Foothills Sentry - July 2021

Foothills Sentry Page 8 July 2021 Construction of promised Crawford Canyon Park inches forward By Elena Levin The development of Craw- ford Canyon Park– inhabiting an empty lot where Newport Avenue meets Crawford Canyon Road– was part of an agreement, pro- posed in 2018, between the Or- ange County Parks Department and the developer of the Clearwa- ter senior living facility in North Tustin. The search for a prime park lo- cation in the area began in 2011, but OC Parks eventually settled on this “diamond in the rough.” When the developer pitched the idea of building the senior liv- ing facility, Clearwater in North Tustin, on Newport Avenue, it agreed to either fund the develop- ment of Crawford Canyon Park, or design and construct the park itself if the project was approved. The negotiation, stemming from the “public benefit” clause of the county’s development agreement, was settled in June 2019, when the developer decided to pay for the project rather than build it. The question is, when is it go- ing to be built? OC Parks received the first payment after the issuance of the building permit for the develop- er’s project. The full transfer of funds is expected once Clearwa- ter is granted a Certificate of Oc- cupancy from the county’s build- ing and safety division. The community anticipates that the park will meet its needs. Ac- cording to the 2018 survey by OC Parks, more than 40% of North Tustin residents said they would visit the location weekly, for anything from finding a place to relax, to providing their children with a local playground. One resi- dent explained that he would use the park for “walking [his] dogs daily, and maybe even visiting more because it’s supposed to be a passive park … so it’s condu- cive to more peaceful activity.” Not all locals share those senti- ments regarding Crawford Can- yon Park. Whether it be concerns of trespassing within a private road adjacent to the area, or an increase in vandalism, this de- velopment is not without its crit- ics. “I’m scared because we’ve had a lot of people coming down here, and kids going down there making ramps. And that’s before anybody really knew there was something there,” neighboring resident Carol Fairchild says. Despite some resistance, OC Parks has confirmed that the cur- rent plans for the park match the blueprints presented at public meetings three years ago. Yet, some changes must be made. Specifically, in order for this park to be accessible to pedestrians and bikers, a direct route must be built from the surrounding residential areas to the park. This path will come from the Craw- ford Canyon sidewalk extension project, spearheaded by the OC Public Works Department. Un- dertaken simultaneously with the park’s construction, it is part of the reason for the delay. Before construction can begin, the development permits must be approved, which will allow for contractors to bid on the project. Once this has been achieved, the Orange County Board of Su- pervisors must then accept the awarded contract for building to commence. With this in mind, OC Parks predicts that the construction contract will be awarded later this year, on track for the park’s com- pletion within 2022, as initially planned. However, besides the Crawford Canyon sidewalk ex- tension project, the pandemic has created additional roadblocks, so the community should not expect the park until late 2022 -- or even 2023. Nevertheless, Crawford Can- yon Park will, hopefully, be worth the wait. With plans for beautifi- cation and the use of eco-friendly construction materials, this new site has the potential to be some- thing remarkable – a place where locals won’t hesitate to spend their time. Perhaps by the end of next year, North Tustin residents will have a new recreation area in the com- munity. Premier Women’s Council (PWC) joined American Legion Post 132 to celebrate mothers on Mother’s Day. A free breakfast was served to all mothers who attended and all received a fresh rose corsage. PWC members from the left are Yolanda Obillo, Michelle Manzo, Susie Flores, Anita Preciado, Adriana Bermudez and Alice Salinas. Energy options explored The Tustin Democratic Club’s general meeting, Tuesday, July 27 at 7 p.m., will focus on Com- munity Choice Energy, a power- ful way to accelerate the transi- tion to clean energy sources by using local, not-for-profit, public agencies to provide electricity service – and more – to residents and businesses. General meetings will continue to be held via Zoom. Look for in- person activities, such as outdoor postcard parties, soon. Sign up for the club’s email list to stay on top of new activities. The club is also forming a Democratic Task Force to build consensus and increase the com- munity’s voice in local decisions. For information about this committee or meetings, contact TustinDemocraticClub@gmail. com or visit TustinDemocratic- Club.org. Desiree deLiser has been named Clubwoman of the Year by the Board of Directors of Woman’s Club of Orange. She was select- ed, based on her involvement in club activities, her enthusiasm and talents. Tustin couple goes for the golden Cindy and Johnny Johnson celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 19 in their typical low- key fashion—a romantic meal at a local Tustin eatery. Even after 50 years, they prefer to celebrate their union daily, with equal parts love and laughter. Cindy grew up in Orange, at- tending El Modena High School. Johnny, the son of a career U.S. Marine, settled in Tustin and graduated from Foothill High School. They met at Chapman College registration and married a year later. They went on to raise two great sons who married won- derful women, and now have six grandchildren. Cindy and Johnny own Blue Buoy Family Swim School in Tustin, where Johnny has been teaching for 55 years. They are grateful for the many generations of staff, students and parents who have graced their pool deck. Sev- eral members of the Johnson fam- ily are active in the swim school, and it is not unusual to see three generations teaching side-by- side. Celebrating 50 years together is an impressive milestone, but the bar is set quite high. Cindy’s par- ents celebrate their 69th anniver- sary on June 29th, and her grand- parents were married 79 years. Cindy and Johnny are looking forward to many more anniver- saries.