Moms and kids enjoy new paths and playing space at La Sierra Community Center. Nearly eight acres of sport fields were fenced last year for reconstruction.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - With a ribbon-cutting last week, Carmichael’s field of dreams became a dream-reimagined.

La Sierra Community Center’s 7.8-acre sports field has been fenced off for more than a year.

To accommodate a vast project of reconstruction, community events were relocated; football and baseball games were played elsewhere. July 4 celebrations fizzled without community fireworks. As bulldozers tore up turf last summer, Engle Road’s beloved green space became a massive brown spot.

New drainage and irrigation were engineered. Concrete was poured for half a mile of walkways. T-Ball diamonds were revamped. Entrance gates and fencing were rebuilt. New bleachers rose for sports spectators.

In spring this year, 331,000 square feet of sod were laid.  The turf seasoned and settled through summer and will soon host soccer and other sports.

Measure G funding met the combined project cost of more than $1.7 million.  Approved by voters in 2022, the bond initiative achieved almost $32 million for Carmichael Recreation and Park District.

The long and costly upgrade for sports facilities at La Sierra Community Center is now complete. Carmichael Recreation and Park District supporters and legislative representatives celebrate with resolutions and a ribbon-cutting.

La Sierra improvements, said CRPD Advisory Board Chair Lisa Mattos, have created “a safer, more accessible and more functional space for community activities.”

The project, she said, demonstrated what Measure G voters made possible. Conditions at the former high school campus field had previously raised safety concerns. “Through Measure G, we were able to address issues from the ground up,” Mattos explained.

CRPD Administrator Stacey Yankee outlined future park upgrades made possible under Measure G’s funding umbrella.  These include improvements for Jan Park. Cardinal Oaks Park (near Gunn Road) will get much-needed security lights and a playground. Additional paving is planned for La Sierra Community Center and for Carmichael Park. “There is still much more work ahead,” Yankee predicted.

Indicating the pristine expanse of La Sierra sports fields, the administrator thanked community visionaries for supporting Measure G. “We honor those who helped us get here,” said Yankee. “We hope this field will create many memories for generations yet to come.”