Field of dreams: Salinas park focus of community meeting

A swathe of Salinas residents who care about the state of the city's sports and recreation facilities came out to share their dreams and concerns for one neighborhood park at a recent community meeting.

In a bright and airy room at Kammann Elementary School, nearly 50 attendees sat on hard, lunchroom style tables and watched as city staff outlined Tuesday, Aug. 27 proceedings and delivered a presentation of the master plan for the city's parks, recreation and library system.

The hefty document provides an in-depth review of Salinas facilities and outlines goals and recommendations for their ongoing maintenance and improvement. According to the plan, the city provides more than 684 acres of public parkland and recreation facilities across 52 park sites.

Meeting shines spotlight on Laurel Neighborhood Park

Laurel Neighborhood Park, comprising two playgrounds, a basketball court and a baseball field on 3.7-acres adjoins the elementary school and is a regular pit-stop for nearby students and a field of dreams for Salinas Little League baseball players.

Anthony McKay, a local parent whose children are a part of Continental Little League, said it would be a disservice to his kids who regularly use the park facilities if he didn't attend the meeting.

"It is important to make sure the facilities my kids are utilizing are safe spaces," McKay said.

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Security was a common concern voiced by attendees in breakout sessions following the master plan presentation. Attendees wanted more lighting, taller and extended fencing around the park and the installation of security cameras.

There was also mention of needles being found on park premises.

Other suggestions, as expectedly varied for a park that serves so many, included general upgrades like remodeling the restrooms, adding a soft floor to the playground area for little ones and putting out more garbage cans. Bigger asks included building a dog park, community garden, climbing facility, mini pump tracks or skate park.

Little League supporters suggested batting cages, adding a new field and snack bar and operational changes like extending play hours.

May be our worst park for baseball facilities in the city

City Councilmember Andrew Sandoval, representative for District 5, which includes Laurel Neighborhood Park, requested Tuesday's meeting after taking a tour of the park.

"I think this may be our worst park, especially for baseball facilities in the city," he said, adding that he lived for many years in the neighborhood and used to play baseball at the park just as his kids would do years later.

As a relatively new member of the Salinas City Council, elected in 2022, Sandoval said he did not think the failures of previous city councils to invest in the district should continue.

"For a long time, District 5 has had very insignificant investment," he said. "We have the least amount of parks, the least amount of parking at our parks and the least amount of restrooms at our parks."

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The underinvestment, he argues, leads to the community losing out on activities. But, he says, he does not want this to just be a city funding issue.

"There is a big opportunity for the community to step up and help," he said, citing possible public-private partnerships to help fund budgetary shortfalls. "I know we have not traditionally done that here in Salinas, but I think it's the only way to achieve those standards."

Next steps

Toward the end of the community meeting, the light streaming through the windows less blinding, the large sheets of paper speckled with comments are nearly ready to be copied and collated by city staff.

In a statement, the city's Library and Community Services Department, which facilitated the event, said the city will compile and analyze the feedback they received at the meeting and continue to address maintenance and operational items.

"Feedback regarding infrastructure is 'evidence' of the need and could be used to inform council's budgetary decisions and grant funding opportunities," the statement continued. "The city needs to continue to engage and hear from residents on what their vision is for the park."

Keeping focus on community's evolving needs

Undertaking a program of park improvements is a multi-phase process. It can also take a long time between identifying an issue, developing a project plan and breaking ground.

The master plan presented at the Laurel Park meeting includes a list of capital improvement projects dating back to 2019 when the plan was finalized.

In the city's statement, it said comments from the meeting will help the city understand if residents agree with the master plan design opportunities or if a shift is needed.

No follow up community meetings are currently planned.

This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Field of dreams: Salinas park focus of community meeting