North Shafter park coming in 2025, city says

A new North Shafter Parkis finally expected to break ground early in 2025, according to the city. The project was originally approved in 2021.

According to Public Works Department Director Michael James, the design phase of the park has been completed, and the city will be accepting bids as early as this fall, planning for a groundbreaking toward the first of 2025.

The 4-acre park, at Highway 43 and Fresno Avenue, will offer a variety of amenities, including a playground, a multiuse court, lighting, trees, a walking path, a splash pad and a gazebo.

In the last two months, the City Council also approved the building of a couple of pickleball courts at the site as well.

The project was discussed as early as 2021, with a state grant becoming available. The project, which will be about two-thirds the size of Mannel Park, has a total cost of about $5 million. James said that $3.5 million of that is covered by a grant from Clean California. The remaining $1.5 million will be funded by the state, according to James.

In 2023, several workshops were held on the future park site, inviting residents to give their input on the amenities that would be available at the park. Several suggestions were given and a number of them were implemented in their final design. "According to the letter of the grant, certain amenities were required to get into the project for it to be approved, including a playground, shaded structure, multiuse court and other amenities that were suggested by the group.

"Among the facilities that will be offered are the pickleball courts, a multiuse court, probably a basketball court, a ball field, skate park equipment, a gazebo, a splash pad, a playground, and trees, shading, and lighting," James said.

"If all comes together like we are planning, we should be cutting the ribbon on the park this time next year."

For years, the residents in northern Shafter have voiced their opinions on the need for improvements in their area.

In the last two years, their voices were heard, with several projects in the works to improve the area. First, there was the widening of Highway 43, on the northern part of Shafter, with the city putting a shoulder and beginning to install a sidewalk for the safety of children and pedestrians.

There is also a project that will see the installation of a stop sign at Fresno Avenue along Highway 43, which has in the past been the subject of traffic impact studies on the safety of the intersection.