Oxnard Council authorizes application for up to $6 million federal park grant for Durley Park improvements

The Oxnard City Council authorized staff to submit a grant application seeking up to $6,000,000 from the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Grant Program to expand the Durley Park Improvement Project, with a required 1-to-1 local match that staff said is already committed from a state grant.

Public works staff said the city has an existing grant for the project—s design and that inflation has created a potential construction funding gap for the full community-desired scope. "We have an existing grant for this project," Public Works staff said, adding that the design can be finished with current funds but the city is pursuing additional grant funding to construct the full design.

Timeline and process: staff said the application is due the week after the meeting, with the first notification by May, full application due in June, and a potential award notice in September. Because the grant would include federal funding, the project would need Section 106 review and NEPA compliance, processes that staff said could add up to a year to the schedule.

Councilmembers said they preferred seeking external funding rather than reducing the scope. Councilwoman Rodriguez, who represents the area near Durley Park, said community members she had consulted preferred pursuing the larger grant but asked the city to proceed with the already-funded design work in parallel so the project does not stall if the grant application is unsuccessful.

The council voted 7-0 to authorize submission of the grant application and to delegate the city manager and department leads to execute grant agreements and reporting obligations.