What is Prop 68?

The Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (Prop 68) is a competitive grant program that creates new parks and recreation opportunities in underserved communities across the state of California. Each of these parks and playgrounds will positively impact families, children, and adults alike by providing increased access to recreation.

O’Dell Engineering is proud to play a role in supporting these projects from grant application through the completion of full designs with construction documents for projects that have received funding.

In 2020, California State Parks awarded $254.9M in grants from the Round 3 grant submittal to create 62 new parks under the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program funded by Proposition 68. The O’Dell team provided Round 3 grant submittal assistance for 8 projects in 2020 and is currently completing construction documents for 6 projects that were awarded Round 3 grant funding.

EmPOWERment Park

EmPOWERment Park in Sacramento, CA is a prime example of how O’Dell is supporting the improvement of their community in conjunction with Prop 68. The Sacramento Parks Foundation was awarded $6,280,000 in Round 3 for this project after receiving grant writing, public outreach, conceptual design, and estimating support from O’Dell Engineering.

The O’Dell team developed a master plan for EmPOWERment Park, an outreach program (Placemaking Through Play) to maximize grant points, and the actual grant package submitted to the State of California.

EmPOWERment Park includes a parking lot with 11 ADA spaces, a round-a-bout, a drop-off zone, welcome signage, a tactile park map, a community garden, a storage shed, an ADA restroom, a barbecue and picnic area, water play, a 2 to 5-year-old play lot, a 5 to 12-year-old play lot, a 5 to 12-year-old custom inclusive play structure, a sensory wall, a bankshot court, court games, an open lawn area, safety fencing, perimeter fencing, a privacy wall, and shade sails. The park is designed with socially inclusive principles to be a place where people of all abilities and ages can gather to play and recreate. Construction documents for this project are currently in progress.

Oregon Park & Burbank-Paradise Park

O’Dell is also supporting Oregon Park in Stanislaus County, CA. This project was awarded $1,231,000 in Round 3. O’Dell is currently completing construction documents that will include improvements to Oregon Park in the Airport Neighborhood of unincorporated Modesto. The project includes the construction of a new shade structure, a new walking/jogging loop trail, an adult exercise area, and lighting and security cameras throughout the park. The existing splash pad, basketball court, and two existing playgrounds will be renovated along with an existing restroom.

Burbank-Paradise Park, also in Stanislaus County, CA, was awarded $945,000 in Round 3. O’Dell is currently completing construction documents that will provide improvements to the Burbank-Paradise Park in southwestern unincorporated Modesto. These improvements include a new playground with shade, a splash pad, a walking/jogging loop with approximately four adult exercise equipment areas along the path, three picnic areas with barbecues, new landscaping, renovating an existing restroom, solar lighting, and security cameras throughout the park for added safety.

Prop 68 – Round 4

The deadline for grant applications for Round 4 under Prop 68 is March 12, 2021, with $395.3M up for awards. O’Dell Engineering is currently providing Round 4 submittal assistance to 9 projects and will continue actively supporting communities across Northern California with their grant applications.

To see more O’Dell projects, click here.

For more information on our landscape architecture services, click here.

For information on joining the O’Dell team, check out our employment listings.