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A.J.Padelford Park, center, with 169th street to the north and the 91 freeway to the south
BY BRIAN HEWS
NORWALK CA – California State Senator Archuleta has secured $5 million for the city of Artesia to improve one of its parks and address its need for open space and parkland. The money is part of the $214.8-billion budget, the largest in the state’s history, signed Thursday by Governor Gavin Newsom.
A.J. Padelford Park is located in the low income community of Artesia and is in desperate need of an expansion. The park size has not changed since its development in 1973 and provides 0.47 acres per 1,000 residents, which is significantly below the Los Angeles County average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents, officials said.
Archuleta told HMG-LCCN, “Once we begin the expansion of the park, the capacity to host healthier physical activities, such as baseball and soccer, would increase, which is our ultimate goal. This project will improve park safety and create more recreational opportunities for local at-risk youth and families.”
The expansion will also lower the density per square mile and create more park space per person, creating a greater quality of life in the neighborhood. The park, in its current configuration, has public safety issues. The proposed improvements would help alleviate these issues, city and law enforcement officials said.
HMG-LCCN was told that Taj and Artesia City Manager Bill Rawlings worked hard behind the scenes with Archuleta to secure the massive funding
An excited Artesia Councilmember Ali Taj told HMG-LCCN, “Now that the funding is secured, we can begin the project by reviewing and finalizing the preliminary designs and plans for the expansion. This is great news for the community as Senator Archuleta has been instrumental in pushing for the funding.”
The park was named after A.J. Padelford after his passing in 1972. The construction company was known for its large projects in Artesia and Cerritos which included the first car dealership of the world’s largest mall, Cerritos Auto Square and Cerritos Plaza to name a few.
