City awarded $1.9 million grant

For The Madera Tribune

A grant will fund construction of a new neighborhood park at the intersection of Olive Avenue and Knox Street, as shown.

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The California State Department of Parks and Recreation has awarded the City of Madera $1,990,000 to fund the development of “Olive Park,” a new community-crafted neighborhood park that will be located at the southwest corner of Olive Avenue and Knox Street, on a 0.48-acre city-owned parcel acquired as part of the recently completed Olive Avenue street widening project.

California State Parks today announced $548.3 million in grant funding to deliver new parks to more than 100 communities and advance the Newsom Administration’s “Outdoors for All” initiative to enable all Californians, regardless of zip code or income, to access parks and open space.

Awarded through the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program, the grant represent the single-largest investment in state history in expanding access to parks in underserved communities, with new or enhanced parks funded in every region of California.

During a series of city-hosted community workshops, Madera residents helped pick and prioritize features for the Olive Park Project as part of a robust community-based planning process. The final park design includes a playground and picnic space, as well as a combination of active and passive amenities.

“The Olive Avenue Park Project exemplifies the City Council’s vision of improving community and recreational assets to fulfill the needs of residential growth and build a dynamic and healthy community for present and future residents,” said City Manager, Arnoldo Rodriguez. “The community feedback we received was invaluable in creating a park design that was tailored to fit the needs of our community.”

The awards are funded by $153 million approved by the Legislature in the 2021-2022 state budget and $395.3 from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68). To date, the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program has provided $1.16 billion to California’s communities in four rounds, including $368 million in grant funding from Proposition 84 (2006 Bond Act) Sustainable Communities and Climate Change Reduction program.