HILLCREST PARK

Sunday, March 4, 2007
Hillcrest Park is prime for primping
Fullerton officials are eager to restore city's old park, but costs are high.
By BARBARA GIASONE
The Orange County Register
FULLERTON – Hillcrest Park, long considered the jewel of the city, is losing its luster.
Rains have deepened slope erosion on the 44-acre site, purchased in 1920 for $67,298.
Retaining walls have started to crumble, endangering sports fields and the 1931 Izaak Walton Cabin that was rebuilt in 1996 after a devastating fire.
The northernmost road inside the park, which runs between Harbor Boulevard and Lemon Street, is deteriorating from trucks hauling materials for the new 5 million-gallon reservoir.
City officials are eager to restore the shine – but finding enough money is tough.
"With the costs for asphalt and concrete continually rising, we're talking about a multimillion-dollar fix," City Manager Chris Meyer said.
At its March 20 meeting, the City Council is expected to approve plans for the Lions Field area at the park's northern end — shoring up a slipping retaining wall and adding parking, restrooms, concession stands and a Pop Warner football field. Those improvements could cost as much as $8 million, City Engineer Don Hoppe said.
The City Council will eventually decide how many improvements to make to Hillcrest.
More parking is needed to keep families from parking on Brea Boulevard and putting themselves in danger when running across the busy street for games.
Last month, the council decided to ask for $4.1 million in federal funds that would go toward restoring a 1930s fountain, a war memorial and vegetation.
The fountain, an icon in the early days, hasn't worked for years. Parks and Recreation Director Ron Molendyk said homeless people living in a vault beneath the stone structure were evicted, and a metal covering was installed. Park rangers were hired in May to patrol the park.
Back in the 1930s, Hillcrest was a refuge from disasters. Families camped in tents here after the Long Beach earthquake of 1933, and they came here for higher ground when threatened by the 1938 Santa Ana River flood.
Years later, the recreational area became home for art festivals and peace gatherings.
"Hillcrest should be an adventure to walk through, a learning experience like an arboretum instead of an overgrown park with trashy brush," said Dave Alkema, the city's Parks and Recreation manager. "It's degraded in its present condition. But rebuilding infrastructure comes before beautification."