Oakley approves $13,500 consent-item to help finish Trail Park Phase 2

Howard Sorensen, a Trails Foundation representative, told the Oakley City Council the Oakley Trail Park Phase 2 trail system is about 95% complete and organizers plan a late-May grand opening.

The council added the foundation’s funding request to the consent calendar and approved the consent calendar by voice vote. The ask was $13,500 to cover playground bark, picnic tables, metal railings and a commemorative plaque; the council approved the added item unanimously by “aye” voice vote.

Why it matters: The project includes a reinforced-concrete pavilion with restrooms, a pump track for youth riders, a playground and new parking improvements. Council members and the presenter said the park will expand recreational access and connect to regional trails over time.

What was presented and requested Howard Sorensen described completed and near-complete features: trail berms, a “pump park” for skill-building, a playground with low-risk features and a pavilion that now includes flush restrooms. He said the pavement/parking work and stone edging have been improved and that some quarry stone was donated to the project. “It’s such a great place to live,” Sorensen said while describing the volunteer effort and donations.

Sorensen said the foundation has raised “a little over $500,000 in cash,” roughly half from grants and about half from individual donors, plus roughly $220,000 in contractor in-kind donations. He said the pavilion cost exceeded early estimates (initially projected about $60,000) after the decision to include flush toilets and reinforced construction; that change increased the pavilion cost by roughly 20 percent.

Organizers asked the city to help place playground bark and to anchor picnic tables to concrete; the proposal that came before the council included a $13,500 request that staff summarized as: $2,240 for bark, $7,500 for picnic tables, $1,650 for metal railings and $1,400 for a bronze plaque. Sorensen said contractors had donated a $4,000 security camera system and that final tuning of the trail builder’s work (about $15,000 reserved) would occur in spring.

Council action and funding details A council member moved to add the Trails Foundation request to the consent calendar; another council member seconded. The council then moved to approve the consent calendar, which included minutes, the invoice register and the Trails Foundation item. The motions were approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition.

Project timeline and next steps Sorensen said he hopes for a grand opening near the end of May (presenter referenced both May 30 and May 31 as targeted dates). He said the foundation and contractors will finish remaining trail work and that some postoperative fine-tuning is scheduled for spring. Organizers asked for city assistance to spread bark and to anchor tables before opening.

Community context Speakers noted the park will link to regional trails (references were made to the Weaver River pathway and connections toward Wooden Shoe and Millrace). Organizers emphasized the project also protects hundreds of acres as conservation land adjacent to the trail system.

Ending Council members thanked Sorensen and the volunteers. The council added the Trails Foundation request to the consent calendar and approved the consent calendar, clearing the way for the foundation to complete remaining work ahead of the planned late-May opening.