$2.2 million set aside to make over 4 parks

Four Laguna Beach parks will be renovated over the next two years, with improvements centered on turf condition and irrigation.

Moulton Meadows and Top of the World parks will be done next summer, and Lang and Alta Laguna parks are scheduled for summer of 2015, said assistant city engineer Mark Trestik.

“That way it doesn’t compete with AYSO soccer in spring and fall,” Trestik said of the summertime scheduling.

He said the city has budgeted $2.2 million for all four parks as part of its capital improvement program, which also includes repairs to streets, buildings, street lights and storm drains.

Moulton Meadows improvements are expected to cost $1.2 million, but no estimates have yet been done for the three other parks, Trestik said.

Work at Moulton Meadows, the city’s largest park at about 360,000 square feet, will include replacing grass on the soccer field to help with drainage, installing new stationary fitness equipment such as a pull-up bar and sit-up station, and replacing the irrigation system, Trestik said.

The turf at Moulton Meadows is in worse condition than at other parks, necessitating that park’s early place in the timeline, Trestik said.

“The existing layer of soil is too compacted and the water doesn’t soak in,” Trestik said. “It wastes water.”

The city recently replaced a broken irrigation pump at Moulton Meadows to align with the new system, according to the city’s website.

Top of the World, the city’s smallest park at 45,000 square feet, will receive a new irrigation system along with refurbished pedestrian walkways.

Alta Laguna Park is 320,000 square feet. Crews will replace the grass there and grade the infield dirt to create a level surface on the baseball field, Trestik said. He added that workers will also paint its restroom building and replace its irrigation systems.

At Lang Park, which is 100,000 square feet, new picnic seats and tables will be installed, the concrete sidewalk will be widened and lights will be added along pedestrian walkways.

Portions of the parks will remain open during construction, Trestik said.