This month marks the beginning of the next exciting phase of progress toward the completion of the new Canyon Country Community Center.

On March 15 the city will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I of construction.

This first phase of the construction project will include rough grading (smoothing out the dirt and prepping the soil for construction), Mint Canyon Channel and storm drain improvements and installation of an infiltration system.

The Mint Canyon Channel is Los Angeles County-owned property. We are fortunate to have a great partner in Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who is supporting the project by funding a portion of the improvements to the channel.

Instead of an open concrete channel running along the east side of the Community Center, we are creating a box channel, which will essentially put a lid on top of a majority of the channel, allowing for landscaping and a trail to be put on top of it. This will greatly increase the aesthetic beauty of the site and allow for more usable space.

The storm drain improvements and infiltration system will divert water run-off from storm drains along Sierra Highway. Currently, the water flows directly from the drain into the channel, to the river and all the way out to the ocean – taking with it whatever pollutants, trash and debris it picks up along the way.

This project will divert that water into an infiltration system that will clean out the debris and pollutants, and recharge our underground aquifers by releasing the water back into the ground. This system uses massive 10-foot wide pipes that will be buried underneath the west and north parking lots on the site.

Once the Canyon Country Community Center is complete, you won’t even know that environmental benefits are taking place right under your feet. As exciting as this part of the project is – we are looking forward to starting Phase II of construction toward the end of 2019. That is when the actual Community Center building will begin to take shape.

Find more information on the new Canyon Country Community Center here.

Best Regards,
Ken Striplin