The Colusa City Council’s hope for a marina on the Sacramento River ended last month when California State Parks announced the latest round of awards funded by the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68).
The state awarded $548.3 million total in grant funding from multiple funding sources in December, including Proposition 84, to more than 100 communities to provide the public with greater access to the outdoors.
Colusa applied for $8 million to build the marina, and upgrade and expand Levee Park, from 9th Street to Bridge Street, with new picnic areas, viewing and fishing platforms, educational/historical signage, exercise stations, and pedestrian and motor access to the downtown.
The City of Williams, which submitted two grant applications to renovate and expand city parks on both the west and east sides of down, was also turned down.
According to the state, there were 468 project applications requesting $4.2 billion. The state approved 112, of which 50 were for new parks, and 62 were for renovations of existing parks.
The common theme for most of the awards included multi-use sports courts for soccer, basketball, and pickleball; walking and jogging paths; performing arts stages; multi-age playgrounds; group picnic areas; dog parks; and nature trails.
Except for a few, most of the awards were given to cities in urban Southern California and the Bay Area.
In Northern California, the City of Davis was awarded $2.7 million to construct a new water play area with a solar powered water recycling system, create a new public art and pollinator garden, and rehabilitate an existing multi-use turf field. The City of Corning will receive $8.5 million, the maximum award, to acquire 1.79 acres of land to construct a new recreation center and city plaza with shade structure, splash pad, music play area, shaded amphitheater, mural and parking lot with lighting.
In Butte County, the Chico Recreation and Park District was awarded $2.9 million to completely renovate Chapman Park. The City of Oroville will receive $4.6 million to improve and expand Hewitt Park with eight new pickleball courts, adult and youth basketball courts, multi-use pathway and fitness stations, hill slides, interpretive stations, and two dog parks. The Paradise Park and Recreation District was awarded $5.2 million to construct a new multi-purpose community center, canyon/reservoir overlook, five play areas, and group picnic area.
The City of Fresno also received the maximum $8.5 to create a new park with shaded parking, dog park, skate park, rubberized jogging track, exercise area, water play area, multi-use courts, restroom and showers, shaded picnic areas. The City of Oroville will receive $4.6 million to improve and expand Hewitt Park with eight new pickleball courts, adult and youth basketball courts, multi-use pathway and fitness stations, hill slides, interpretive stations, and two dog parks.
The Colusa City Council hired Melton Design Group, a Chico based landscape architecture firm, in November 2020, to create a Master Plan for the Levee Park, after being awarded a USDA Community Facilities Technical Assistance grant, in what they hoped would be the first step toward park reconstruction.
The marina and Levee Park improvements were expected to play a large role in the city’s tourism and economic development efforts, officials said.
On Tuesday, Colusa City Manager Jesse Cain expressed his disappointment in the city not receiving the funding for the project, but said the city would still have the Park Master Plan for use in future grant applications.
Cain said Colusa did receive a Proposition 68 allocation for $177,000 to begin constructing a splash pad at AB Davison Park. The city also awarded more than $600,000 for improvements and fencing at the Sacramento River State Recreation Area.
Colusa officials did not pursue a Proposition 68 grant to purchase the Colusa Theater for use as a community center, as Cain said the requirements by the state were onerous and the city would have to have “skin in the game.”
“We just don’t have the money,” he said.■