By Kathy Chouteau
An upcoming free workshop aims to crowdsource the community’s brightest ideas over burritos in an effort to improve Richmond’s Boorman Park.
Slated for Mon., June 3, 2019, the Boorman Park Community Workshop will be held from 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the park’s home at S. 25th St. and Maine Ave. in Richmond. A burrito dinner, child care and translation services will be provided courtesy of the workshop’s hosts, which include the City of Richmond’s Community Services Department and Parks and Landscaping Division, as well as the West County Regional Group, First 5 Contra Costa County and Healthy and Active Before 5.
According to Richmond City Manager Carlos Martinez in his latest Weekly Report, “The event is the latest in a series of community workshops as part of the Richmond Parks Assessment, which began in September 2018. Out of 25 Richmond parks, Boorman Park was identified by residents as a priority for improvement.”
Workshop organizers will unveil the proposed final design for Boorman Park while also giving community members a guided walking tour of the park, per the report. Organizers hope the tour will allow participants to visualize and see firsthand the locations of various recreational features and park amenities planned as part of the design.
Following up the tour, time will be set aside for participants to weigh-in with their input on details of the park’s final design. “It’s an opportunity for the community to be a part of the neighborhood,” said Cecilia Perez, a community liaison at First 5.
Ultimately, the final design will provide a guideline for decision makers to apply for funding to improve, initiate and increase the community’s use of Boorman Park.
Workshop organizers will use the info gathered at the event to inform their multi-million dollar proposal for funding for park improvements from the State of California Coastal Conservancy, which oversees Prop 68 funding. Approved by voters in June 2018, Prop 68 allocates $204.8 million to the Coastal Conservancy for various purposes, including the creation of parks.
According to Perez, the Boorman Park proposal will include plans for “a whole new park.” The application for funding is due to the Coastal Conservancy in August 2019, with notification of any funding granted to be received by November 2019. According to Perez, if funding is received, park improvements will need to be completed within two years, per the funder’s requirements.
In its current state, the four-acre Boorman Park is home to a playground; picnic, BBQ and lawn areas; and a basketball court, according to the City of Richmond’s website.
Want to tour the park and check out the current plan for improvements? RSVP for the free workshop online here. For more info, call 925-771-7320.
