Citrus Ranch Park in Tustin, California, provides a beautifully designed outdoor space for the community to spend leisure time with friends and family and to participate in a number of events and programs, planned to build community spirit. By designing to the natural conformation of the site, three separate and distinct areas were created, maximizing the recreational opportunities available to the community. The active play area with ADA compliant playgrounds and a large shade structure plaza lends itself to family picnics, birthday parties, social events, and creative play. The passive meadow area is the perfect spot for informal gatherings, group games, movies in the park events, and group or individual exercise. And finally, the knoll is an opportunity for hiking, running, meditating, ceremonies, and small receptions or fundraising events.

Strengthening Community Image and Sense of Place:

Citrus Ranch Park strengthens the community image and sense of place by providing a unique outdoor park experience with ties to Tustin's origins. When the community gathered to design this park site, they agreed unanimously that the lemon grove on the knoll must be preserved, but that the community should have access to that knoll, to take advantage of the spectacular view from the summit. The resulting park design accommodated these desires. The knoll is covered with rows of beautiful, productive lemon trees, one of the last citrus groves in the county. A ?????????????(R)???????+???????(R)?-mile trail winds through the trees to the hill top gazebo where one can take in stunning views of the aforementioned regional locations as well as much of what makes Tustin what it is today; sites like neighborhoods, schools, parks, the adjacent golf course and the historic blimp hangars at the Tustin Marine Base. Another feature of the park that lends itself to creating a sense of place is the Art Wall located at the entry to the park at the base of the knoll.

Promoting Health and Wellness:

All three sections of the park encourage activities that promote health and wellness, but the feature that most typifies this mission is the ?????????????(R)???????+???????(R)? mile trail to the peak of the lemon grove knoll. Some patrons incorporate the hill into their walk around the park or on the adjacent county trail system. Others take a more rigorous approach like the "boot camp" style of fitness trainers that combine multiple trips up the trail with stretching and core work in the meadow area to establish a very challenging fitness regimen.

Protecting Environmental Resources:

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Contributing to the Economy:

In making the decision to preserve this grove, significant consideration was given to establishing it as a viable economic venture that would help subsidize the cost of the park's maintenance. To ensure the feasibility of citrus production, the City of Tustin has entered into an agreement with a local citrus farmer to maintain and harvest the lemon grove. The result is an edible product that will be harvested three to four times each year and sold commercially at market as whole fruit or juice. A percentage of the fruit harvested will also be distributed to local charities to assist with regional hunger needs.

PROJECT TEAM
• Owner: City of Tustin
• Project Construction Management: City of Tustin
• Landscape Architect / Lead Design Consultant: RJM Design Group, Inc.
• Architect: James Mickartz Architects
• Civil Engineer: MCE Consultants
• Electrical Engineer: GLP Engineering
• Structural Engineer: ADS Consulting
• Geotechnical Engineer: Ninyo & Moore
• Irrigation Consultant: Toby Mertens
• Arborist: Richard Johnson & Associates
• Artist: Michael Tauber
• General Contractor: Valley Crest Construction (now Brightview)