Fountain Valley Sports Park expansion gets county approval

Fountain Valley Sports Park will see a 16-acre expansion as part of an amended and restated lease with the county of Orange, a development city officials said will help address growing community needs in the near future.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of the agreement, which put an end to a lengthy negotiating process that spanned more than two years.

Mile Square Regional Park — enclosed by Brookhurst Street, Edinger Avenue, Euclid Street and Warner Avenue — was passed on from the U.S. government to the county via a quitclaim deed that dictated the space should be preserved for public park and recreational use.

As part of the agreement, the county leased a portion of the park to the city of Fountain Valley for 50 years. The lease could be extended for additional periods of 50 years, provided that the city developed its portion of the land for park and recreational purposes.

The rent-free lease originated on March 28, 1973, for an initial 55 acres of the 640-acre parcel, although it was amended to expand to an estimated 78 acres on Feb. 15, 2000. Fountain Valley Sports Park will now comprise roughly 94 acres in total. A staff report said the additional acreage will come from within a 93-acre golf course expansion area along the border of the city-operated parcel.

Rob Frizzelle, the city’s director of community services, spoke before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, calling Mile Square Regional Park and Fountain Valley Sports Park the “fabric of our community.”

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Fountain Valley prepared to expand its Sports Park

The Fountain Valley City Council approved the allocation of funds for a 16-acre expansion of Fountain Valley Sports Park. The O.C. Board of Supervisors will have the final approval.

Feb. 22, 2025

Supervisor Janet Nguyen thanked those involved in the negotiations ahead of the vote, adding, “This park is very utilized throughout the year, whether it’s the county side or the city side.”

Opportunities for further public input will come during the city’s parks master planning process, which is expected to take 18 months, city officials said. Some ideas have already come to the forefront.

“We have frequently heard from our residents the need for independent, active recreational needs such as dog parks, expansion of the fitness trails, more pickleball — there is always a need for more pickleball — as well as reservable event venues and sports fields,” Frizzelle said. “Through our collaboration with the county and O.C. Parks, we are excited to provide this opportunity to our current and future community.”

Fountain Valley Sports Park is home to the city’s recreation center, as well as the Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley, which operates on the property via a sublease agreement. The park recently saw the addition of a universally accessible playground that emphasized parallel play for children of all abilities. It also has courts for basketball, pickleball and tennis, as well as athletic fields for baseball, soccer and softball.

The ability to bring more offerings to the community also has the potential to bring more revenue to Fountain Valley, City Manager Maggie Le said. In a phone interview on Wednesday, she said community input has revealed a desire to have more space for banquets and meetings.

A proposal that included a 14.6-acre expansion of the city’s portion of the park received City Council approval on Nov. 19, but the item came back to the panel on Feb. 18. The council allocated $121,000 in alternative park funds for an additional 1.6 acres, which could provide parking for new amenities put on the site. The funds covered infrastructure relocation and site improvements made by the county as part of a rehabilitation project.

“We know the Fountain Valley Sports Park is kind of like our downtown,” Le said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to have a gathering place and build upon that, and continue to make it as a regional park that everyone can come to Fountain Valley and experience the opportunity — also, the growing restaurants that we are attracting. Ideally, our goal is to make it a foodie community, as well, with the additional opportunity for all. … That would help us from a revenue standpoint.”