Marina officials and residents push to revive improvements at Locke-Paddon Park.

Locke-Paddon Community Park is an oasis in the middle of Marina – but everyone agrees it is lacking in attention. A growing chorus of Marina residents want to see a well-maintained pond, access to the water and a new garden to celebrate the local Asian community. City representatives will present a vision for the park to the board and staff of Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

The park is primarily owned by MPRPD and maintained by the City of Marina. The lease and maintenance agreement is over 20 years old, and the city is seeking to reevaluate it, although MPRPD General Manager Rafael Payan says the park district isn’t interested in reassessing their arrangement, in which the city is primarily responsible for maintenance.

The 17-acre park is the largest in Central Marina and is home to facilities like the Marina branch of Monterey County Free Libraries and Martin Luther King Jr. sculpture garden, as well as nature: There is avian life around the pond – great for birding – and flora includes willow trees.

In a July report, city officials recognized they have not done a good job in maintaining and improving the park and its pond. “If we really want this to be a central park, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make the park visible and inviting,” says Marina resident Jeff Markham, a member of Friends of Marina Parks. “It does kind of look like a jungle out here.”

The park’s most recent master plan is from 2005; the City Council approved $100,000 this fiscal year and will hire a contractor to develop a plan to maintain the pond (part of the pond is on city property); two years ago, council allocated $250,000 for an Asian garden.

Members of the nonprofit Asian Communities of Marina have been involved in developing plans for the garden.

ACOM and FOMP members have spoken up at MPRPD meetings to advocate for improvements and the Asian garden. “We really packed the place because it’s very important for us to feel like we have visibility in our communities,” says Kathy Biala, ACOM president and a Marina City Council member.

Payan cautions that any changes and additions could be a lengthy process. Other agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, would be involved. Biological and cultural assessments would likely be required as well.