It was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration for park that has something for all ages.
by Amber Hansen
The City of Ventura and The Trust for Public Land held the long-awaited and highly anticipated Grand Opening of Kellogg Park on Saturday, April 14, from 10 am to noon. The event began with an official ribbon cutting and speeches by: Nancy O’Connor (Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships, City of Ventura), Matt LaVere (Deputy Mayor, City of Ventura), Mark Martinez (on behalf of Congresswoman Julia Brown), State Senator Hanna-Beth Jackson, Guillermo Rodriguez (California State Director of The Trust for Public Land), Sedrick Mitchell (Deputy Director of External Affairs, California State Parks), Mr. Yukio Shinozaki (Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mitsubishi Corporation), Michelle Newell (Public Affairs Specialist for Aera Energy), local donors David Hilty and Steven Peterson, and community member Jackie Pierce.
Nestled between rolling green hills, on the corner of Kellogg and Ventura Avenue, the park features state of the art amenities including: two playgrounds (for ages 2-5 and 5-12), nature play areas, permanent cornhole stations, chess and checker tables, outdoor fitness equipment stations, an amphitheater, and ¼ mile walking path.
Aside from the man-made amenities, Kellogg Park is built with 1.5 acres of native plants. The park is built with water efficiency in mind and the grass play areas are drought tolerant. 95 new trees have been planted on the property, which will provide shade and a splash of greenery on the Westside in the years to come.
The park also features a new community garden with 47 plots available for members of the public to rent. The garden focusses on organic practices, free from the use of pesticides, and includes composting bins for community gardeners’ use. Attendees of the Grand Opening were able to tour the new garden space and obtain information about renting a plot.
Nancy O’Connor, Director of the City of Ventura’s Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department, said “Kellogg Park is an exciting addition to the Ventura Community. The variety of play amenities, the walking path, and the amazing views reaffirm the City’s commitment to our residents and their quality of life.”
The opening was packed with excited families taking full advantage of the new play areas, workout stations, and other amenities. A live band provided entertainment for the public and free goodies were handed out- it was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration.
Matt LaVere, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Ventura, stated “what makes Ventura such an incredible place to live is its amazing collection of parks, beaches and open space. Kellogg Park is absolutely beautiful and I know children, families, and seniors on the Westside are going to love this latest addition to their neighborhood.”
For more information about Kellogg Park or to make a donation, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/KelloggPark.
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
Kellogg Park Timeline
2012 Kellogg St. parcel listed for sale
2013 Ventura City Council approves purchase of the site. Trust for Public Land (TPL)and City receive $1 million grant from the State of California
2014 TPL and City receive $584,000 grant state of California
2015 Pacific Coast Landscape and Design hired to design park. Ventura Community Partners Foundation begins major fundraising campaign
2016 TPL and City receives a second $230,800 grant from the State of California and $1.5 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the US Department of the Interior
2017 Construction begins on Park. Kellogg Park receives additional funds of $240,000
April 14, 2018 Kellogg Park opens to the public
