Orchard Lane Park will provide a diverse range of program features for the community of Soledad, which has typically been underserved with park space. Within the park, the community will enjoy traditional park programming in addition to a new dog park, skate park, sprayground, a custom-designed inclusive playground, and public art features. The park program was determined in 2019 when the City and its consultant team (including BFS) applied and awarded over $7 million to build the park through the Prop 68 State Parks Grant Campaign.
The park design was a collaborative process between the design team, city staff, city council, and the community. Community outreach and public meetings were held throughout the entirety of the design process as a community ‘buy-in’ was important to the final design approval by the City Council. To successfully facilitate community outreach during the pandemic, BFS created a project website, digital bilingual materials, a project logo for branding, and interactive surveys and work groups.
As the lead consultant, the City relied on BFS to manage the park design and to ensure that all grant program requirements were met. The inclusive playground design was led by BFS. Once a theme was selected, BFS worked closely with play equipment manufacturers to create custom structures for the park that are accessible, flexible in use, and engage the imaginations of all children.