A North Tustin community park almost a decade in the making opened to the public this week.

In the afternoon on Wednesday, Nov. 19, after county leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new 2.5-acre Crawford Canyon Park, a handful of children played Twister on the lawn and chased one another on the two playgrounds.

“This inviting, walkable space is perfect for enjoying time outside, while creating lasting memories with family and friends,” Orange County Third District Supervisor Don Wagner said. “I am looking forward to seeing this area utilized, especially with all the great features it has to offer.”

In addition to the playgrounds, parkgoers also have access to exercise stations, benches and picnic tables. Native plants such as coast live oaks, western sycamores and California pepper trees line a quarter-mile paved walkway.

In 2011, the county had purchased the 2.5-acre vacant lot at the corner of Newport Avenue and Crawford Canyon Road for $980,000 and identified it as a potential site for a park.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Wednesday he negotiated the 2011 deal with the Mann family, who owned the land, while he was serving as a county supervisor. A small plaque in Crawford Canyon Park is dedicated to the family, who Spitzer said deserve recognition for their contributions to North Tustin.

Spitzer said there were some discussions early on about building a bed and breakfast or a hotel on the vacant property. “To turn it into a park was a big accomplishment,” he said.

A projected opening date of early 2023 was delayed due to the pandemic. The OC Board of Supervisors approved the $6 million construction contract for the park in April, and work finally began two months later.

The park will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the fall and winter, and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the spring and summer.

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