FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Residents approved the Measure J general obligation bond in November 2018 to improve parks and recreation in Fair Oaks. The bond identified four major projects within the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD): improvements at Village Park, Plaza Park, and the Community Clubhouse; construction of two new softball fields at Phoenix Park; construction of a new recreation center serving youth and seniors; and district-wide improvement projects to increase safety, develop new parks, and protect open spaces.                        

The District also hoped to fund some ambitious renovations at the Veteran’s Memorial Amphitheatre, applying for Prop. 65 funding through the state. The Amphitheatre renovations were planned to coincide with the Measure J improvements scheduled for Village Park, Plaza Park, and the Community Clubhouse. However, the Prop. 65 application was not approved by the state.

But the District had already put a lot of time and money into designs for the Amphitheatre project and had gathered extensive input and support from the Fair Oaks community. Mike Aho, district administrator for the FORPD, said, “We had the plan ready to go; we had all the public outreach done.” So, with the approval of the Measure J citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, District staff recommended the Board use some of the $29.5 million Measure J bond funds for the Amphitheatre remodel. The Board agreed with the recommendation, voting at the April 15 meeting to allocate $5.9 million to the Amphitheatre project.

The Amphitheatre wasn’t specifically listed in the bond language, since the District planned to fund the project through Prop. 65. When asked if the Measure J bond allows for use on improvements to paid recreation facilities like the Amphitheatre, Aho said that the bond language specifies that the funds can be used to “upgrade, construct, renovate, and expand parks/facilities.”

Along with upgrades to the exterior and updated ADA accommodations, the Amphitheatre renovations will include additions of a lobby, dressing rooms, recreation rooms, new restrooms, an outdoor raised stage facing Plaza Park, and an enclosed Black Box theater. The improvements will allow year-round use of the Amphitheatre, regardless of weather.

The District had originally earmarked a large portion of Measure J funds for a new recreation center. When asked if that project was now off the table, Aho said, “We have other funding opportunities we’re looking at.” After completion of all the Measure J projects currently planned, Aho explained that the District expects to have another $3 or 4 million in Measure J funds that could be put toward a recreation center—a total that could be bolstered by grants and donations. The recreation center is only in the initial concept phase, and a location has not even been secured. So, moving some funds to the Amphitheatre project doesn’t actually delay plans for a recreation center.

Funding the Amphitheatre project at this time will benefit the Village, said Aho: “If we wait, we disrupt the Village twice. … We want to keep disruption to a minimum. It’s better for everybody.” The Village enhancements are expected to take at least a year and a half. So, if the District waits for other funding sources for the Amphitheatre, vendors and visitors in the Village would be dealing with an extended construction schedule.

Aho said that the parks and facilities in the Village essentially “are the center of recreation for Fair Oaks.” The District plans to break ground on the Plaza Park, Village Park, Community Clubhouse, and Amphitheatre improvements on October 8, 2020, as part of the District’s 75^th anniversary celebration.

While the District owns the Amphitheatre, theatrical operations are managed by the Fair Oaks Theatre Festival Board of Directors. Don Langford, a member of the Board, said he viewed the plans for renovation as a “hopeful dream.” After learning that the District’s Prop. 65 application was denied, Lanford said, “We assumed we wouldn’t be touched.” He never expected the project would be funded through Measure J: “It wasn’t part of the bond measure as we had read it.”

The Theatre Festival Board was busy planning the upcoming 2020 season, which would have run from May through September, before the coronavirus pandemic forced a cancelation. Upon hearing that the District planned to move forward with the Amphitheatre renovation, Langford said he was “surprised and pleased.” Although the change is a pleasant surprise, Langford said they are now faced with the task of removing all their lighting, equipment, props, and costumes to an offsite storage location to make room for the renovation.

Shutting down the Amphitheatre for almost two years of construction is a daunting prospect for the Theatre Festival Board; Langford said, “We weren’t prepared for that.” He said it could be a challenge to maintain support for the Amphitheatre while it is shut down for the remodel, but he hopes they can continue holding events at alternative locations—although that isn’t currently feasible due to the public health crisis.

Langford is looking forward to the eventual reopening of the new-and-improved Amphitheatre: “The concept of being year-round is very exciting for us.” Holding large-scale musicals and concerts in the outdoor Amphitheatre during the summer and closing into a smaller facility during the winter months for more intimate productions offers a way of “keeping theatre alive year-round,” said Langford. “It’s very exciting, and it’s very out-of-the box thinking.”