Grant money brings recreational opportunities to Oceano 

Elementary school field trips and a new public plaza are in store for Oceano residents, come 2024.

Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board president Charles Varni told New Times that next spring, Caltrans will begin construction on a public plaza at 17th Street and Beach Street.

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• File Photo By Jayson Mellom
• CONSTRUCTION BEGINS Caltrans will begin construction on a new public plaza in spring 2024 between 17th Street and Beach Street in Oceano.

"It's a $1.8 million project, and we've lobbied hard to work out an agreement with the county on management of the plaza since it'll be a public plaza for public events," Varni said. "We're all pretty much on the same page in that the more local control there is, the more efficient it will be."

The project is funded through a Clean California grant to enhance beautification along state roads and highways in California.

"The lead agency is Caltrans who has entered into a contract with a local construction company called Burke Construction," he said. "It's really nice that we have a local company on board and that money can rebound through the community to help create jobs."

Varni added that the new outdoor plaza will overtake the privately owned Triangle Park. The district will also be able to shut down a block on either side of 17th Street and Beach Street to accommodate for larger events that could be held there.

"We've been consultants on the project, and we're currently working through the design phase," he said. "The original design didn't contain electricity, but I thought it would have made it difficult to arrange public events especially if we wanted to have dances, bands, or speakers so I was able to get everyone on board with having electrical outlets installed."

OCSD's Parks and Recreation Committee just received confirmation that the district will get a $16,000 grant from California State Parks to support field trips for local students, Varni said.

"This grant is for Oceano Elementary School students exclusively, and there will be a portion of the grant that will support transportation and another portion for educational presentations," he said. "We're doing things like the ecosystems and roles of beavers in our area for students."

Varni said locations and logistics are being planned out, and the committee is simply waiting for the money to arrive. Δ