Unnamed park on Greenback Lane could finally get a name

By Mike Hazlip—
The only park owned and maintained by Citrus Heights has remained nameless since it was established more than a decade ago. Now, some residents want to remedy that.

Resident Thomas Spencer approached the City Council during an Aug. 25 meeting after the subject came up in a previous meeting of the Park Oaks Neighborhood Association (PONA). Spencer said PONA residents supported the idea to officially designate the green space.

“I call it a green area,” Spencer said, referencing the landscaped swath of about 675 feet along Greenback Lane, between Parkoaks Drive and Oakside Drive. “It doesn’t have a designation and the members of the meeting thought it would be great to have a name.”

Previous discussion at an Aug. 18 PONA meeting included ideas to invite the community’s input in naming the space.

Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer, also a resident of PONA, expressed support for the idea saying he would like to look at naming the park. Mayor Porsche Middleton and Bret Daniels also offered support for looking into the idea, officially putting it on the calendar as a future agenda item.

Citrus Heights Historical Society President Larry Fritz said the park was once a row of duplex homes that were demolished when Greenback Lane was expanded to six lanes. Access to the duplex driveways were directly off of Greenback Lane, and the city purchased the land to aid traffic flow, Fritz said.

Once construction along Greenback Lane was complete, the city was left with property between the completed thoroughfare and the next row of homes.

A sculpture titled “Up and Away” by artist Colin Lambert representing an oak leaf blowing in the wind was built in the park, according to the city. The piece is the first public artwork acquired by the Citrus Heights, according to the city.