, resident
Lesly Gonzalez, Adelante Coalition
Patty Gonzalez, KCMTT, Adelante Coalition
Vianney Gonzalez, Adelante Coalition
Patricia Herrera, Arvin High School Health Careers Academy
Jose Lopez, Faith In Action Kern County
Jacob Marquez, Arvin Boxing Club / Youth Center
Mark Marquez, Arvin Boxing Club / Youth Center
Jorge Medina, Bear Mountain Parks Board of Directors
Amerika Nino-Rodriguez, Building Healthy Communities South Kern, Boys & Girls Club of Kern County
Ovelia Oliveri, Committee for a Better Arvin
Hemun Pamy, resident
Maria Pantoja, Building Healthy Communities South Kern
Maria Angelica Pantoja, Building Healthy Communities South Kern
Salvador Partioa, Committee for a Better Arvin
Rosa Perez, resident
Toni Pichardo, Arvin City Council
Jasmin Sandoval, Health Careers Academy
Marcos Santoyo, Dolores Huerta Foundation Youth Leadership Program
Lupe J. Vasquez, Arvin City Council
Nicole Villaruz, Office of Supervisor Leticia Perez
Michael Wattea, Arvin Tiller
Jazmin Zuniga, Arvin High School Health Careers Academy
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September 2014
Appendix B: Vision Statements
The following vision statements were collected at the workshop; some vision statements were translated
from Spanish:
I would like to see the park more clean and safe. Also a smoke free area would be great.
I would like to see the park have more places to have kids play at. I want to see the park have a designated
spot for smoking that is a good distance away from the kids. A more artistic park with several fruit trees,
lights, benches, trashcans, and several flowers.
Lights; walking path; gym/rec center; concrete skate park; even grass/earth; clean and working bathrooms;
more playgrounds; benches; trash cans/recycling bins; community center, open to public; spray park;
landscaping; soccer field(s).
No holes in park; more plants; fruit trees; smoking area away from children and others; swings; more trash
cans; better bathrooms; lights at the park; better benches.
Clean park; more activities at the park; decrease in smoking and alcohol; playground for the kids; park
more green (green grass, more trees etc.); bathrooms clean with lighting; water works at the park.
Clean; safe; swing sets; lights; slides; playground throughout the park; water fountains that work; tennis
courts/volleyball.
Walking path; lights; eating area; basketball court area, at least 2 full courts; expand an indoor area to play;
playground for toddlers with slides, merry-go-round, small rock climbing, swings with safety path; volleyball
net; bike racks; water fountains.
I would like to see a family park, a park where everyone is happy and comfortable with lots of places to
play for the kids. Have parties every day or weekend. Lots of sidewalks so people can walk without the
chance of getting bit by dogs. Lots of trees with shade. No tobacco or alcohol. Lots of lights and parking.
Have a waterfall in front by Meyer Street.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Jogging path around the park; gym park; parking; basketball court improvements; drinking water fountains;
power access outlets; north side restrooms; remove and replace trees; pavilion; repaired existing
restrooms; lighting.
Large swimming pool, water games, more light, more trees, flowers, cleaner, swings.
Have a bigger building that is in the middle of the park for kids activities and a jogging area around the
park.
Better playground; family-orientated with family activities, youth activities building (sports program), picnic
pavilion, water fountains, bathrooms and lighting, parking, trash cans and removal, expand and improve
parking, *bike racks*.
MY VISION: To have a walking path for the citizens to exercise, a bike path for exercise, a soccer field added.
Merry-go-round, swings, games, walking path, safe family gathering, new restrooms.
Alcohol and tobacco free; kid/family friendly; no loitering; safe park; clean and beautiful park; trees; water
park; playground; dog park/section (fenced); walking park.
Clean, free of smoke and people talking; upgraded play areas where children and families can spend time;
more lighting especially at night; more parking; more areas where people can walk and where you can
exercise.
Vision for Digorgio Park: Alcohol and tobacco free park; safe environment for individuals; new/improved
facilities like restrooms, basketball courts, playground; plant more trees in order to help environment; no
more sand, put in woodchips? (sponge); dog park; more water fountains.
Vision for Digorgio Park: Alcohol and tobacco free; to see more teens and families there and having fun;
new restrooms; bigger basketball court; more tables; volleyball courts; to be a park everyone won’t want to
leave; an area where you can have fun; more trees; more games for kids to play; more trash cans; dog park;
swings; football fields; clean park; more lighting; more parking spaces; smoking area.
Alcohol and tobacco free; kid friendly; fun and safe environment (welcoming); lots of trees; designated
parking lot; jungle gym, spray park, dog park (section); lots of trash cans; walking path; lighting.
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September 2014
I want a clean park with a walking area; with more games for children; with more flowers, grass, and trees;
with a fountain and an area for families to eat together.
Dance Floor.
Lighting; jogging track; bigger building for youth activities; parking; water fountains; expand, improve
basketball courts; bathrooms at north end of park; pavilion at north end of park.
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A Community Vision for DiGiorgio Park
Appendix C: Park Statistics from Community
Fact Finder
This is your Community FactFinder report for
the project you have defined. Please refer to
your Project ID in any future communications
about this project.
Project ID:
28741
Date created:
April 29, 2014
County:
Kern
City:
Arvin
Coordinates:
35.203640, -118.832370
Total Population:
4,361
Median Household
Income:
$28,622
Number of people
below poverty line:
1,216
Park acreage:
36.19
Park acres per 1,000
population:
8.30
Project Site
If your service area includes a modified park (outlined in red), the statistic
shown match the new boundary. All numbers above have been calculated
based on a ½ mile radius from the point location of your project.
Demographics are figured by averaging population numbers over selected
census block groups and using the percent of the block group within the
project circle to determine the actual counts.
Parks and park acres are based on best available source information but may
not always contain exact boundaries or all parks in specific locations. Parks
acreage does not include major lakes or ocean. Users can send update
information to: parkupdates@parks.ca.gov
Data Sources:
Demographics - Claritas Pop-Facts, block group level (2010)
Parks - Calif. Protected Areas Database v. 1.6 (Feb. 2011)
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