After receiving input from residents, the city of Ceres is mulling over improvements to Smyrna Park thanks to a $2.87 million state grant that will be combined with local matching funds of $410,380.

The city won the grant in March 2022 through the competitive Clean California Local Grant Program (CCLGP) administered by Caltrans. Construction must be complete by June 2024.

Smyrna Park was determined to be in the highest need of all parks in Ceres based on factors including heaviest use, the age of facilities, the high incidence of vandalism and graffiti, security concerns and increasing maintenance costs.

Through two workshops and an online survey that ended Dec. 23, the city asked residents how they want to see the park improved through.

“We’re doing a facelift on it,” said Ceres City Engineer Kevin Waugh. “We’re trying to incorporate the desires of the public against this budget that we’ve got. We’re putting it through the filter of the budget because I’m trying to work with a certain number. It’s an exciting project and I think it’s going to be great. I’m hoping I can get the cost in place so I don’t have to go back to the council and ask for more money.”

Smyrna Park dates back to the late 1950s and is showing its age. The park doesn’t have enough pathways and covered picnic areas and some park features cannot be used because of safety or maintenance issues.

The city is also constantly battling graffiti and acts of vandalism.

One of the biggest concerns for Waugh is the location of the large metal covered shelter built by the Lions Club and the parking lots. He wants to move the Fowler Road parking lot moved closer to Fowler so that cars aren’t moving through the park “so it makes it safer for the parents to actually drop their kids off.”

The large shelter will be relocated toward the center of the park if Waugh gets his way.

“We had some objection because Lions didn’t want to lose their shade structure. So we met with Lions and got their buy-in to the design and they kind of liked it,” said Waugh.

The city wants to add trees and drought tolerant landscaping, architectural fencing, walkways with ramps for the disabled, new shade structures, more tables with barbecue pits and new trash enclosures.

Waugh also wants to remove the old masonry block restroom which was replaced by the more modern restroom facility.

The park needs better security controls since some persons have driven into the park after hours and ruined fields.

“We’re trying to make it safer and not have cars drive through the park, like kids drive through the park at night sometimes and we don’t want that. So we’re trying to design it so kids can’t drive their cars through but the police can. We’ll have removable bollards so the police can drive through and do their calls at night if they have to. We’re putting in lots of camera. We’re trying to improve the lighting.”

The city is also considering a student art wall in an attempt to reduce graffiti.

Complicating the job is the grant funds must be spent to address all the goals of the grant, which include improving accessibility and safety.

“If it costs too much we have to use our best engineering judgment to maybe reduce the scope a little bit to get it within budget and then I’ll make sure that we build it within budget.”

Waugh said he may have to talk to the council for allocations to add features to the existing children’s playground.

“On the survey it was one of the number one things. ‘Hey, we want more features on the playground’ and that really wasn’t part of the grant necessarily.”

Waugh contracted with an engineering firm to look into playground upgrades outside of the scope of the grant.

Such playground improvements are not cheap. He estimated it could cost $250,000 to $300,000 “and that’s not in the budget.”