Update on City of Cloverdale’s Park & Recreation Projects
eXperience Cloverdale Parks Today!
City Manager David Kelley
Our Cloverdale Community Development and Parks Department have delivered some exciting new park elements and continue to make progress on various projects currently underway. Many of these projects, are financed by either development impact fees, which are paid by developers, grant funding and/or Measure M funding approved by the voters of Sonoma County.
Updated Parks Webpage
The City’s Parks and Recreation website, www.Cloverdale.net/PARKSANDREC was officially launched in September and features information about the city park system including trails and open spaces, links to reservations and permits, volunteer opportunities, youth and sport activities, aquatics, public art as well, as links to future park project and meet the staff. Included on the website is information about the City’s Adopt-A-Park and Park-A-Month Program. The website also enables residents to submit a park service request to report issues including vandalism, irrigation leaks and broken park equipment.
Pickleball Courts at Furber Park
The city constructed two new pickleball courts at Furber Park. The courts were painted a vibrant blue, adding a flare of color. The site was chosen with the assistance of Parks Superintendent, Hector Galvan, because it’s shady and is conveniently located near parking. The Cloverdale Pickelball group, led up by Ambassador Brad Horrall, was a local advocate and strategic planning partner on this project. The City has partnered with the Cloverdale Senior Center and La Famila Sana to provide rackets and balls for community members.
New Basketball Courts at City Park
The original basketball courts at City Park were constructed in the 1970’s and were in need of replacement. The City Council approved a grant application to the State of California, which was awarded to construct two new full-sized courts at City park. The two new full-sized courts, under construction, will be made of asphalt, fully striped, and ready for half or full court games. The project is expected to be complete by early March 2023, weather permitting.
New Restrooms at City Plaza
Next year’s Friday Night Live series in the City Plaza will have a great new amenity, a permanent restroom. Final touches were made surrounding the newly constructed restrooms at our downtown plaza. Features offered at the Plaza restrooms include:
• ADA compliant drinking fountains
• Doggy bowl fountain
• Filtered bottle refill station
• Exterior mounted sinks
• Soap dispenser
Hours of operation will change depending on events and season, but normally will remain open daily from 8am -10pm.This is one of many exciting current park projects that will benefit the community, especially during events at our downtown plaza.
New Dog Park Near Cloverdale Train Station
A new dog park is coming to Cloverdale soon! After a long search, and the evaluation of many sites, the City is closing in on a dog park site. The site is located just south of the transit station along Asti Road. The site is owned by the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART) and this project represents a partnership between the city and SMART. Although subject to change as the design process moves forward, the proposed dog park will be 250’ x 55’ with one double gated public entrance and a second gate to allow service vehicles in. The proposed size is like the dog parks in both Windsor and Cotati. Mulch specially designed for dogs will be used, creating a nice surface for running. A drinking fountain and doggie bag distribution are also included.
One of the critical components in the creation of the park is constructing an ADA ramp that will provide access from the parking lot to the entrance gate. The ramp must be designed to ADA requirements and the city will hire an engineer to complete the design work. To keep our furry friends safe, a 4-foot-high black cyclone fence will enclose the park. The plan includes the planting of shade trees along the western edge of the park and drip irrigation. The City’s plan will establish the park, but due to budget constraints, some features like a shade structure may be deferred to future phases. There may be an opportunity for you to help, stay tuned!
Porterfield Creek Open Space Vegetation Management Project
The Porterfield Creek Open Preserve is a 250-acre preserve owned by the City of Cloverdale featuring hiking trails, a spring fed creek, and incredible views of the Alexander Valley, part of the city’s General Plan policies that encourage the preservation of the western hills. Parks staff, with the assistance of The Northern Sonoma County Fire Fuels Crew, CALFire, Northern Sonoma County Fire-Geyserville and Cloverdale Fire, finished Phase 3 of the Vegetation Management project. The goal of this phase of the project was to manage 12 acres of heavy vegetation on the eastern side of the park. The project creates a fire break to nearby residents from potential fire threats. Thinning vegetation coupled with prescribed burning reduces surface and ladder fuels to help protect the park’s natural resources including native trees and adjacent communities from future wildfire severity. Staff is collaborating with the Ag + Open Space to dedicate additional open space opportunities to our residents. We hope to announce additional open space opportunities in the near future!
Measure M – Parks provides funding vital to Local Parks Projects
Thank you to the voters of Sonoma County for approving Measure M which provides approximately $120,000 annually for local parks in Cloverdale. Measure M, a one-eighth cent sales tax that supports Sonoma County’s regional and city parks, was approved by 72.6 percent of voters. The “Sonoma County Parks Improvement, Water Quality and Fire Safety Measure” went into effect in April 2019 and will provide funding for parks for 10 years. There is an oversight committee which oversees that Measure M Parks funding is spent in accordance with the voter approved ballot measure.
If you are interested in serving, please contact a member of the City Council or the City Manager David Kelley at dkelley@ci.cloverdale.ca.us
