The coastal community of Oceano welcomed the construction of a new community plaza with a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning at Triangle Park.
Around 50 community members from Oceano, Caltrans District 5 employees and county officials were in attendance.
From an original public art installation to climate-appropriate greenery peppering the new parklet, the Oceano Plaza is designed with community bonding and recreation in mind.
The new plaza is set to feature walking and biking paths and accommodate "any outdoor event that the community of Oceano can imagine," says Caltrans District 6 Project Manager Paul Valadao.
This endeavor is part of the Clean California Oceano Beautification Project, a Caltrans initiative to clean up and beautify public spaces along state highways in all 58 counties.
In order to build this community hub, Caltrans will close a "redundant" side street and repurpose a triangular shaped area between Highway 1, Beach Street and 17th Street. This street closure will add additional parking on Highway 1 and ADA-compliant ramps at the new junction of Beach and 17th Streets.
"In lieu of a [side street], the triangle will get a bit larger," explained Valadao. "Wherever you see road now — that is, Beach and 17th Streets — will be a walkable plaza that will be all concrete, but parts will look like a beach boardwalk."
This initiative is meant to enhance the quality of life for community members through offering a community gathering space, promoting active lifestyles and transportation methods, beautifying downtown Oceano, honoring local heritage, enhancing retail activity in the community and incorporating environmentally-sound installations.
