Oakley's efforts to provide quality affordable housing are paying off in the form of state funding to renovate the Oakley Elementary School Community Park on Norcross Lane, which has not been given any major improvements since it was built in the 1970s.



The $314,717 grant will enable the city and the Oakley Union Elementary School District to update the park's play equipment and swings, replace picnic facilities and improve features such as restrooms and drinking fountains, according to Redevelopment Agency Director Barbara Mason.



Photos by Monty Norris

An aging and rusty water fountain in Oakley Elementary School Community Park serves as a trash receptacle instead of providing liquid refreshment. It will be replaced as part of a major refurbishing project next spring.

"We'll have all new playground equipment," Mason said. "This is a joint agreement with the school district. The district will determine what is to be done."

Mason said the project also includes shading over picnic and play areas. There also will be ground cushioning under play equipment as a safety feature.

"Improving these neighborhood assets strengthens neighborhood involvement and increases civic pride," Mason said.

Design work on the improvement project will start this month, Mason said, and construction is set to begin in early spring of next year. She said the city must have a design completed before it can receive the grant funds.

The park grant came as a reward for the city's approval of Courtyards at Cypress Grove, a 96-unit complex for low-income households, located at East Cypress Road and Rubens Way.

The housing complex is a high-quality development that meets and exceeds several of the housing requirements outlined by the California Housing and Community Development Department, according to Mason. She added that Oakley received the highest award of any city in Contra Costa County.