The availability of open sporting fields in the City of Santa Monica is never far from most athletes’, parents’ and amateur fitness enthusiasts’ minds. While the seemingly-never-ending fight for a field on the Civic space battles on, a crisp, new all-purpose track and field opened at Lincoln Middle School recently, with official proceedings packing the green space Tuesday.
“We are excited to share this multi-purpose space with our students and community for years to come and hope that everyone takes care to maintain it in the condition it is in today,” said Lincoln Middle School Principal Florence Culpepper.
According to Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), features of the new facility include “synthetic turf with environmentally-friendly cork infill, a new six-lane rubber track, the return of field lights and upgraded and enlarged restrooms that are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Accessing the field proved a little difficult Sunday, with all of the gates on Washington locked; the few lone runners were forced to enter on California and walk through the basketball games.
Resident Chris was found stretching after a solid workout on the track. The local resident has been using the space for years and he told The Mirror that the new facilities are a welcome addition to the neighborhood, praising the comfortable surface as a perfect surface for older knees.
“It’s nicer, it’s great,” he said, “It’s a terrific field and I am bumping into old friends who are finding the field again which is great.”
Funding for the project came from Measure ES. “We thank our communities of Santa Monica and Malibu for their ongoing support of our school bonds that are critical to providing our students with 21st century learning spaces, both indoors and outdoors,” said SMMUSD School Board President Dr. Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein.
The facility is open to the public outside of school hours and is at located at Lincoln Middle School, 1501 California Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403.
