27 October 6, 2026
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Long Beach
California
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to authorize the City Manager, or designee, to accept, appropriate, and expend grant funding awarded from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive Grant Program to projects including, 10th Street Greenbelt, Washington Neighborhood Community Center, and Willow Springs Trailhead, in an amount not to exceed $5,786,460;
Recommendation to increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department by $286,460, offset by grant revenue from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department by $286,460 offset by a transfer of Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District grant funds from the Capital Grants Fund; Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $5,500,000, offset by grant revenue from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District; and,
Increase appropriations in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department by $5,500,000, offset by a transfer of Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District grant funds from the Capital Grants Fund. (Districts 1, 3 and 5)
DISCUSSION
In 2016, Los Angeles County (County) voters approved the Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Measure 2016 (County Measure A), which authorizes dedicated local funding for park, recreation, and open space development and maintenance through an annual special tax of 1.5 cents per square foot of building floor area on all taxable real property in the County.
County Measure A makes funding available to eligible recipients for projects that repair and upgrade parks and recreational facilities; create new parks; preserve and protect open spaces and beaches; and support recreational programming. County Measure A provides funding through both annual allocation programs and competitive grant programs. Annual allocations are distributed using set formulas, while competitive grants are awarded on a competitive basis during set grant cycles.
Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District’s (RPOSD) competitive grant programs are designed to invest in eligible programmatic or capital projects consistent with, or Public Works
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Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
similar to, those identified in the Parks Need Assessment.
On October 8, 2024, City Council authorized entering into the Measure A Annual Allocation Grant Agreement (Master Agreement) with RPOSD for Measure A funding for Projects and Programs through the Los Angeles County Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Measure 2016, and to execute any documents necessary to accept the funds and implement the Projects. In addition, City Council Resolution No. 24-0151 was approved to provide blanket authority to file applications with the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District for Measure A Funds for projects or programs
In 2025, RPOSD announced a competitive grant program totaling $58 million in available County Measure A funding to support planning and design projects and projects that are shovel-ready.
Eligible projects comply with one of the following options:
A. Improve and protect natural lands, open space, and water resources through development and restoration. Projects may improve water quality, restore habitat, expand park space, or enhance public access to rivers, beaches, lakes, and other natural systems (Category 3).
B. Support regional-scale recreation that improves access to nature, increases countywide connectivity, and serves broad populations. Regional scale projects serve, connect, or benefit a broad cross-jurisdictional area extending beyond a single neighborhood, community or city (Category 4).
The City of Long Beach (City) received an award of $1,500,000 for the 10th Street Greenbelt Project under Category 3. This project improves 2.3 acres of what was formerly the Pacific Electric Right-of-Way and features drought-tolerant landscaping and expands the urban tree canopy by 37 trees helping to mitigate urban heat island effects.
The City received an award of $286,460 for the Washington Neighborhood Community Center Project under Category 4 for planning and design. This project includes a site feasibility study, CEQA analysis, and community engagement related to the design of a new community center in the Washington Neighborhood fostering a recreational and social space for the community and improving health and wellness through accessible programs.
The City received an award of $4,000,000 for the Willow Springs Trailhead Project under Category 4. This project serves as an educational center, trailhead, and demonstration site for sustainability including a shaded plaza to serve as a gathering area, drought-tolerant native plants, ADA parking, site lighting, and interpretive signage.
In accordance with the above-referenced City Council authority previously granted in 2024, the City executed grant agreements with the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District on June 18, 2026, for Washington Neighborhood Community Center, July 9, 2026, for 10th Street Greenbelt, and July 23, 2026, for the Willow Springs Trailhead projects.
The Parks, Recreation and Marine and Public Works Departments jointly recommend appropriating County Measure A funding for the projects shown below in Table 1.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
Table 1. Awarded Competitive Grant Projects
Council
District
Study
Area Project Amount
1 South Washington Neighborhood Community
Center $286,460
3 South 10th Street Greenbelt $1,500,000
5 West Willow Springs Trailhead $4,000,000
Total $5,786,460
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Vanessa S. Ibarra on September 3, 2026, and by Budget Operations Manager Nader Kaamoush on August 28, 2026.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on October 6, 2026, to advance the projects into the next phase of work.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will receive grant revenue from Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive Grant Program in an amount not to exceed $5,786,460 for the Washington Neighborhood Community Center, 10th Street Greenbelt, and the Willow Springs Trailhead projects. The grant funding has no match requirement or in-kind service mandate.
An appropriation increase is requested in the amount of $572,920 in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Parks, Recreation, and Marine Department. Of this amount, $286,460 will be offset by Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive grant revenue. The remaining $286,460 is a technical appropriation to allow for the transfer of Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive funds from the Capital Grants Fund, a fund within the Capital Projects Fund Group.
An appropriation increase is requested in the amount of $11,00,000 in the Capital Projects Fund Group in the Public Works Department. Of this amount, $5,500,000 will be offset by Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive grant revenue. The remaining $5,500,000 is a technical appropriation to allow for the transfer of Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Competitive funds from the Capital Grants Fund, a fund within the Capital Projects Fund Group.
This recommendation has no staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. Approval of this recommendation will provide continued support to the local economy.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
October 6, 2026
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Joshua Hickman
Director
Public Works
Stephen P. Scott
Director
Parks, Recreation and Marine