$6.4M in grants awarded in Baldwin Park to expand parks and open spaces in city

The California Department of Parks and Recreation awarded the City of Baldwin Park two grants totaling nearly $6.4 million to expand Barnes Park and create parks and open spaces along the new Big Dalton Wash Trail. 

“These grants provide an exciting opportunity to create new green spaces for the hard-working families of Baldwin Park, which is one of my top priorities as mayor,” said Mayor Emmanuel J. Estrada. “Adding new parks and trails makes nature readily accessible for all residents of Baldwin Park.”

Barnes Park Expansion Project 

The city will use almost $3.1 million in grant funding to develop the newly acquired 0.16-acre lot next to Barnes Park and an existing 0.18-acre section of the park. By the end of the expansion project, Barnes Park will have a new universal-access playground featuring shade structures, two basketball courts, a futsal court/mini-pitch soccer field, a picnic area and public art. With the extension also comes an expanded parking lot, ornamental safety fencing, and lighting and landscaping all throughout the park. 

This new land is the first addition of park space in Baldwin Park in several decades, representing an unprecedented investment to reduce Baldwin Park’s park-poor space. Baldwin Park has 0.35 park acres per 1,000 residents, which is below the 3.3 park-acre average in Los Angeles County, according to a 2019 Countywide Comprehensive Park and Recreation Needs Assessment.

Big Dalton Wash Trail Greening Project

Baldwin Park also received nearly $3.3 million to green the paved road along the Big Dalton Wash with a bike trail, lighting and four pocket parks on Garvey Avenue, Dalewood Street, and Francisquito Avenue. Between the four parks, residents can enjoy a pollinator garden, playground with two shade structures, picnic areas with shade structures, three exercise stations and artwork.

This will be the city’s first-ever urban trail and linear park system, which creates new transportation options in Baldwin Park and the San Gabriel Valley.

Community Collaboration

The city hosted community meetings in English and Spanish and during weekdays and weekends to ensure the parks reflect the diverse needs and desires of the community. Baldwin Park residents of all ages requested more outdoor spaces and they actively engaged in community input meetings to help shape the first expansion of park space in Baldwin Park in decades.

A Highly Competitive Grant

One hundred agencies submitted 468 applications in hopes of securing a portion of the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program’s $548.3 million grant funding. The program intends for this competitive grant program to create new parks and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities in California, better enabling all Californians, regardless of zip code or income, to access parks and open space.

The California Departments of Parks and Recreation selected only 112 projects, including these two projects for the City of Baldwin Park.

Past Funding Awards and Next Steps

The City of Baldwin Park received $2.5 million in State Park Development and Community Revitalization Program funding in 2019 to green the portion of the road along the Big Dalton Wash between Baldwin Park Boulevard and Hilda Solis Park. Grant funding from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will construct the first segment of the trail from the San Gabriel River Trail to Baldwin Park Boulevard.

Nearly $15 million of Measure W funding from Los Angeles County will also benefit Barnes Park, which will receive the city’s first water pretreatment system and underground stormwater infiltration system that will capture and infiltrate runoff water from residential communities. The funding will also support the construction of a new dog park, ADA-compliant running and walking paths and several other amenities.

Construction on the Barnes Park expansion project is expected to start in the fall of 2022.

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