SLO County park is getting an upgrade — and you can help. Here’s how
Grover Beach is moving forward with its rehabilitation of Ramona Garden Park — and your name could be immortalized in stone if you support it.
While the $3.7 million Ramona Garden Park Master Plan was awarded a $3.3 million Community Development Block Grant from the California Department of Housing and Urban Development in August, some of the funding still has a ways to go.
That’s where the Grover Beach Community Foundation comes in, foundation board president and former Mayor Jeff Lee said.
Through July 1, Grover Beach residents and businesses can purchase commemorative benches, tables and pavers inscribed with their name, an image and a message, which will financially support the project, Lee said.
“The park improvements for Phase 1 and Phase 2 are actually fully funded,” Lee said. “The city has funded that through their Community Development Block Grant, some other grants, and then some minor general fund contributions, so this would actually be separate from from those contributions, but it would help to offset some of the revenues that that the city put in for that.”
How you can support Ramona Garden Park’s upgrades
Lee said the Grover Beach Community Foundation worked with Polen Engraving to prepare the commemorative pavers for installation, which will be carried out during the full construction process slated to get underway late this spring.
Pavers will cost $250 for text on a 4-by-8-inch paver, or $500 for an 8-by-8-inch tan paver with text, with the option to add clip art for $25, Lee said.
An additional 4-by-4-inch replica tile can also be purchased for $20 with a purchase of a paver, according to Polar Engraving’s website.
While the four or five benches and picnic tables the Community Foundation expects to sell will be spread throughout the park, the pavers will line a walkway that will run up to the new bandshell, Lee said.
The naming rights for the new bandshell will also be for sale down the line, Lee said.
So far, the Grover Beach Community Foundation has already sold more than 50 of the planned 200-250 total commemorative pavers it’s looking to sell, Lee said.
In total, the community foundation is looking to raise between $250,000 and $300,000 in attempt to lower project costs for the city, Lee said.
Questions about donations to the project can be directed to groverbeachcf@gmail.com.
