“PIONEER” PARK ON PAUSE FOR NOW
Lack of funding imperils park plans, tribal representatives object to name, west side residents question location
The City of Twentynine Palms’ grant application for the development of “Pioneer” Park has been denied. The proposal for $8.5 million in funding from a Prop 68 Cultural, Community and Natural Resource grant was turned down in December 2021.1
The development was planned for a 17.7 acre City owned parcel at the intersection of Adobe Rd. and Sullivan that is home to Theatre 29, a building that is also City owned.
$2.7 million of the grant would have funded a renovated and expanded Theatre 29. The balance was earmarked for an amphitheater, multi-use field, walking trails, a running loop, children’s and inter-generational playgrounds, and volleyball, basketball and tennis courts among other recreational amenities. The proposal also included the purchase of two adjacent parcels for $217,250 to bring the total site to approximately 21 acres.
The name “Pioneer” Park raised questions about the City’s sensitivity to local tribal interests given the Park’s proximity to Chemeheuvi burial grounds. According to City Manager Frank Luckino, local tribes were consulted during the CEQA process and mitigations for potential cultural artifacts were agreed upon. However, George Nicholas, Chief Administrative Officer for the 29 Palms Band of Mission Indians, conveyed issues with the name which is still being used on the City website for the project. Luckino indicated that he had not received policy direction from Council regarding the park name.
Residents on the western end of the City had wondered about the addition of a third park located within a few miles of two other City parks: Luckie Park and Knott’s Sky Park. There are no City parks or amenities west of Knott’s Sky Park. When asked whether the City had plans for a park on the went end, City Manager Luckino replied, The City owns 100 acres west of Indian Cove, these 100 acres are in three parcels (55 acres, 45 acres, and 5 acres). The 5 acres is a potential piece of land for a regional park, however no plans are currently on the books to develop.”
Plans for “Pioneer” Park date back to 2008. Per Luckino, the project isn’t abandoned but “no funding is identified.”
Theatre 29 continues to fundraise for expansion and improvements and the City was successful in receiving funding on two other Proposition 68 grant proposals: $2 million for the Joshua Tree National Park Cultural Center in Project Phoenix/Freedom Plaza and $921,400 for Recreational Trails and Greenways.
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It’s common for government agencies to decide grant funding without additional comment. According to City Manager Luckino, the explanation given was there were more applications than available funds.