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At its regular meeting on Monday, July 11, 2022 the Cypress City Council approved a preliminary design for the makeover of Cypress Arnold Park (8611 Watson Street), the oldest park in the City — even older than the City itself. The vote was 3-1-1, with Council Member Frances Marquez voting no and Council Member Scott Minikus absent due to work-related travel.
Council Member Marquez stated that she voted against the project because she is concerned about the way in which the project is financed due to forecasts for trouble for the general economy in the near future.
According to the staff report and clarification requested by Mayor Paulo Morales following Council Member Marquez’s statement of concern, the project will be financed by a loan of $20 million from the City’s General Fund. No outside loans will be taken out, and no future projects in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan will be delayed because of the $5 million increase over the original projected cost.
The renovated park will be the home of Cypress Girls Softball. A group of players (with chaperones) sat patiently through not only the description of the Park project and subsequent discussion, but also through all the other items that came before it. (Consideration of the Park renovation was Item #10 on the agenda. Mayor Morales actually moved it up ahead of Item #9 as a concession to the youngsters.) When the vote for approval appeared on the screen and was announced by Cypress City Clerk Alisha Farnell, the group burst out in applause and modest cheering.
Park amenities
In February 2022, City Council awarded a park design contract to MIG. MIG reviewed the community outreach, solicited input from Cypress Girls Softball, and coordinated design with Public Works and Recreation and Community Services. The recommended preliminary design reflects input from the community and includes:
- Four softball fields ranging from 175 feet to 225 feet from home plate to the outfield, which is consistent with standards for fast pitch softball
- Lighting for three of the four softball fields
- Six bullpens and three batting cages
- Bleacher seating
- Eight lighted pickleball courts
- One lighted full-court basketball court
- Walking/jogging trail (made of decomposed granite rather than the rubberized surface used at Lexington Park due to the cleats used in baseball shoes)
- Children’s play area
- Fitness area
- Restroom building
- Concession building
- Storage building
- Picnic amenities (pavilions, benches, tables, barbecues, etc.)
- Approximately 260 parking spaces, including electric vehicle charging stations
Schedule
According to the Staff report, the City expects to meet the following project milestones:
- Outreach on Preliminary Design: July 2022 to August 2022
- Final Design: August 2022 to March 2023
- Solicit Bids: Spring 2023
- Award Construction Contract: Summer 2023
- Grand Opening: Early 2025
The City expects that Arnold Cypress Park will reopen for the 2025 softball season. The Recreation and Community Services Department, Cypress Girls Softball, and Anaheim Union High School District are working on temporary facilities for the 2024 season.
