30 Aug Residents Celebrate Renovations of Montalvin Park But Want to See More

Kids play in the new play structure during the Montalvin Park ribbon cutting event on Aug. 24.

Story and photos by Denis Perez-Bravo

Dozens of children and their families visited the renovated Montalvin Park on Aug. 24 to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new playground. Residents also took the opportunity to share what more they want to see for the park in the unincorporated area of Montalvin Manor outside San Pablo.

 

Attendees gathered around the center play structure where some kids still climbed as the crowd formed. Supervisor John Gioia and Public Works Department representative Rochelle Johnson spoke to and heard from people.

“So while we spent about $200,000 of county dollars and state dollars to invest in this new equipment, we now have more funding available for parks in the unincorporated area like this park,” said Supervisor John Gioia.

Alongside Gioia’s office, the Contra Costa County public works and health departments, which hosted the event, wanted to garner public input on future plans for Montalvin Park.

 

Some community members wanted, at least, a small soccer field to practice in. Because of the uneven land, a full soccer field seems financially unlikely, Gioia said, but residents said a small field would still be beneficial.

“Every time we want to play (soccer), we need to go use the Making Waves Academy field,” one resident said. “Sometimes it’s open; sometimes it is closed.”

Others hoped for a renovation of the tennis courts in the upper side of the park. Some called for a garden, a carousel and more trees. Many urged for bathrooms to be installed.

 

Raseel Alawadi longs for more things to climb on.

“One thing I like about the new playground is that it’s fun. You get to climb on it and maybe even jump off,” the child said.

She enjoys the shade from the cover on top of the structure as well, she said.

And asked what she would like to see in the park, Raseel said, “We can add a little rock climbing somewhere here and probably climb.”

Raseel, her siblings and their family also enjoyed visiting the tables from Contra Costa Health and Public Works.

At a CalFresh table, people could pedal a stationary bike to power up a blender ready to make smoothies.

 

Immunizations were also available as the health departments set up a mobile clinic.

Get It Girl Fitness also energized the crowd as owner Latonya Whitaker hosted a dance workout.

“When I walked up,” Whitaker said, “I already had a vision of a field day, like adults’ kickball, things like that.”

 

It was Whitaker’s first time at Montalvin Park, but she hopes it will not be the last time she or the county are here for an event. And as a mother herself, Whitaker knows what a park can provide.

“These kids are inside too much. They’re not outside. I got three boys, you know, they need to be outside. They need to have more family time,” she said.

Montalvin Park is set to get another upgrade come Sept. 3 with the installation of American With Disabilities Act-compliant parking, benches and landscaping in the upper parking lot of the park. The renovations are scheduled to be complete by Nov. 25, according to the Public Works website.

The park will remain open during this time, but fences will be installed around the work area for safety reasons and park users might encounter staff and equipment during the work hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.