CLEARLAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday, May 11, the city of Clearlake hosted an open house to discuss possible improvements to Austin Park that will help to make it the centerpiece of the city.

Melton Design Group, the consultant selected to assist in the master planning process, was on site to take input from the crowd of about 25 citizens who attended the two-hour discussion.

Greg Melton and Shawn Rohrbacker of Melton Design Group discussed several conceptual options to gauge citizen enthusiasm.

They also wanted to find out what people liked or disliked about either option and provide opportunities for everyone who attended to offer options or ideas of other things that the park needed.

After the formal discussion, the consultants walked the park with several participants to further discuss concepts and ideas.

“The idea is for Austin Park to be the heart of the city capable of hosting large events, concerts and festivals that can help to revitalize our downtown district while still having the amenities that will bring out families, like sports courts, picnic areas, and playgrounds,” said City Manager Greg Folsom. “We got a lot of good feedback regarding what the community was interested in seeing at Austin Park.”

There will be further opportunities for input when the consultants provide their first draft of a plan early this summer, Folsom said.