Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Santa Rosa’s South Park neighborhood is finally getting its long-promised overhaul, complete with new play areas, brighter lighting, a near half-mile walking path and a hotly debated synthetic-turf soccer field.
The City Council voted unanimously this month to approve a master plan for the 5.38-acre park, a move that formally clears the way for design work and, eventually, construction. The decision follows years of community outreach and a Feb. 10 public hearing where neighbors and advocates packed in to argue over how to balance safety, recreation and health concerns. City staff say the project is aimed at bringing the heavily used park up to modern accessibility and safety standards, although the big vision now comes with a big bill and a funding gap that still needs to be filled.
What the Council Just Greenlit
The newly adopted master plan sketches out a full makeover of the park. The city plans separate play areas for toddlers and older kids, a new restroom, updated drinking fountains, a basketball court and a small lit futsal hardcourt. A central lawn and public art are also in the mix.
On the park’s south end, the existing soccer field would be replaced with synthetic turf. Outside the park proper, the plan calls for raised crosswalks at Frazier Avenue and Milton Street and major repairs to the Newhall Trail, including a new trailhead at Petaluma Hill Road…