Miraloma Community Center and Park

“Miraloma Park and Community Center” is a working title for the project which is located at 2600 E. Miraloma Way, Anaheim, CA 92806. The proposed project will include the renovation of existing 4,312 square foot warehouse building into a neighborhood community center and the development of the surrounding city owned property into a neighborhood park. Site amenities include a perimeter loop trail, a skate plaza, outdoor classroom area, picnic facilities, interactive water feature, drought tolerant landscape, and playground.

The Anaheim Outdoors Connectivity Plan

The Anaheim Outdoors Connectivity Plan was approved by Council on April 30, 20013. Click here to download the document and Resolution.

In 2011 the City of Anaheim was awarded $250,000 from the State of California’s Urban Greening Planning Grant Program and approximately $200,000 from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) under the Compass Blueprint Demonstration Project program. The grant funds were used to identify a unique and implementable network of parks and trails that will increase green space throughout the City by planning a system of green corridors which will connect residents, visitors and employees to both existing and planned high-density urban areas. The Plan also identifies projects that emphasize shade trees, pocket parks and open spaces, a river walk, multimodal and non-motorized trails and pathways, demonstration gardens, wildlife corridors, bioswales, and other storm water filtration and collection systems.

The goals of the community were ascertained through numerous public and stakeholder meetings along with input through the public website. These goals were assimilated into the eight chapters of the document:

Ponderosa Park Master Plan

Ponderosa Park is located at 2100 S. Haster Street, Anaheim, CA, 92802. As part of the recent development of Ponderosa Elementary School, the Anaheim City School District constructed a school library as a joint City/District facility to be used by the District during school hours and by the public when school is not in session. The District also upgraded and enhanced portions of Ponderosa Park, including but not limited to electrical facilities, fencing, a new parking lot, open space, and a new soccer field.

The Ponderosa Park Family Resource Center, located in the center of the park, was originally built in 1965 and lacks the required space to serve the thousands of residents who participate each month in classes and programs. Additionally, the park’s design and amenities need to be updated to serve the community’s needs. In 2010 the City conducted a series of community meetings to determine the park amenities and recreational opportunities most needed by the surrounding neighborhood. Feedback from the community drove preliminary design of the facility, leading to the inclusion of a gymnasium, multi-use room, several meeting and counseling rooms, and an exercise/aerobics room. The community gave input concerning the location of the facility on the site and other park amenities, with great concern given to safety and crime prevention. Green building methods and materials as guided by LEED requirements will be incorporated in this project.

Funding for this project is now available and an Architect/Landscape Architect is being hired to complete the design of the new Family Resource Center and park improvements.

Draft Master Plan Presentation and Community Meeting Notes

On April 13, 2012, the Parks Capital Projects Section met with the community to discuss a dog off leash area in the unused western portion of Olive Hills Park. The draft master plan includes a small dog area, a large dog area, low perimeter fence, double entrance gates, benches, 6 foot wide decomposed granite path for walking/running, expanded parking to about 26 spaces, restroom, and agility equipment areas in both dog sections.  The items the attendees wanted were the walking path around the dog use area, the use of native plants to attract birds and butterflies, the agility areas, aesthetic fencing, and the restroom.  The community requested even more parking, continued weed control, a dawn to dusk facility with no lights, increased policing/rangers, and more shade trees. A few community members had concerns regarding the presence of coyotes.  The community noted that future improvements include a walking path throughout the park.  The City revised the Draft Master Plan to reflect some of the desires expressed at the meeting.  Elements changed on the plan were additional shade trees and the parking has been expanded to approximately 50 spaces.  The revised plan is attached below.