The City of Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department plans to rebuild the city's Veterans' Memorial Park with funding approved by voters.
In November of 2018, California voters approved Prop 68, which was a $4 billion parks, environment and water bond act.
From that funding, The City of Santa Maria received a grant for $2.1 million to rebuild the Santa Maria Veterans' Memorial Park and plaza.
The park is near the Veterans' Memorial Building and some closures will be in place during the rebuilding process.
The plan includes closing the 500 block of North Pine Street.
City officials say the park has not been rebuilt since the early 1980's.
"We just really want people to get out and enjoy not only this park once it's rebuilt, but all of our parks," says Dennis Smitherman, Recreation and Parks Services Manager, "We really do think of the parks as the communities backyard and we really hope that people are out their enjoying them."
The project is being done to honor local veterans, and will take 12-18 months to complete. It will include new basketball courts, a new playground, a peace garden, picnic tables, and a path that goes around and through the park.
Park officials say community meetings that were held last year provided them with the ideas for the new park.
