Angels Camp Aims To Complete Utica Park Improvements By November

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Angels Camp, CA — While much of Utica Park is looking bare these days, some major work is planned over the coming months.

Angels Camp City leaders will be replacing items like the recently-removed former playground equipment, as well as expanding amenities, and transforming it into a destination for regional recreation.

Recently on Mother Lode Views, City Administrator Rebecca Callen provided a history of the project, stating, “It started with the community club raising money to replace the play structure, while at the same time, the city was continuously applying for a rural recreation and tourism grant through the California Department of Parks.”

The City was unsuccessful multiple times and finally approved in 2022, for a $3 million grant.

The city also applied for other available dollars, and combining all money received, it totals around $4 million.

The city acquired an adjacent 3.82-acre piece of property, the former Lightner Mine, so that new aspects, like trails, could be added.

The city contracted with the San Joaquin Office of Education Corp to do the debris removal work (taking out dead and dying trees), before moving on to the geotechnical work.

Giving an update, Callen said, “We just finished the geotechnical aspect of the project, so if you drove by and saw big giant pieces of equipment out there, we had trenching, boring, and also ground penetrating radar that was happening.”

Boyer Construction has been hired to oversee many upcoming aspects of the project.  The next step is to finalize the site design and begin construction once the weather permits.

Other aspects include either rehabbing or replacing an existing pavilion, creating more restrooms, making ADA improvements, adding walking trails, improving the kitchen area,  and adding interpretive signage.

Callen adds, “Our current schedule is that we hope to have the entire park ready to go by November of this year. If there is any way we can get the playground section of the park ready before then, and if it is safe to have that portion open beforehand, we are definitely shooting for that.”

You can hear the full interview with Callen, where she also talked about a water rate study, economic development, and a pair of traffic roundabouts proposed, by clicking here.