Commission recommends city take ownership of 73-acre Ensign Community Park at Carr Lake

The Libraries and Community Services Commission recommended that the City Council approve a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a conveyance agreement to transfer 73 acres at Carr Lake — the Ensign Community Park project — from the Big Sur Land Trust to the City of Salinas.

Director Lundquist told commissioners the conveyance follows a March 2024 memorandum of understanding between the city and the Big Sur Land Trust and that the transfer will be completed by grant deed in phases. “We’ve reached another exciting milestone in the development of the Carr Lake project, Ensign Community Park,” Lundquist said during the presentation, noting the city is not obligated to pay a purchase price for the land and improvements.

The conveyance agreement, Lundquist said, will outline the steps for opening escrow and transferring ownership and will include easements allowing the Big Sur Land Trust to access the restoration area and use a water well for restoration work. The transfer will move the full 73 acres to city ownership in phases: the first phase covers the neighborhood park area (including the front house and water well), and the second phase includes the restoration area and the back house. Lundquist said the front house will remain occupied by low-income tenants and the back house, because of its location, cannot be used for residential purposes and will be used by the city and possibly the land trust for nonresidential purposes.

Construction of the neighborhood park is anticipated to be completed in March, Lundquist said, and staff plans a grand-opening event in collaboration with the Big Sur Land Trust; date and details will be provided when available. Commissioners who spoke praised the partnership and the speed of the project’s progress. “I just wanna thank you for all your hard work,” Commissioner Gutierrez said; Commissioner Castillo said she and her daughter are “so excited” and will “definitely put that on our calendar.” Commissioner Camacho, who helped with the park-naming committee, thanked the land trust for its “thoughtfulness to every detail.”

After discussion, the commission moved and seconded a recommendation that the City Council approve the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute the conveyance agreement. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all commissioners present voting in favor.

The staff report and Lundquist’s presentation identify the March construction completion target, the phased grant-deed transfer, the city’s lack of purchase-price obligation, the continued occupancy of the front house by low-income tenants, and easements for trust access and well use as key terms the city will formalize in the conveyance agreement. The commission’s action was a recommendation; final approval requires City Council action and execution of the conveyance documents.

Staff and the Big Sur Land Trust representatives were present at the meeting; staff said they will coordinate further with the commission about a site tour and public grand-opening plans once dates are confirmed.