Measure G Finish Dates Keep Moving. Here's Where Each Carmichael Park Stands.

When was the work at Jan Park supposed to finish? Depending on the month you checked the Carmichael Recreation and Park District's project page this year, the answer was the end of June, the end of September or the end of October. All three dates came from the district. By October, CRPD's page described final touches and set the Jan Park ribbon cutting for Friday, Oct. 16, at 9 a.m.

Jan Park is the clearest case of a pattern that runs through almost every Measure G site in Carmichael. The work is getting done, and the posted finish dates are honest estimates that move as deliveries and reviews move. The monthly progress notes underneath each date show whether a park is ready for a toddler, a dog or a pickleball paddle this weekend.

How Jan Park went from June to October

Some background on the money first. In November 2022, district voters passed Measure G, a general obligation bond, with more than 67% of the vote. CRPD sells the bonds in series, spends them only on deferred maintenance and new projects, and has a Bond Oversight Committee review the project expenses. The Carmichael Times put the whole program at $31.9 million.

Jan Park, at 4310 Jan Drive, is one of the smaller Series II sites. The work covers accessible concrete paths, a new drinking fountain and site furnishings, a misting stick and an enclosed toddler swing. Here is how the schedule moved:

1. April 2026. CRPD was finalizing paperwork with Parker Landscape Development, Inc., with construction set to run from the end of April through June.
2. May and June. Path work began and the concrete was poured.
3. July. With the concrete finished, the contractor left the site and planned to return in late August or early September, once all the long-lead equipment had arrived.
4. August. Crews came back. Areas near the picnic shelter closed through Sept. 16, and the estimate moved to the end of September.
5. September. The estimate became "likely" the end of October.
6. October. "Final touches" on the paths and the toddler swing, plus the Oct. 16 ribbon cutting.

By July the concrete was finished. Most of the remaining delay came from waiting on equipment that had to be ordered well ahead, with the contractor timing its return around that delivery.

The same slip shows up at most other sites

Lay CRPD's overview schedule beside the latest note on each project page and the gap is easy to see.

O'Donnell Heritage Park is the one that stayed on schedule. Lister Construction finished its accessible concrete walkway, the butterfly garden and entrance restoration, the resurfaced basketball court and new furnishings on Aug. 14, inside the posted May-to-August window. At Glancy Oaks, Saenz Landscape Construction was on the final steps of the new playground and play surface in January, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for Jan. 28. The page now lists the project, including an accessible paved entry at the southwest corner, as completed. Both were smaller jobs that wrapped up before or between the bigger ones.

Cardinal Oaks is the park still behind a fence

Cardinal Oaks Park, on El Camino Avenue near Garfield Avenue, is the one Measure G site where the whole park is closed. CRPD's closure graphic says there is "no park access until the project finishes, around late Fall."

It is also the largest job in the current group. The scope includes demolishing and regrading the old play area, a new playground and surface, accessible paths, ramps and a drinking fountain, new pedestrian lighting, and a new parking lot at the south end. The contract was large enough that it went to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for approval, and CRPD's July board minutes approved a change order that raised the overall project budget to $1,527,300.

The dates moved here too. Xeela Engineering LLC started work on May 11, and the park closed completely on May 28. At that point CRPD put completion at the end of October 2026. The current estimate is late fall. The September update had playground installation underway, parking lot concrete and walkways targeted for mid-September, and pour-in-place rubber surfacing toward the end of that month. One item depends on a delivery date, which sounds a lot like Jan Park: in August, CRPD said the new light poles were expected in late October. Those poles are due right about now, so whether they arrive on time is the next thing to watch.

"Complete" and "open for everyone" are separate milestones

The projects listed as finished have their own fine print, and the main reason is the contractor's maintenance period. That is the stretch after construction when the builder is still responsible for fixing things.

At Carmichael Park, the tot playground near the Veterans Memorial Building, the new restroom and the cement paths opened in February. The six pickleball courts, converted from two tennis courts, opened for play on April 8, and the district held a ribbon cutting on April 17. CRPD's overview still lists the project as completed in April. The Carmichael Park Phase I project page now calls it "mostly complete" and says the pickleball court surfacing is "still under evaluation." Its July note mentions court test results and ongoing contractor repairs. The district's October work plan update says the Carmichael Park project "is working through pickleball concerns with NGI." The courts are on the park's amenity list as six lighted pickleball courts.

La Sierra Community Center, at 5325 Engle Road, shows the same gap. Its HVAC and canopy roofing work finished in January 2026. The new natural-turf soccer field covers 331,993 square feet, with drainage and irrigation and a concrete walking path around the soccer and baseball area. As of the August update, permitted use of the field had started, but it was "not open for general public use at this time" while the grass recovered between bookings. The September note calls the project complete and says CRPD is working with the contractor on adjustments and repairs. It does not say whether general public use has opened yet. If you plan to use the field for a casual kickabout, check with the district first.

How to read a CRPD project page

Every Measure G site has its own page on carmichaelpark.com, and each one follows the same layout: the scope at the top, an estimated finish date, and a running list of monthly notes. Based on this year's pages, these details matter most:

• Which month the top note is from. The newest note shows how current the page is. Cardinal Oaks' latest construction note is from September.
• Whether the date says "estimated." The estimates have shifted at Jan Park and Cardinal Oaks, while O'Donnell's held.
• Words like "long-lead equipment" or "expected to arrive." At Jan Park, that was the sign the date would move.
• "Period of maintenance." A park can be open while the contractor is still making repairs.
• "County review." Carmichael Park's Phase II work on parking lots, drive aisles and walkways has been in county plan review since a March permit submission.

The district's Advisory Board also discusses bond activities at its public meetings. The Oct. 15, 2026 agenda included a discussion of the 2022 general obligation bond.

What Series III lists next

Series III adds more parks, and the timing lessons above apply to them before any construction starts. CRPD's overview lists these sites:

• Bird Track Park. Demolition and regrading of the existing play area, a new playground and rubberized surface, plus accessibility and safety work.
• Patriots Park. A new playground and rubberized surface, walkway improvements, pedestrian security lighting and site furnishings.
• Del Campo Park. Soccer field turf repair, accessibility work on two parking lots, a new restroom for the soccer field and a creek bridge.
• Sutter-Jensen Community Park. Decomposed granite paths in the community garden and parking lot improvements.
• Carmichael Park. ADA improvements at the Veterans Memorial Hall.
• La Sierra Community Center. More HVAC upgrades and accessibility work.

None of these has a posted schedule or contractor yet, and CRPD notes that the series schedule may change. Phase II at La Sierra, covering the parking lot paving and other accessibility work, is further along. Its September note said final construction documents were due to the district that month.

Patriots Park, at 6827 Palm Avenue, will host the district's Wall of Honor ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. The ceremony honors community members killed in the line of duty, including public safety personnel and members of the military. Carmichael Park's Holiday Tree Lighting follows on Dec. 3, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with music, crafts, food trucks and photos with Santa. The event takes place at the same park where the new restroom and tot playground opened in February.

A public pool is not on any Measure G list. The Carmichael Times reported in March that the old pool building was torn down in 2013, that its site is now used for soccer and disc golf, and that a new pool would need a new tax or bond measure. A feasibility study is meant to gauge demand.

Much of the Measure G work adds accessible paths, ramps, entries and drinking fountains at parks like Jan, Glancy Oaks and O'Donnell Heritage. If you are planning a move within Carmichael and want to know which streets sit within an easy walk of these updated parks, Lee Mahla is glad to walk through it with you at a calm pace. Schedule a free consultation.