Parks CIP priorities, pickleball courts and splash pad timelines presented; commission approves minutes and consent calendar 4-0

The City of Corona Parks and Recreation Commission on May 20 reviewed proposed parks and open-space capital improvement projects for fiscal year 2026 and received construction and scheduling updates for ongoing projects, then approved the meeting minutes and the consent calendar in two procedural votes.

Javi Luna, CIP Manager and Assistant City Engineer, outlined 19 projects identified for FY 2026. He said staff requested roughly $3.6 million in new funding for next fiscal year, which Luna presented as part of a total parks CIP budget of about $24.3 million for FY 2026. New project requests highlighted by staff included landscape enhancements in Zone 20, slope-repair design for Montana Ranch, proposed construction of 10–12 pickleball courts at El Cerrito Park (presented as “a little over a million dollars” for that project), River Road Park improvements (about $550,000 requested) and Skyline Trail amenities and a phase-two restroom/trailhead package (about $470,000 requested).

Luna and commissioners also discussed carryover projects in design or construction, including Auburndale pool/amenity work, City Park revitalization (60 percent design complete), Sheridan Park restroom replacement (going to council for award) and the Victoria Park splash pad. Moses Cortez, Parks and Trails staff, described recent construction milestones at Victoria Park and said the project passed an early county health inspection: “We passed. We are moving right along... we anticipate being on schedule to be completed in August.” Luna cautioned that the Skyline Trail Access Bridge design quotes came in well over budget and staff would revisit scope and options.

Formal actions recorded at the meeting were procedural approvals. Commissioner Munoz moved to approve the Parks and Recreation Commission minutes from April 8, 2025; Commissioner McBride seconded and the motion passed 4–0. The consent calendar, which included an item on developer impact fee fund balance and bond repayment for March 2025, was moved by Commissioner McBride, seconded by Commissioner Boggs, and approved 4–0.

Commissioners asked questions about where pickleball courts would be sited, the ADA status of restrooms being replaced and coordination between repaving and bike-facility installations; staff said repaving and striping work is coordinated with the Public Works repaving schedule and that some older restroom buildings were replaced because retrofitting was not cost-effective.

Staff said several projects are planned to go to City Council for approvals and bids in late 2025 and early 2026 and will return to the commission with project updates and designs as they progress.