A $7.8 million grant from the state made possible the new community park in Porterville, which broke ground Tuesday. Photo by David Hensley

The City of Porterville broke ground Thursday on a new park thanks to a $7.8 million grant from the California State Parks “Outdoors for All” initiative, which aims to expand equitable access to outdoor green space — particularly in underserved areas.

The park, which will be located at the corner of Henderson Avenue and Fourth Street, will feature a community center and adjacent park next to the Rails to Trails corridor — a converted rail line

The community park will also feature an ADA-accessible playground, splash pad, challenge course, mini pitch soccer arena and pump track, as well as an outdoor exercise station, picnic tables, public art displays and more.

The Outdoors for All initiative, first announced in 2021, awarded the city $7.8 million of the California State Park’s $548.3 million grant budget, which will go to fund 112 projects statewide.

“This historic investment will revitalize and create new parks in more than 100 local communities, dramatically expanding access to the outdoors across the state and ensuring more Californians from all walks of life can reap the benefits for our hearts, minds and bodies for generations to come,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021.

The park is expected to open in fall of 2026.

 

 

Bartlett Park reopens

Bartlett Park, which has been closed to the public since spring 2023, reopened last month and is now accepting park reservations online and at its general service office.

The park closed in March 2023 after suffering extensive flood damage. Bartlett Park is located just a handful of miles from the Schafer Dam, which holds Success Lake. Success lake flooded as a result of severe weather in 2023, affecting local farms, dairies and the nearby park.

The park, once used for weddings, graduations, birthday parties and other events, has resumed reservations, with park maps outlining 18 picnic sites active via the Tulare County Parks website.

The park was forced to close during the year that would have seen it celebrate its 100th birthday; established in 1923, the 34-acre park was founded largely thanks to the efforts of newspaperman and community benefactor William Pitt Bartlett, who managed Livermore-based publication “The Herald” prior to relocating to Porterville in 1901, where his community efforts saw the construction of a local high school before his appointment to the Tulare County Parks Commission, where he oversaw the creation of Bartlett Park.