A new $8.5 million, 50-acre park is coming to southeast Fresno and the community is encouraged to participate in the design process. The future park, one of the city’s most significant projects in Southeast Fresno, will take input from the community on amenities they would like included in their park such as playgrounds, soccer, basketball, futsal courts, picnic areas, a community center, an event lawn with an amphitheater, among others. The Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs (OCA) partnered with Fresno PARCS’s Department to encourage members of our city’s diverse communities to share their point of view.
Outreach partnership welcomes 200 meeting participants
The OCA invited residents to attend the in-person community meeting at Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary School in early February. More than 200 residents attended the PARCS-hosted event to provide park design input. Many members from southeast Fresno’s diverse communities were represented and interpretation was provided in Spanish and Punjabi.
“It’s vital that community members take ownership of this project by sharing what they would like to see. We encourage parents, youths and elders to participate in our in-person events or send us their written comments,” said Aaron Aguirre, Fresno PARCS director.
Community-led park design
Acknowledging the important role that parks and green spaces play in our diverse communities, the OCA committed to reaching out to our cities’ diverse communities via social media channels online as well as in-person outreach events.
Sandra Lee, who serves as OCA liaison to the Asian Pacific Islander community, knows the power that resident participation can have when it comes to community ownership. “Having our families come put their vision for this park’s future to paper is very important. As OCA team members, we’re committed to ensure that our diverse communities’ point of view will guide the outcome of what will ultimately become their own recreational space.”
More opportunities for community input
Fresno residents can submit comments for the South Peach Avenue Park project through April 7, 2023. The park design will continue through Summer 2024. Construction is anticipated to start in Winter 2024 and the park is expected to open to the public in early 2026. For more information on the South Peach Avenue Park visit: www.southpeachpark.fresno.gov