Anaheim is building its 69th park along a stretch of the Santa Ana River behind Angel Stadium, and the three-acre site will open next summer with a playground, an interactive canoe exhibit, a sundial and a poem stretching the length of the grounds. What it will not have, at least for now, is anywhere to park.
Anaheim City Council voted unanimously on August 25 to award a roughly $4.5 million construction contract for River Park to Urban Habitat, a Palm Desert-based landscape contractor, according to Voice of OC. City staff reports noted the contract came in below the engineer’s probable cost estimate of $4.6 million. Anaheim officials say the park is funded entirely through environmental grants, part of a broader push to transform the river corridor into recreational open space designed with elements reflecting the region’s native ancestry, including panels about native wildlife and an exercise zone with picnic seating.
According to the California Natural Resources Agency, up to 25 percent of California Urban Rivers Grant Program funds may be spent on non-construction costs such as CEQA compliance, environmental impact reports and assessments, and planning. According to the California Natural Resources Agency, River Parkway Projects must meet at least two of five statutory conditions, including providing compatible recreational opportunities…