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A much-needed grant was being put to good use Saturday, as volunteers stepped up to refurbish Oak Tree Community Park on the San Juan Ridge.
The new park formerly was the lower campus of Oak Tree School, which was closed in 2000 due to declining enrollment. In 2008, the school board declared the lower campus parcel to be surplus property and in 2009, the county used a $500,000 grant to buy the 11.5-acre field and pond property below the school.
In November 2010, voters in North San Juan and the San Juan Ridge approved a special tax, approved the boundaries of the park district and elected a board of directors. The board was seated in January of last year.
In 2011, the board established regular meetings and has been coordinating volunteer projects and securing additional funding, said board member Pete Milano.
Since the district won't receive any tax revenues until January 2013, the board submitted applications for two grants — Nevada County mitigation fee money and the Dryden J. Wilson endowment. The Board of Supervisors approved both requests and the district received about $99,000.
The mitigation fee money, $44,000, is being used to restore the bathrooms, convert the storage shed into a equipment shed, develop one picnic area and restore the playing field, Milano said. The Wilson endowment is being used for day-to-day operational costs, maintenance costs, improvements and one or two long-term projects.
Caseywood donated $800 in lumber and offered a 10 percent discount on the metal roof for the bathrooms.
Frank Milano, local owner/operator of Milano's Inn Bed and Breakfast in North San Juan, and Bob Eiermann, owner of Robert Eiermann Construction, along with community volunteers Roger Issac, Roger Issac Jr., and brothers Pat and Mike Edmondson, installed the roof on the bathrooms for free.
“We're part of the community, and we're glad to help out,” Eiermann said.
Other community volunteers have worked together.
In August, an old paper storage shed was converted into a very functional equipment storage building. More recently, volunteers have installed a new floor and made significant improvements in the district office.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.
The new park formerly was the lower campus of Oak Tree School, which was closed in 2000 due to declining enrollment. In 2008, the school board declared the lower campus parcel to be surplus property and in 2009, the county used a $500,000 grant to buy the 11.5-acre field and pond property below the school.
In November 2010, voters in North San Juan and the San Juan Ridge approved a special tax, approved the boundaries of the park district and elected a board of directors. The board was seated in January of last year.
In 2011, the board established regular meetings and has been coordinating volunteer projects and securing additional funding, said board member Pete Milano.
Since the district won't receive any tax revenues until January 2013, the board submitted applications for two grants — Nevada County mitigation fee money and the Dryden J. Wilson endowment. The Board of Supervisors approved both requests and the district received about $99,000.
The mitigation fee money, $44,000, is being used to restore the bathrooms, convert the storage shed into a equipment shed, develop one picnic area and restore the playing field, Milano said. The Wilson endowment is being used for day-to-day operational costs, maintenance costs, improvements and one or two long-term projects.
Caseywood donated $800 in lumber and offered a 10 percent discount on the metal roof for the bathrooms.
Frank Milano, local owner/operator of Milano's Inn Bed and Breakfast in North San Juan, and Bob Eiermann, owner of Robert Eiermann Construction, along with community volunteers Roger Issac, Roger Issac Jr., and brothers Pat and Mike Edmondson, installed the roof on the bathrooms for free.
“We're part of the community, and we're glad to help out,” Eiermann said.
Other community volunteers have worked together.
In August, an old paper storage shed was converted into a very functional equipment storage building. More recently, volunteers have installed a new floor and made significant improvements in the district office.
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.
