The new additions to Hillbrook Park will include playground and shade structures.
The Signal Hill City Council increased the budget for planned improvements to Hillbrook Park and approved a contract with a company for the required labor.
The increased budget stems from public feedback that showed building new playground and shade structures would enhance residents’ experiences at the park.
The City of Signal Hill compiled its Parks and Recreation Master Plan in 2021 to outline the public’s priorities, interests and needs. The creation of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan led to the development and adoption of the Preparation and Implementation Plan in January 2022, which laid out how the City will prioritize capital improvement projects identified as important to the community.
Redesigning Hillbrook Park was identified as a priority by the City, and in October 2022, city staff asked that a design company be hired for the needed improvements. In January 2023, the City Council approved a contract with Architerra Design Group to conduct public outreach and design plans for park improvements.
After the Architerra Design Group gave presentations on their findings to the Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council, a design was selected in June 2023. The City originally budgeted $1,520,000 to complete the Hillbrook Park improvements.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a contract for Green Giant Landscaping, Inc. to physically build the designs made by Architerra Design Group for an amount not exceeding $1,799,000 for 120 days of work. The City also set aside $60,000 in case of unforeseen circumstances and unexpected costs, bringing the total amount the City can spend on construction services by Green Giant Landscaping, Inc. to $1,859,000.
City staff said that with the newly included shade structure, the playground will be mostly, if not completely, shaded.
The dry creek bed in Hillbrook Park will be removed as part of the project and replaced by a water conservation system that will divert stormwater from Temple Avenue to the east side of the park. Rainwater will be retained and infiltrated naturally by a mass of vegetation in a shallow depression, known as a bioretention swale.
Because this aspect of the project conserves water, the City was approved for a reimbursement of $173,000 for the project from the Metropolitan Water District.
The City Council unanimously voted to approve the budget increase for the project, as well as the contract with Green Giant Landscaping, Inc.
City staff said the construction at Hillbrook Park is tentatively expected to begin in March, and to conclude in October.
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