PARK PLANNING AND DESIGN
Our Department mission is to provide innovative recreational experiences and social enrichment opportunities to address the changing needs of people of all ages and cultures, in a variety of safe and attractive parks, trails, landscapes, and facilities. Park Planning and Design staff work along side the community to envision and develop new parks and renovate existing parks to meet current needs.
Current Park Planning Projects
Riverside Gateway Project Suite
The Riverside Gateway Project Suite will develop Park Master Plans and perform CEQA services for eight (8) project sites along the Santa Ana River Trail in Riverside, California. Once complete, these sites will contribute to the Santa Ana River Parkway and Open Space system, a regional vision for a trail and greenway along the Santa Ana River. Click here for project information.
This project is made possible with funding from the Coastal Conservancy. The Coastal Conservancy is a California state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. It acts with others to protect and restore, and increase public access to, California’s coast, ocean, coastal watersheds, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Its vision is of a beautiful, restored, and accessible coast for current and future generations of Californians.
Follow them on:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/CoastalConservancy/
Twitter - twitter.com/ca_coastal
Instagram - www.instagram.com/ca_coastal/
Arlington Park Pickleball Complex – coming in 2023
The Arlington Park Pickleball Court Project proposes the construction of 9 new pickleball courts with two courts for tournament play including bleachers for viewing the game. Also included are two shaded areas with seating and accent paving to accommodate players waiting for open courts. Court fencing will be 10-foot-high perimeter fencing with windscreens on the east and west facing sides and 4’ fencing separating the courts. Court LED lighting will consist of approximately 10 light standards 24’ in height and on timers. Other improvements include a drinking fountain with bottle filler, planting, and irrigation modifications along with minor grading.
Gage Canal Trail – coming in 2023
The Gage Canal Multi-Purpose Trail Phase 1 project is a 2-mile active transportation and recreational green space trail. The trail will offer local residents' recreational opportunities, connections to the Box Springs Reserve, and a continuous off-street connection from Palmyrita Avenue to Blaine Street. The trail will create a Class I asphalt concrete (AC) bike path and natural surface trail within an existing City-owned water utility easement. The trail corridor will be landscaped with native and climate appropriate trees and shrubs that will provide ecological benefits while beautifying and cooling the space, and will feature additional amenities such as entry plazas, trailside seating, bicycle racks, interpretive signage, and solar lighting.
Mt. Rubidoux Beautification
Mt Rubidoux trail access will be closed, from the Glenwood Entrance all the way to the top along the western path, starting Monday May 22, 2023, Monday through Friday. Both sides will remain open on weekends and 9th street access and path will remain open throughout the renovation of the Glenwood side.
Access from the 9th Street entrance will be closed after the Glenwood side is completed. Progression of the project and re-opening of the trails will be posted on our social media platforms.
Mt Rubidoux Road/Wall Erosion Repairs Project – $469,780 (FEMA Funding)
The project will repair damage to the roads and a historic retaining wall at Mount Rubidoux Park caused by high surface runoff which eroded the native embankment supporting the roadway/wall. The repairs will improve pedestrian safety by removing fall hazards.
Mt Rubidoux Asphalt Improvements Project – $1,780,000 (Measure Z Funding)
This project will resurface and repair the asphaltic concrete pavement throughout the trail system to maintain ADA accessibility. Repairs are anticipated to be made throughout the entirety of the trail system. Many locations have cracks separating the road by up to six inches or have eroded asphalt road edges causing unsafe conditions.
Park Planning Documents
Key guiding documents that layout the policies and strategies for providing and developing recreation resources include:
- SANTA ANA RIVER TASK FORCE REPORT (2004)
- SANTA ANA RIVER TASK FORCE REPORT (2009)