Renovated West Sacramento park reopens with ‘everything you can dream of’

The newly renovated and expanded Westacre Park in West Sacramento opened Thursday morning.

Funded through a $7.8 million grant from California State Parks, the city added recreational amenities, improved accessibility and expanded opportunities for residents of all ages. Additions include a skate park, splash pad, courts, fields, labyrinth and reflexology path.

The five-acre park is more than a recreational space, said city leaders and project partners during the grand opening.

“Today we celebrate not only the opening of the new park, but also the lasting impact it will have on the health, the wellbeing, and quality of life to everyone who calls West Sacramento home,” said Parks and Recreation Director Kate Smith to a crowd of more than 100 people at the event.

The reopening of Westacre Park followed the opening of Washington Park — the city’s 40th park — on June 18. Smith called the timing fitting, since the California Park & Recreation Society declared July as “Parks Make Life Better” month.

The city received the grant for the project in December 2021 from the Proposition 68 Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program. Part of the Outdoors for All initiative championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the program targets underserved and economically disadvantaged communities.

West Sacramento faces low life expectancy and financial hardship, West Sacramento Councilmember Quirina Orozco noted. She described the park before the renovations and expansion as “outdated,” “rarely visited,” and “crumbling.”

“Our children deserve better than to look elsewhere for all of the joy and all of the investment. They deserve a place of their own to thrive,” Orozco said. She called the updated park the best in West Sacramento.

“This gives kids the opportunity to dream big,” she continued. “They get to look around and say, my community cares about me. This is about a promise made and a promise kept.”

In an effort to address public health inequity, the city partnered with Sutter Health. The nonprofit healthcare system provided funds for the Sutter Health Trail, which includes a reflexology path and a labyrinth to “encourage movement, reflection, and connection with nature,” according Michael Cureton, the CEO of Sutter Davis Hospital.

“Some of the biggest influences on community health happen long before somebody walks into any of our hospitals or clinics,” Cureton said. “They’re found in our neighborhoods, our schools, our workplaces and our public spaces.”

As a father of two, Cureton added, he understands the “pivotal” role parks play in communities. He described Westacre as “multi-generational” — the play structure appeals to younger children, skate park to older children, courts to younger adults and reflexology path to older adults.

“This is a place where everybody — every member of the family or member in our community — can go to the park and enjoy it,” he said.

Before the park’s construction, the city held public meetings and administered surveys to assess what new amenities residents desired.

“The state can provide resources, but the community provides the vision,” said California Natural Resources Agency representative Gloria Sandoval, who thanked the public for their ideas and commitment.

Four thousand residents within a half mile of the park and more than 1,500 students now have access to quality recreation close to home, according to Sandoval.

For West Sacramento resident Tammy Linker, the project is long overdue and “a great thing for our community.” She has lived in the neighborhood all her life and attended Westacre Middle School across the street from the park.

Linker is the incoming president of the West Sacramento Rotary Club, which also made a financial contribution to the project. The city also partnered with Washington School District to sign a joint-use agreement for the property.

City resident Alyssa Castaneda said she eagerly awaited the park opening because she has two young children and another on the way.

“We, before the park, needed some help, and so we’re happy now to have something they can play on,” she said. She added that her favorite addition is the splash pad, since the next closest one is in Bridgeway Park — almost 15 minutes away.

Orozco said she was excited to be one of the champions of this vision.

“This is something that we did for our kids,” she said. “Because it never was about concrete … and ribbon cutting. This is about a neighborhood that has waited a long time, but is not going to be forgotten.”

After the ribbon-cutting, the splash pad turned on and children ran through the water until their clothes were soaked. Others climbed on the play structure — featuring a flying school bus — played basketball and pickleball, and took turns on the swings.

“Parks are where childhood memories are made,” West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said. “They are where … grandparents watch their grandchildren play, where parents teach children to ride a bike … where families depart from their busy lives, to simply enjoy one another.”

Roxana Gaona attended the grand opening with her mother.

“There’s everything you can dream of,” the young girl said.