FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - On February 4, the Measure J Bond Oversight Committee (BOC) held its first meeting of the new year. The first order of business was to elect new officers for the 2020-2021 term. Adria Walker, the prior Vice Chair, was nominated to take over as BOC Chair and Gary Juels was nominated for Vice Chair. Both were unanimously approved by the BOC members.              

Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) administrator Mike Aho updated the BOC about the progress of Measure J projects. The first major project — replacing the poured-in-place (PIP) playground surfaces at District playgrounds — has been completed. “We’re well under budget,” said Aho. The allotted budget for the project was $813,050, but the actual cost was around $500,000. During the project, the District opted to remove sand features from various playgrounds to avoid the high-level of wear and tear the sand causes on the playground surface. They also added high-wear pads under slides and swings to increase durability. These measures should dramatically increase the lifespan of the PIP.

Plans for the Swallow Way Park project are underway, with work expected to begin in July 2020. Aho said the current design was reached after 10 neighborhood outreach meetings; the park features a “multi-generational” playground, which will include artificial turf “pods” with stationary rocks and logs for toddlers to climb and explore, traditional play equipment for school-age kids, and even a 20-foot-tall climbing tower for older kids and adults.

One challenge with the Swallow Way Park is a narrow, hidden walkthrough from the west side of the property. It’s a common shortcut to Hazel Ave. for locals in the neighborhood, but its lack of visibility makes it an attractive nuisance. Aho said the walkthrough is frequently littered with garbage and used needles. The District hoped to quit-claim deed that portion of the property to an adjacent property owner so it could be incorporated into that property, removing the walkthrough all together. Aho said that although the property owner previously expressed interest in acquiring the property, his wife has since objected to the idea. The District is now exploring other options to deal with the walkthrough, such as blocking both entrances with locked gates. Aho said, “It will be dead space.”

The plans for the softball fields at Phoenix Park are currently on hold after a request from the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD). Aho said that SJUSD has identified some “non-essential land” near La Vista School, which is located near San Juan Ave. and Winding Way. SJUSD asked for a meeting to discuss the possibility of the Park District building the softball fields on this extra land. Aho said the benefits of building the fields on the SJUSD land is that there would be room to build three fields instead of the two that are planned for Phoenix Park. Aho said that if the FORPD Board decides to spend Measure J money to build softball fields on SJUSD land, the agreement would need to include some guarantees such as a long-term lease with the option to purchase: SJUSD “needs to give us something.”

The most critical need identified during community outreach meetings for Phoenix Park was parking improvement. If the FORPD Board does decide to move the location of the planned softball fields, Aho anticipates that the parking improvement portion of the project at Phoenix Park would still move forward as planned.

The District leveraged Measure J funds as a matching requirement in order to apply for almost $6 million in Prop. 68 grant funding. The District still has not heard whether the application was approved, but Aho said the state plans to announce the allocations sometime during the winter of 2020. “So maybe by March,” said Aho.

The Prop. 68 funds, if approved, are earmarked for improvements to the Veterans Memorial Amphitheatre. That project is also tied into plans to improve Village Park, Plaza Park, and the Community Clubhouse. But Aho said the District plans to move forward with those projects regardless of whether the theatre funding comes through.

These projects — which are expected to start in summer/fall of 2020 — are all designed to improve and enhance the Village, but the construction will impact Village business owners. The District held a meeting on January 29 to update business owners about the project plans and to listen to their concerns. Aho said that the meeting was well-attended, and that the business owners expressed a lot of concerns about remaining profitable during an extended construction period.

The main concern during construction is going to be parking. Aho said that business owners are worried that reduced parking will mean reduced business. To address this concern, the District is reaching out to private property owners to discuss whether their land could be used as additional parking. The Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee is also working to find parking solutions. Some members of the BOC suggested using the construction period as an opportunity to encourage more ride sharing and biking into the Village.

Another concern is that construction will impact many of the annual events held in the Village. For 2020, Fiesta Days and Concerts in the Park will move forward as usual. But the Chicken Festival 2020 will have to be held at Fair Oaks Park instead, and the District is still brainstorming ideas for how to address Christmas in the Village 2020.

In 2021, the majority of events will be impacted. The District is planning creative solutions to keep people involved in Village events during construction, such as smaller pop-up events like art shows and pub crawls.

BOC meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is scheduled for March 3 at 6:30 PM in the Old Fair Oaks Library, 4200 Temescal St.