In this edition of COSAS, read about an incredible new park renovation project, learn how we are supporting local arts programs, join the library’s Summer Reading Program, check out movies in the park and other fun events, and much more!
Spotlight Photo
Safety first!
Photo Credit: Hiram U.
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City Manager’s Highlights
Reactivating Santa Anita Park
This week we held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $16 million Santa Anita Park improvement project that will create a fun, active and safe space for the Santa Ana community.
The Santa Anita Park project, which is already under construction, will reactivate the historic park located at 300 S. Figueroa St. and bring expansive community programs, services and new amenities to surrounding neighborhoods. The park will have a new Community and Aquatics Center, a new location for the Police Athletic & Activity League (PAAL), a new synthetic turf soccer field with sports lighting, new basketball courts and play equipment, and other amenities.
The project is funded through acquisition and development fees, a California Youth Soccer and Recreation Development grant, Community Development Block Grants, the City’s Cannabis Public Benefit Fund, and the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which funds our Revive Santa Ana pandemic recovery initiative.
Public Works Family Event
Check out this highlight video of the Public Works Family Event on May 20! Our Public Works Agency kicked-off National Public Works Week with a fun-filled event showcasing the amazing work done for our city.
News
Investing in the Artist Grant helps bring healing through art
On May 20, local Santa Ana nonprofit organization, The Art Spread, hosted Healing Through Art, an art fair that promoted mental health awareness through creative exercises at Bomo Koral Park in Santa Ana. The fair welcomed everyone to experience accessible art, complimentary food and drink, and creative, holistic approaches to issues facing the community.
Healing Through Art was able to collaborate with several local organizations that support artistic discovery, healing, and growth to provide workshops for all participants, regardless of artistic skill. The workshops focused on education through entertainment and strengthening imaginative design skills.
The event was one of many local arts and culture activities and projects that have been made possible through the City’s Investing in the Artist Grant. The grant program is part of our Revive Santa Ana pandemic recovery initiative funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The Investing in the Artist Grant program is currently taking applications for new projects until July 24. To apply for a grant, visit the link below.
Apply for Investing in the Artist Grant
‘Find Your Voice’ in our Summer Reading Program
Participate in our reading programs, discover great books, complete challenges, and earn prizes in this year’s Summer Reading Program from Santa Ana Public Library! To register, visit the Main Library or Newhope Library beginning Monday, June 5, or register online through Beanstack. The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Program is “Find Your Voice.” All ages can participate in programs tailored for adults, teens, and kids. The Summer Reading Program runs through Aug. 12.
Sign up for the summer reading program
City sponsors OC Pride Parade, raises rainbow flag
This year, the City of Santa Ana is the presenting sponsor of the OC Pride Festival & Parade, thanks to a $30,000 donation approved by the Santa Ana City Council. This year’s celebration, themed “Brilliant Resilience,” will take place on June 24 beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Downtown Santa Ana.
Not only has Santa Ana hosted OC Pride for many years, but also we were the first city in Orange County to fly the rainbow flag at City Hall, starting in 2016. We kicked off LGBTQ+ Pride Month this week with a flag-raising ceremony, and the flag will stay up through June 30. We are proud to be an inclusive City and to play host to the OC Pride Festival & Parade in downtown Santa Ana!
Summer Movies in the Park returns June 2 through July 14
Lights, camera, action! Bring your friends and family to our annual Movies in the Park series. Join us for seven weeks at seven different parks, every Friday beginning June 2. The City of Santa Ana will feature a free screening of family-friendly movies across various parks. Popcorn will be available while supplies last and in partnership with the Power of One Foundation.
At each movie, guests can look forward to inflatables and themed activities. Food will be available for purchase from rotating food vendors. Other important information:
- Headsets will be available for alternate audio in Spanish.
- It’s recommended that guests arrive early to secure their spots and find parking.
- Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and picnics.
Santa Ana wins 2023 Award of Excellence for Legacy Square affordable apartments
On May 17, the City of Santa Ana was honored with a 2023 Award of Excellence by the Orange Section of the American Planning Association (APA) for the Legacy Square apartments project. This recognition was in the Excellence for the Innovation in Green Planning category. This award marks the project’s second recognition for the City, including the 2023 Sustainability Award awarded by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on May 4.
Legacy Square is an affordable, multifamily apartment community that offers 93 high-quality apartment homes. Offsite improvements include almost $10 million in sustainable transportation improvements that boast bicycle lanes and pedestrian safety improvements for safer routes to school, urban greening components including a pocket park and street trees, and funding for programs to promote the use of local public transportation.
Permitted events and street closures for June 1 – 7
Here are the locations of upcoming permitted events and road closures so you can plan accordingly. Please drive slowly and safely in construction zones and around crowded events.
Street Closures and Permitted Events
Tales of the City
Santa Ana Active Streets receives Award of Excellence for Willard Safe Streets Project
Santa Ana Active Streets (SAAS) received the Grassroots Initiative Award of Excellence by the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter – Orange Section for the Willard Safe Streets Project, carried out in 2022 in the Willard Neighborhood.
SAAS and the Willard Neighborhood Association brought together hundreds of residents to experience streets redesigned for safety at the Willard Safe Streets event, providing free incentives like Revive Santa Ana gift cards, bike helmets and water bottles, as well as provided input on traffic safety concerns and ideas for a future park at a nearby empty lot. Willard Safe Streets was part of the SAAS Speaker series, which brings policy-level discussions about transportation to people-centered spaces in Santa Ana.
The project had many community partners involved, including Santa Ana Public Works Agency’s Traffic Engineering Division, the Santa Ana Police Department, the City Manager’s Office, Toole Design, and staff from the Southern California Association of Governments.
The project is also being considered for the state APA awards. Everyone’s collective support was vital to this project. Let’s keep up the good work!
Join SAAS for Wrench and Ride!
Make sure to join SAAS and The Bicycle Tree for a Summer Wrench and Ride program beginning June 13 through August 8!! This free eight-week program offers participants ages 13-18 the chance to learn about bicycle repair and maintenance, traffic safety, bike security, and more! Learn more about the program and register through the link below.
Register for free bicycle maintenance and safety classes
City Council Meetings
At their May 16 meeting, the Santa Ana City Council:
- Awarded a $358,210 construction contract to California Professional Engineering, Inc. for the Riverview Neighborhood Street Lighting Project
- Awarded a $2,954,000 construction contract to Onyx Paving Company, Inc. for citywide street improvements and resurfacing
- Approved an ordinance amending part of the Sunshine Ordinance of the Santa Ana Municipal Code to increase transparency, awareness, and public engagement opportunities in the development review process
City Council meetings are typically held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with the closed session beginning at 5 p.m. or earlier. The open meeting session begins at 5:45 p.m. Meetings have both in-person and virtual participation and attendance and are live streamed on the City’s YouTube channel and our TV channel, CTV3 (channel 3 on Spectrum.) If you’d like to provide public comments on agenda and non-agenda items, you can email, attend in person, or join the Zoom webinar online or by phone.
Events
Movies in the Park: ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ – June 2
Join us on Friday, June 2, at Centennial Park to kick off our Summer Movies in the Park series with a special showing of “The Lego Batman Movie.” Pre-movie festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the movie beginning after sunset. Guests can look forward to inflatables, movie themed activities, and popcorn in partnership with the Power of One Foundation.
- Friday, June 2
- 5:30 p.m.
- Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana
Summer Movies in the Park Series
Viet Book Fest: Author Panel – June 3
In collaboration with the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), the Santa Ana Public Library presents an author panel and book-signing. Authors Lan
Duong, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud, Barbara Tran, and Khoi Luu will be discussing and celebrating Vietnamese American poetry with Viet Thanh Nguyen, 2016 Pulitzer Prize winner, as moderator. The event is free and open to the public!
- Saturday, June 3
- 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Main Library, 26 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana
Read more about the Viet Book Fest event
Roosevelt Walker Community Center Open House – June 3
Santa Ana Parks and Recreation’s Health and Wellness Section invites you to the Roosevelt Walker Community Center Open House where you will learn more about the amenities and programs they offer while enjoying a community resource fair. This event is free and open to all ages.
- Saturday, June 3
- 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Roosevelt Walker Community Center, 816 E. Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana
RSVP for the Roosevelt Walker open house
Coffee and Donuts with OCFA – June 3
Come meet Orange County Fire Authority firefighters serving the Santa Ana community over coffee and donuts! Hosted by OCFA Division Chief Jim Henery and Mayor Valerie Amezcua. Fire and water safety information will be available, and fire cadets will talk about the Cadet Program for those ages 14-21 who are interested in careers in the fire service. Limited parking on site. Street parking is available.
- Saturday, June 3
- 9-11 a.m.
- 950 W. MacArthur Blvd., Santa Ana
RSVP for OCFA Coffee and Donuts
Garage and yard sale weekend – June 3 & 4
Residential garage and yard sales are allowed this weekend, June 3 and 4. Sales may begin at 8 a.m. and must end at 5 p.m. each day. Garage and yard sales for residential properties are permitted on the first full weekend of March, June, September, and December of each year. No permit is required.
Bowers Museum Reggae Summerfest – June 4
Enjoy live reggae music, complimentary face painting, art projects and more at the Bowers Museum’s free Reggae Summerfest. Santa Ana residents get free admission to see the museum’s exhibits. This event is part of Bowers Museum’s monthly Free Family Festival series, generously sponsored by the Nicholas Endowment.
- Sunday, June 4
- 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana
Bowers Museum Reggae Summerfest
Movies in the Park: ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ – June 9
Join us on Friday, June 9, at the Roosevelt Walker Community Center for our Summer Movies in the Park screening of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Pre-movie festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the movie beginning after sunset. Guests can look forward to inflatables, movie themed activities, and popcorn in partnership with the Power of One Foundation.
- Friday, June 9
- 5:30 p.m.
- Roosevelt Walker Community Center, 816 E. Chestnut Ave., Santa Ana
Juneteenth Festival – June 17
Save the date! Join us for a historical celebration at the Santa Ana Juneteenth Festival! This free, family-friendly event will have live entertainment, food, guest speakers, kids’ activities, and more.
- Saturday, June 17
- 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave., Santa Ana
Resources
Report issues with the mySantaAna app
The mySantaAna mobile app puts the power of the City of Santa Ana government in the palm of your hand! Download the app to quickly and easily report issues such as potholes, graffiti, downed trees and much more.
Who do I call at City Hall?
Important phone numbers:
- City Hall main line: (714) 647-5400
- Code Enforcement: (714) 667-2780
- Graffiti Hotline: (877) 786-7824
- Emergency Water Services: (714) 953-8026
- Public Works dispatch (street sweeping, trees): (714) 647-3380
Find more phone numbers for all City services
Utility services
- City utility services
- Southern California Edison: Call (800) 447-6620
- Southern California Gas: Call (800) 207-8567
- Trash pick up: Call (877) 328-2074