Redondo Beach accelerates Fulton Playfield infiltration project to capture stormwater runoff

The Redondo Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve plans and specifications for the Fulton Playfield multi‑benefit infiltration project and to authorize advertising for competitive bids.

Staff described the project as part of the city’s adopted watershed management plan and a priority regional effort to reduce pollutant runoff to Santa Monica Bay. City Engineer Lauren Sublan and project manager Ashweeni Bindy said the work will retrofit the existing 6.6 acre‑foot detention basin beneath Fulton Playfield with infiltration elements (seven 50‑foot dry wells), an ocean‑friendly garden, and enhanced parkway bioretention to capture street runoff.

Funding and schedule: staff said the project is fully funded by Measure W with additional support from the regional Safe Clean Water board after staff sought supplemental financing to accelerate the schedule. If plans are authorized, staff would advertise by the end of April, open bids in May, and target a construction contract award and a roughly 120 working‑day construction period to complete the work by next summer.

Community engagement: staff held a community meeting in February 2024 at a nearby school; residents asked to minimize exercise equipment, retain green space, and requested construction staging be located away from the campus. Council members emphasized early and clear notification for neighbors and asked staff to work with the contractor to minimize disruption to field use and parking during construction.

What happens next: staff will advertise the project for bids and return to council with a construction contract award recommendation after bid opening. Construction staging and parking plans will be coordinated with the school and neighborhood prior to mobilization.

Quote: "This is the largest regional project among our partners...it will capture the pollution in this area and prevent it from going to the ocean," said project staff (Lauren Sublan).