Big changes are in store for more than 4 acres of vacant land on Carmen Lane in Santa Maria, specifically the dirt lot in between the train tracks and Blosser Road. On March 16, the Leadership Santa Maria Valley (LSMV) class of 2019 held a groundbreaking ceremony at the spot, which is the future home of the program’s proposed Legacy Community Trail.
Plans for the trail, which the class is developing in partnership with the city of Santa Maria, include a 1,300-foot walking path, a community garden, picnic areas, room for art installations, and more. Once completed, the park-like setting will be ideal for the area, where high-density residential development has climbed substantially in recent years, said Joshua D. Scroggin, spokesperson for the LSMV class of 2019.
“Growth of housing has outpaced open space for recreation. There’s a big appetite for this kind of project,” Scroggin said. “People living in the apartments nearby, walking their dogs down the sidewalk every Saturday morning. They’re ready for something like this, where they can walk in a beautiful area that isn’t just a sidewalk.”
Aside from walkers, runners, and anyone else just looking to get some fresh air, Legacy Community Trail would also cater to local gardeners, Scroggin explained, as private vegetable garden beds will be available for community members to rent.
“In a high-density area without many gigantic yards, this will be an opportunity for residents to reserve space to grow their own plants,” Scroggin said. “There will also be a public demonstration orchard for people to pick fruit from.”
The proposed trail is named after the Legacy Project, the traditional project each LSMV class completes by the end of its term to benefit the city. The idea for the trail came about early on for the class of 2019, Scroggin explained.
“Right off the bat at the first meeting, we were already kicking around ideas for the Legacy Project,” Scroggin said. “At first, the concept was a community garden or fruit orchard open to the public. And from there, the idea for the trail got fleshed out.”
The LSMV program, founded in 1995, is sponsored by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and is designed to foster and create community leaders. Students in the program meet monthly, the first Friday of every month, to discuss a specific topic related to leadership. Participants are professionals ranging from all kinds of careers looking to expand their understanding of local issues and formulate solutions.
“We’ve got passionate people with expertise in so many different industries,” said Scroggin, who works full time as the digital and social media officer for CoastHills Credit Union. “Someone from city planning, for example, was instrumental in finding the site [for the trail]. The city had been eyeing it for a while but wasn’t sure exactly what to use it for. So we jumped on that opportunity.”
LSMV is continuing to fundraise and seek donations for the completion of Legacy Community Trail. Visit santamaria.com/leadership-2019-legacy-project for info on how to donate, become a sponsor, or find out more.
Highlight:
• With new laws requiring businesses with five or more employees to provide sexual harassment prevention training by Jan. 1, 2020, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce to provide Chamber members with access to prevention training at a 20 percent discount. The offered program includes interactive learning through scenarios and quizzes and meets compliance obligations. Visit santamaria.com/chamber-affiliate-programs for more information.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 4, 2019.
