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Norwalk council approves resolution to apply for up to $6 million in Land and Water Conservation grants for Norwalk Park expansion
Summary
The council adopted Resolution 25-30 to authorize an application to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the Norwalk Park expansion; staff said the local maximum request is $6,000,000 with a 50% match requirement and that some park amenities may be deferred pending future funding.
The Norwalk City Council voted to adopt Resolution 25-30 authorizing staff to apply for Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant funding to support the Norwalk Park expansion project.
The LWCF application allows a local agency maximum grant request of $6,000,000 with a 50% match requirement, and the application deadline is Aug. 5, 2025, staff said. Alan Perdomo, presenting to the council, said the application would fund acquisition or development projects "to create new outdoor recreation opportunities for the health and wellness of Californians." He told the council the department held two community engagement meetings in June and will present a final concept at a third meeting this Thursday.
Why it matters: the city is pursuing competitive state grant funding to expand Norwalk Park and related recreational features; successful LWCF grants can leverage other funding and shape which amenities are constructed now versus in later phases.
Council and staff discussion focused on how rising costs have changed the project scope and which amenities might be delayed. Perdomo said higher material and construction costs since the project was first funded in 2018 forced staff and engineers to value-engineer elements and to plan certain features as "open space" for future phases rather than remove them permanently. He said the city prioritized a 200-person community hall and soccer fields as primary elements and that additional amenities such as splash pads or handball courts could be added if future funding is secured.
Council members asked for clearer timelines, a parks master-plan update, and a list of nonnegotiable priorities for sites such as Hermosillo Park and Norwalk Park. Staff said they would return to the council with a parks update and outreach summary and noted that the current construction schedule targets a November 2025 groundbreaking and about two years of construction for the projects as funded today.
The motion to adopt Resolution 25-30 passed on roll call vote.
Details from the meeting: Perdomo described the LWCF program and said the recreation department will apply for the LWCF grant for the Norwalk Park expansion. Staff noted they are working with landscape-architecture consultants on Norwalk Park, Holyfield (15-acre addition) and Robert White Park master plans and that Hermosillo Park design is nearing 100% and will be presented to the council in August.
Looking ahead: if the grant is awarded, the city will need to provide the local match and finalize design and construction phasing. Staff said it will continue outreach at scheduled events and bring back more detailed timelines and priorities to the council.
Provenance: City staff presentation and council discussion began with the item introduction and presentation by Alan Perdomo and concluded with the council’s roll-call approval of the resolution.
