Small is beautiful
One of my pet peeves about Chico is its lack of small neighborhood parks geared to recreational activities.
For several decades Chicoans reveled in the luxury of having a huge park within walking distance of where they lived. This windfall from Annie Bidwell 101 years ago gave two generations of residents more than enough open space.
Urban sprawl has changed that. Chico has grown far beyond the 50-block grid John Bidwell laid out in 1860. In fact, the city now extends beyond what was once the northern boundary of Bidwell’s Rancho Arroyo Chico. People who live out there are a couple of miles away from Bidwell Park.
That’s why it’s so gratifying to see DeGarmo Park taking shape — or at least phase one, which will have three softball and two soccer fields. In time the 36-acre park next to Shasta School will have more playing fields, a playground, picnic areas and an aquatic center.
When the park is finished, it’s certain to become known as the gem of north Chico.
Development of a more laid-back sort of park at E. First and Verbena avenues has also been approved. Neighborhood residents wanted it to be kept in its natural state. Indeed, nature will be improved upon. Lindo Channel, on the north side of the park, is going to be allowed to meander a bit, which will result in more wetland areas. Invasive plants will be removed and replaced with native varieties.
The manmade objects at the site will be put to better use. Concrete scattered throughout the property, which was once a gravel quarry, will be used to build walkways.
A network of creekside greenways offers yet another approach for ensuring Chico has a comprehensive park system. I like New Urban Builders’ plans to enhance the Little Chico Creek Greenway that runs through its proposed Meriam Park development in southeast Chico. Plans call for community gardens, a small playground, bike and walking trails and a dog park.
I hope the city is conscientious in its efforts to acquire property along the stretches of Little Chico Creek that run through its established neighborhoods as parcels become available. It would be a wonderful legacy for future generations of Chicoans to have a greenway running all the way along the creek from Bruce Road on the east to Dayton Road on the west.