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Fountain Valley City Council members are looking to make major overhauls at the Fountain Valley Sports Park, expanding it by 16 acres and adding a permanent outdoor stage.
With a 50-year lease extension in place with the County of Orange, city officials say these projects — including a digital message board — will improve communication, streamline event planning, enhance community engagement and provide cost savings for years.
The park is currently sitting at 78 acres.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our city,” Councilmember Glenn Grandis said at the Feb. 18 meeting. “I hope residents fully understand the impact this will have on our community. This is huge.”
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The Trust for Public Lands finds that 62% of Fountain Valley’s roughly 57,000 residents live within a 10-minute walk from a park. The trust found that 11% of the city’s land is used for parks.
Across the nation, Irvine is ranked at number four for park space by the trust through metrics using the total park acreage, investment, amenities, accessibility and equity. The Trust for Public Lands found 95% of Irvine residents live within a 10-minute walk from a park and 27% of land is used for parks.
At the Feb. 18 meeting, city council members approved the 16-acre expansion project, which is set to be completed in the next 18 to 24 months. The expansion will receive partial funding of $121,000 from the city’s Alternative Park Fund.
Mayor Ted Bui credited city officials for negotiating a more extensive expansion than initially proposed.
“A big thanks to my colleagues for not accepting the first offer,” Bui said at the meeting. “We held off, had more discussions, and were able to get even more land.”
The 18 to 24-month timeframe is typical for completing a comprehensive parks master plan, according to Parks & Recreation Director Rob Frizelle.
“It provides the opportunity to meet with key stakeholders, community groups and residents in an effort to gain as much information related to future park planning to meet the needs of our community,” Frizelle said.
Once the information is gathered, a complete master plan will be created and submitted to the Fountain Valley City Council for guidance and additional approval.
“We’ve been negotiating for over two years to secure this expansion,” Frizelle said. “It’s a perfect fit for our city’s needs.”
There are no specific plans yet for the additional acreage, but the city is asking for community feedback as part of the master plan process and future development of the site.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors also unanimously approved the expansion during the Feb. 25 meeting.
It’s not the only improvement expected at Fountain Valley Sports Park.
At a separate meeting on Feb. 4, the council discussed getting a permanent outdoor stage — also known as a bandstand — and digital message board for the park. These potential additions are still being mulled over and have not been fully approved.
As part of the improvements, a new digital message board — estimated to cost about $90,000 — would replace the existing temporary signage with a modern, high-visibility display.
“The temporary electronic sign in the street isn’t ideal,” Councilmember Kim Constantine said at the Feb. 4 meeting. “This would be a much safer setup.”
Some council members have raised concerns about the design and placement of the digital message board. Councilmember Patrick Harper suggested a double-sided board to maximize visibility so residents can see it from both directions on Brookhurst Street.
“A digital billboard can rotate at a faster pace with more information,” Frizelle said. “It’s a big upgrade for public communication.”
Meanwhile, the outdoor stage — projected at approximately $150,000 — is expected to eliminate the need for costly temporary stage rentals, which currently cost the city around $30,000 to $35,000 annually for community events, live music and more.
“If we can fund it properly, it’s something that will benefit the community for a long time,” Grandis said.
Councilmember Jim Cunneen said that the stage’s design and height would be key to ensuring its effectiveness for future events.
The video board and outdoor stage are expected to be presented as part of the 2025-2026 fiscal year budget for consideration by the city council in May 2025.
If approved, these projects would become part of the city’s capital improvement program for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
City Manager Maggie Le called the changes an exciting step forward for Fountain Valley.
“We’re making investments that will serve residents for decades to come,” she said.
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