Atwater staff propose $4.5 million pedestrian upgrades, inclusive playground and expanded recreation offerings

A staff presenter (speaker S4) outlined planned capital and program initiatives focused on downtown pedestrian and park access and recreation demand. Staff said a future downtown pedestrian-improvement package (projects 3 and 4) is estimated at $4,500,000 and is the subject of current grant-seeking efforts.

"That was 4,500,000.0. That's not the ones that were completed. That's the future pedestrian improvement projects 3 and 4 that we're applying for grants on before," the staff member said, describing the planned package. Staff said funding for road overlays and striping typically comes from gas-tax sources and local measures (including Measure B) and that related overlays and grant items will be presented to council on April 13.

On parks and recreation, staff described an inclusive-playground initiative (working with Stephanie Rivero) that would be sited where ADA upgrades could be done simultaneously. The staff member said site visits and stakeholder meetings are planned, and staff will pursue grants if the community wants a playground with universal accessibility. The speaker also reviewed recreation trends: drop-in programs had limited sustained participation last year (33 participants for drop-in), while class formats drew larger totals (112 kids). There was significant public interest in indoor pickleball and rising participation in youth volleyball.

Staff thanked volunteers for supporting park upkeep and said future park plans (including dog-park elements) are at 30% design and that related stakeholder outreach will continue.

What happens next: staff will continue grant applications for pedestrian projects, hold stakeholder meetings for park design and pursue ADA upgrades alongside playground planning.