During its Tuesday, Oct. 12 meeting, the Signal Hill City Council approved the purchase of a residential property for about $546,000 to expand Signal Hill Park.
The 6,740 square-foot property at 1925 E. 21st St.—adjacent to the south side of the park, near the intersection of Cherry Avenue and 21st Street—currently has a single-family home that the City will eventually demolish.
The City will pay for the property from a fund consisting of fees paid by developers of residential, commercial and industrial projects in Signal Hill. The fund is earmarked for buying, improving and expanding parks and recreation facilities.
Economic Development Manager Elise McCaleb said she expects escrow to close on the property by Nov. 29, following a 30-day due diligence period during which the seller needs to provide a legal order showing they are the sole property owner.
The 10-acre Signal Hill Park at 2175 Cherry Ave. is located next to the Signal Hill Public Library and City Hall. It features a baseball diamond, basketball courts, playground, barbeque area, restrooms and community center.
McCaleb said the City’s master plan calls for expanding the park by purchasing adjacent properties and adding recreational facilities.
“Signal Hill Park should be further developed and enlarged to provide the city with a viable community park,” the master plan states.
Out of eight lots adjacent to the park along 21st Street, the City will have purchased four once it completes the current acquisition.
In 2011, the City bought a residential lot at 1921 E. 21st St., transforming it into a community garden with plots that residents can rent for $95 per year.
The City acquired two lots together in 2019, at 1905-1907 E. 21st St. The City will demolish the residential structures on those lots beginning at the end of November, McCaleb told the Signal Tribune.
“Irrigation and turf will be installed to expand Signal Hill Park,” she said.
Recently, a representative of owner Luisa Authier offered the City the property at 1925 E. 21st St., McCaleb said. Though the 1,119 square-foot home on the lot was built 100 years ago in 1921, it does not qualify as historic due to alterations, she added.
The City’s purchase cost for its newest acquisition includes half of all closing costs and fees, estimated at $11,000, on top of its $535,000 sale price.
Though there are no specific plans yet for the property, Community Services Director Aly Mancini told the Signal Tribune in April that one of residents’ top requests during a March community meeting was a senior clubhouse.
Signal Hill has 10 parks totaling 24.5 acres, with 5.73 miles of trails, according to its March 2021 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The City broke ground in July on its newest 1.8-acre park, currently called View Park, along Cherry Avenue south of E. Burnett Street.
