By Councilmember Jason Gibbs
Nothing says Santa Clarita like our beautiful mountains, pristine parks, paseos meandering through our neighborhoods, lush trees and amenities for residents of all ages. This year, the City has already completed and started multiple Capital Improvement Projects located throughout Santa Clarita, each one adding to the reasons why we all love to live, work and play in this wonderful community. A capital project adds to the City’s infrastructure. Projects include building new facilities and playgrounds, as well as constructing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and public access ramps.
In June, Congressman Mike Garcia joined the Santa Clarita City Council to officially mark the start of construction on the Traffic and Pedestrian Circulation and Safety Improvement Project. This federally-funded initiative will help improve vehicular and pedestrian safety at five intersections located throughout the City. Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Mike Garcia worked closely with the City to secure $1.5 million in funding in order to address crucial traffic and pedestrian improvements. With these enhancements we can continue to provide our residents safe and efficient roads throughout our community.
Speaking of roads, the City just celebrated the opening of Needham Ranch Parkway, connecting Newhall Avenue to Sierra Highway. Located amongst the 1.7 million-square-foot industrial park that spans over 250 acres, this project was completed in partnership with Trammel Crow Company and is over 1.5 miles long. The road includes one lane in each direction, bus stops, wide sidewalks, paved bike paths and ADA ramps. This addition will provide alternate routes for motorists, while offering the businesses at The Center at Needham Ranch another route to and from their offices.
An upcoming event that I am excited for is the groundbreaking of the brand-new 12,000-square-foot Rink Sports Pavilion located adjacent to the Gymnasium at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex. In August, we will officially break ground and begin construction of the facility, which will serve as a recreational hub for our community. Inside, The Rink Sports Pavilion will offer residents and visitors not just a roller-skating rink, but a basketball court, volleyball court, pickleball courts, a commercial kitchen, birthday party spaces and more! As a father of two active kids, I can’t wait for this addition to our community to be open to the public.
Two other projects that will benefit our residents who like to stay active outdoors are the Bouquet Canyon and Valencia Glen Park playground upgrades. Both locations are undergoing park enhancements which include brand new playgrounds with accessible equipment and shade structures that will provide plenty of relief during our warm summer months. At Bouquet Canyon Park, be on the lookout for a tandem zip track, similar to the one at West Creek Park. At Valencia Glen Park, the play area will be expanded offering residents more inclusive elements and space to play with family and friends. We anticipate construction on both projects to be completed in August.
Also on the horizon are the upgrades to David March Park in Saugus and Old Orchard Park in Valencia. Starting in the fall, Old Orchard Park will be completely renovated, including brand-new playground equipment, installation of a shade structure, improvements to the current restroom building, as well as a pickleball court overlay on the existing basketball court. Updates will also include parking lot enhancements, as well as the installation of a multisport court, which offers residents a variety of games including futsal, which is a modified form of soccer on a smaller outdoor court.
Across town, David March Park will undergo a massive expansion with another eight acres of space added to include a state-of-the-art baseball field with spectator seating, a new restroom building and parking lot. Additionally, enhancements to the existing park site will include a brand-new basketball court, shade canopy, exercise equipment area and a picnic pavilion.
With so much happening in our community, I am looking forward to seeing all of the new projects come to fruition and watching our residents enjoy the countless amenities available throughout the City. I encourage you to follow the City’s social media accounts, @CityofSantaClarita, for project and construction updates.
Councilmember Jason Gibbs is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council and can be reached at jgibbs@santaclarita.gov.
