It was exactly a year ago that I wrote about all the great things we could expect at Brea’s closed Arovista Park. The park’s renovations started in April 2024, and nearly two years later, it is far from completion.

What’s the holdup?

According Liz Pharis, Brea’s public information officer, there have been delays due to issues such as the necessity to relocate an SCE power pole that if left in place would conflict with ADA walkways to and from the park. There is also soil remediation and other construction details resulting in the delays.

The 14.84-acre, 30-year-old park can be accessed at Imperial Highway and Berry Street, where a ball field is still open. Another, now closed, entrance is at Elm Street and Sievers Avenue.  The park borders residential neighborhoods, plus the Brea Senior Center and the local Boys & Girls Club.

With the park bordering such a large area, it is getting more than 50 walls, ranging from 3 feet to 15 feet tall. There’s also the very popular skate park that neighbors backyards, so there are plans for its sound walls to grow to be more than 30 feet.

Phase One of the park renovation project still includes all-inclusive playground equipment, a new amphitheater, sport courts that include tennis and pickleball courts, reopening of the skate park and updates to its sound wall.

It all sounds so great. But here it is two years later and it is far from done, as I saw when I checked it out a week ago.

According to the city’s website, the renovated Phase One of Arovista Park is opening this year. The sooner the better, and hopefully worth the wait.

Something that is happening on time is the 2026 Go. Serve. Brea on April 25. This citywide volunteer clean-up, fix-up day, formerly known as Love Brea Day, is where Breans volunteer to help spruce up and clean up Brea. Pull weeds on The Tracks of Brea, help organize the storage units at the Brea Senior Center, paint benches at Brea’s elementary schools or fire hydrants around town.

Go. Serve. Brea also has projects at residents’ homes. Maybe pull weeds from an elder Brean’s front yard or clean windows. It is free for the recipients and a fun way to help beautify Brea.

This is a good service project for individuals, Scouts, church groups, moms’ groups, Brea Chamber of Commerce members, Brea Lions, Brea Rotary and Soroptimist of Brea/La Habra, who I will push to sign up early with me.

It’s fun, productive and kicks off at the Brea Civic and Cultural Center at 8 a.m. and ends back there at noon for a free lunch. And you get a free T-shirt.

What a deal. I wish we could volunteer to work on Arovista Park.  But there will be other spots around town that will need your help.

To volunteer, register a project, sponsor or for more information, go to  Cityofbrea.gov and click on Go.Serve.Brea on the home page.

Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at  daxoncomm@gmail.com.