Vacaville Rebuilt One Park in Every District. Sierra Vista Is the Last.

Vacaville didn't pick its six neighborhood park renovations at random. The city chose one park in each council district, and each of the six had been left incomplete for its own reason. At two of them, the school district fenced off its side of a shared site. At one, impact fees didn't cover the approved plan. Three were built in the 1970s and 1980s and had seen few upgrades since. Trower Park reopened in August. Sierra Vista Park on Bel Air Drive could open as soon as October. Once it does, the city's run of district park rebuilds is complete.

All six were paid for with Measure M, the local sales tax voters first approved as a quarter-cent in November 2012. In November 2016 they extended it for 20 years and added a half-cent, bringing it to three-quarters of a cent. It's a general-purpose tax that the City Council allocates through each year's budget. From July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2026, the city reports $15,792,107 in actual spending under its "Public Park Improvements & Maintenance" category.

The six parks, side by side

When the school fence went up

Meadowlands and Sierra Vista had the same problem. Both were laid out under joint-use agreements with the school district, so each park counted on the school next door for part of what it offered. When the district fenced its property, each park was left with less.

Meadowlands was built in the late 1980s next to Callison School. After the fence went up, the park's edge along the school looked unfinished, in the city's own words. The fix was modest. Crews completed the loop trail around the park, repaired concrete, repainted the shade structure, and added new picnic tables, benches and an accessible swing. The City finished the work on March 28, 2024, and the council accepted it on April 23. Final cost was $746,240.54.

Sierra Vista was hit harder. It was built as part of the Creekside subdivision, and once the school fenced its side, play structures and sports courts were behind the fence. What stayed on the park side was mostly turf, one path, backstops and trees. It also isn't part of a Lighting and Landscape District, the kind of assessment district that helps pay for upkeep, and the city's staff report cites that as one reason the park offered so little.

The City's project page lists two new play structures, accessible play elements, a hillside slide, shade structures and BBQ areas, enhanced walking paths and new backstops. The design also leaves room for a future TGIF modular building to house City programs. Construction started in late October 2025. According to the City's September 2026 newsletter, the park is in its 90-day landscape establishment period and "could open as soon as October." As of today, the City hasn't announced an exact opening day or ribbon-cutting.

When the impact fees ran short

Corderos Park in District 1 had a different problem. By 2012, city staff could see that the Park Development Impact Fees collected from North Village AP-1 wouldn't pay for the approved master plan. The park was built without its basketball court, satellite picnic sites, seating benches and many of its trees. In early 2021, the council put Measure M money into a second phase that restored most of those items. Another $50,000 in district funds paid for a backstop.

That's the clearest case of what Measure M was used for across these six parks. It mostly didn't add extras. It put back what had been planned and never built.

When the park was simply old

The other three parks just hadn't been updated in a long time. Pheasant Country Park was built in the late 1970s and, according to the city, had received few upgrades since. The council awarded its contract on June 27, 2023. Work finished on May 8, 2024, and added a bocce court, a picnic area with a shade structure, a replacement basketball court, concrete paths, new planting and benches. Final cost was $831,833.55.

Alamo Creek Park is also from the 1970s. It's a natural park with mature tree canopy and creek access. Neighbors weighed in heavily, and the city's routine maintenance agreement didn't allow work in or near the creek, so the plan was cut back to fit. The half-court basketball court became a full court. The park also got concrete picnic tables, game elements, refreshed decomposed granite paths, and landscaping meant to help with erosion. Construction started April 28, 2025, with completion projected for August. The City's park directory lists the opening date as 10/30/25.

Trower Park is the big one. It sits at 500 Markham Ave. in District 3, and construction began in April 2025. According to The Reporter, the project was first planned at $1.8 million. The council later approved an expanded $3.2 million budget to cover more structural, landscape and public art work. That's roughly four times what Meadowlands or Pheasant Country cost. Per the city's staff report, the scope grew at the request of the community and the council.

The finished park has shaded picnic areas, nature-themed play equipment, a multi-sport field with goals, a mist pad, a skate area, walking paths, a pollinator garden, a community kiosk, a dog waste bag station and an accessible merry-go-round. The public art includes mosaic tile, an Alebrije-inspired sculpture, and a sea monster sculpture by Vallejo artist Tom Aridonch. Vice Mayor Mike Silva wrote about the project on Facebook and credited residents, city staff, Lister Construction, artists, commissioners and community members.

"Trower Park spurred interesting conversations when additional funding requests were pursued to address some challenges and opportunities to reimagine what was possible in Vacaville's historic neighborhoods," Silva wrote.

Lagoon Valley got the regional version

Lagoon Valley Park is the city's only regional park, so it isn't one of the six. It got the same kind of fix anyway. From 2002 to 2019, its dog park was the only off-leash area inside city limits. It had one enclosure, 4-foot fencing, and decomposed granite paving that had badly eroded. Dog park users told staff the main thing missing was a separate small-dog area. The Measure M-funded rebuild now has two off-leash areas totaling about 40,000 square feet, plus new paths, water fountains and trees. Staff plan to add shade structures once funding is allocated.

The archery range was remodeled at the same time. That work was paid for with a $177,952 State Parks Per Capita grant from 2022, gate proceeds, and Measure M matching money. It added new targets, bow and arrow stands, accessible parking and shade trees. Both projects were finished on May 16, 2025.

Paying to park has changed too. Per the September newsletter, Lagoon Valley has new permit machines near the main entrance and in the main lot by the dog park. A day pass is $5 and an annual pass is $70. A new $35 Senior Annual Pass is available to residents 50 and older. The machines take cash in exact change, and cards are charged a convenience fee.

After Sierra Vista, the next projects are bigger and fewer

The next round of park work in Vacaville looks different. These are mostly new builds, and some are years away.

1. Malaquias Montoya Center at De Colores Park, at Brown Street and East Monte Vista Avenue. Phase 1 includes a playfield, multipurpose court, two playgrounds, picnic shelters, a jogging path, a splash pad, a stage and a 2,500-square-foot recreation center. The City plans to bid the project this fall and bring results back to the council in early 2027, with construction expected to start in spring 2027 if the council awards a contract. Total funding is listed at $18,437,718, with $6,775,000 from Measure M. A $2,661,845 Section 108 loan was still pending HUD finalization as of August 2026.
2. Owl Park at Roberts Ranch. Phase 1 opened in June 2024 with large- and small-dog off-leash areas. Phase 2 is planned to add six pickleball courts with solar-powered lighting and a parking lot at the end of Marshall Road. The developer builds it and is reimbursed from park impact fees. No schedule has been published for Phase 2.
3. Unity Meadows Park, a planned 6.16-acre neighborhood park at Jackson Road and Baileyann Place. It's still in master planning, and a first phase could open as early as 2027, depending on master plan approval and available impact fees.
4. Centennial Bike Park at 501 Browns Valley Road. The plan includes pump tracks, flow trails and a perimeter trail. Completion is currently expected in 2033, depending on fill delivery.

Measure V, a separate proposal, is on the November 3 ballot. It would add a one-cent general sales tax, estimated at about $28 million a year, for city services including public safety, streets, and parks and recreation. The City has posted forecasts and FAQs for voters to review.

For now, the six-park set has one park left to open. Sierra Vista at 225 Bel Air Drive is in plant establishment, and the City says it could open as soon as October.

If you own a home near Trower, Sierra Vista or any of these six parks and you're thinking about what comes next, Kevin Johnson can show you how your home compares on the current Vacaville market and what prep would be worth doing before you list. Get a Free Home Valuation, and you'll get a straight answer from someone who works these streets.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.