County plans park and road work on the Hill

Board of Supervisors unanimously approved funding proposals from both the Regional Parks and Open Space District (RPOSD) and the county’s Transportation and Land Management Agency (TLMA). The request from both agencies included projects on the Hill during the next fiscal year (July 2023 through June 2024).

Parks

RPOSD requested approval to use $11.8 million the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319). In two payments, the county received a total of $479.9 million to be used for infrastructure, housing and homelessness, workforce development, neighborhood revitalization, business revitalization, child care facilities and nonprofits.

Of the six RPOSD projects, the district plans to spend $1.5 million to improve accommodations at Lawler Lodge. This work will make the site much more accessible for visitors with disabilities.

Lawler Lodge was built in 1919 and is a Riverside County Historical Landmark. The site, north of Idyllwild on Highway 243, consists of a large lodge building and several ancillary cabins. The lodge is located at the bottom of a hill and access is difficult for those with mobility disabilities. This project would restore two of the ancillary cabins located above the lodge, making them available for use and making one adjacent to the parking lot an ADA accessible short-term lodging unit.

Some of the other RPOSD projects include boat launch repairs at Lake Skinner, paving at Rancho Jurupa Regional Park, and trails work and habitat restoration along the Santa Ana River.

Roads

The TLMA plans to do many road projects throughout the county. This funding is from the state’s Road and Repair Accountability Act. During fiscal year (FY) 2023-24, the county expects to receive $45.1 million for road work.

In the request, TLMA stated that the average pavement condition in unincorporated Riverside County was given a C- rating in 2020, by the American Society of Civil Engineers. This is the focus of the work to be funded.

Senate Bill (SB) 1 was passed in 2017 to improve the state’s aging transportation infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges. Without SB 1, these needed road repair projects would have been shelved until funding became available. These funds are restricted to a “Fix-It-First” approach. Local agencies are required to focus on roadway rehabilitation and maintenance to improve the condition of their existing infrastructure, according to TLMA.

Among the dozens of projects TLMA will work on during FY 2023-24, three are in Idyllwild. North and South Circle drives, from Village Center Drive around to Highway 243, will be resurfaced as will Fern Valley Drive from South Circle Drive to Humber Park. The agency estimates the work will be completed this October. Total cost for resurfacing the three streets is projected to be $3 million.