Fresno desperately needs more green space, yet building these two parks takes decades | Opinion
How long does it take to build and open a decent-sized park in California’s fifth-largest city?
Going by Fresno’s recent history, oddsmakers would set the over-under at 20 years.
Enough time for toddlers to grow old enough to purchase alcohol, and for construction costs to double and triple.
In the case of River West Fresno, those betting the over already cashed their tickets. The long-delayed project (on property acquired for the San Joaquin River Parkway effort in 2003) inched forward earlier this month – but only as a truncated version of what was fiercely argued over and litigated.
In the case of the Peach Avenue soccer park (on land given to the city in 2006 by the National Park Service), the two decade over-under is going down to the wire. Construction on phase one of the 49-acre complex is scheduled to begin in January after the Fresno City Council awarded a $9.65 million contract to American Paving Co. during its Oct. 10 meeting.
Two open space areas on opposite sides of Fresno. One designed for riverside enjoyment and education, the other for organized sports and activities. Both desperately needed.
Yet decades go by without any tangible, shovel-in-the-ground progress. Call it moving at a snail’s pace if you like, but that would be an insult to gastropods.
Why does it take 20 years (and counting) for any tangible, shovels-in-the-ground progress?
The quick answer is money and politics. Fresno leaders rarely made parks and green space a priority and always cried poor – until the electorate forced them to change tack and funded those efforts with Measure P, which went into effect in 2021.
Other blends of money and politics were also at play.
Affluent homeowners spent most of the 2010s fighting against River West before agreeing to a court-mandated compromise over access to the site. While that was going on, the Peach Avenue park stalled as then-Councilmember Sal Quintero preferred a vocational school while his opponent in the 2010 District 5 race (José León-Barraza) spearheaded the soccer complex effort.
In Fresno, there’s typically something besides money that gets in the way of progress. That, or park projects get delayed for so long the costs spiral beyond local government’s capacity to pay.
River West advances, partially
River West is a prime example of the later. During the initial design and permitting stage, the estimated price tag for building a park on 290 acres along the San Joaquin River west of Highway 41 was roughly $10 million. More recently, $17 million was bandied about.
During the Oct. 2 meeting of the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board, City of Fresno staff gave a project presentation entering the 60% design phase containing a revised cost estimate of nearly $24.3 million. Which will probably go up.
Problem is, the regionally governed state agency entrusted with assembling the 22-mile riparian and recreation greenbelt from Friant Dam to Highway 99 doesn’t have that much dough at the ready. (The Conservancy transferred $9.3 million to the City of Fresno for River West earlier this year.)
So rather than swallow the whole enchilada, board members voted unanimously to proceed with an abridged version of River West projected to cost roughly $10 million. The “core project” includes a 2.4-mile extension of the Lewis S. Eaton Trail as well as a new parking lot and trailhead at Perrin Avenue near the 41 freeway overpass on the eastern side of the property.
Not included were either of the two intensely debated and legally disputed access points (from Spano Park near Palm and Nees avenues as well as Riverview Drive in The Bluffs neighborhood), nor a bus turnaround area in the river bottom.
What does this actually mean? It means parts of River West advance to the next stage – permits and construction plans for the Eaton trail extension and Woodward West Trailhead could be finalized by June 2025, according to the latest timeline – while others get jettisoned until a financial liferaft can be found.
In more practical terms, it also means the new riverside open space area will have no vehicular access or parking for the foreseeable future beyond what currently exists – unless Fresno residents drive to Madera County then double back over the old 41 bridge.
Kind of makes me wonder why we spent all those years bickering.
By authorizing parts of River West, conservancy board members expressed hope that building the “core project” would create future momentum for the Spano Park and Riverside Drive access roads, which must be developed, constructed and opened concurrently per terms of the 2020 legal settlement.
“We recognize there are some gaps here as far as funding, but we are confident that we can close those gaps through our strong partnerships with the state,” said Madera County supervisor and board chair Bobby Macaulay, citing recent conversations with California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot.
Stuck nearly as long in bureaucratic limbo as River West, South Peach Avenue Park (the generic name until a real one comes along, presumably) should finally break ground in early 2025. Marking 19 years since the land became city property and 10 since hundreds of residents protested in support of the soccer complex.
On what used to be a federal agricultural research facility, American Paving Co. will construct two lighted sports fields, one with synthetic turf; two playgrounds for children of separate age groups; outdoor exercise equipment; restrooms; concessions; parking; and a picnic area with shaded seating on 10 acres. Two future phases will develop the remaining 39.
“Southeast Fresno has never had a regional park of this size,” Councilmember Luis Chavez said in a news release. “When completed, our residents will not have to travel five miles to access amenities for our children. Now, it is in their backyard.”
Twenty years is all it takes.
