TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: SILVIA AVALOS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, PARKS & RECREATION
SUBJECT
title
Naming of park site located in Block 1 at The Preserve.
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt the name “Harmony Park” as the name of the new park to be part of Block 1 at The Preserve.
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Positive City Image
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
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BACKGROUND
The City’s park naming guidelines provide several steps during the process. First, a list of potential park names is compiled from suggestions submitted by the public, City staff, and the developer. The suggestions are then forwarded to the Community Services, Parks & Recreation Commission for review. The Commission has the option to review the names as an entire body or through a Sub-Committee prior to making a final recommendation to the full Commission. The Commission’s final recommendation is then forwarded to the City Council for final adoption. The park naming guidelines allow a park or facility to be named after an individual, living or deceased, who has provided a significant contribution to the development or improvement of the quality of life in the City (i.e. Ruben S. Ayala Park, Fred Aguiar Square, Carolyn Owens Centennial Square). Further, the park sites can be based on themes that characterize the individual park sites, such as neighborhood street names or significant site landmarks (i.e. Liberty Park, Walnut Park, Mountain View Park).
The development of The Preserve area includes the construction of a park required by the development agreement with Lewis Operating Companies (LOC). As conditioned by The Preserve Development Agreement, the developer is required to design and construct a park in lieu of paying development impact fees for these facilities.
Unlike other City park development projects, the park sites in The Preserve are designed and constructed prior to residents moving into the neighborhoods adjoining the proposed park sites. In those cases, the parks are being constructed prior to or during construction of the adjacent tracts in order to have the parks completed when the model homes open to the public. As part of the design process, the developer selects park names that coincide with the housing tract development as part of their desire to develop inclusive communities.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
LOC is currently developing a three-acre public park within The Preserve community as part of a new development called Block 1 at The Preserve. At this time, there is no estimated start date for construction or an anticipated opening date for the park. The timing of the construction of the park will be largely driven by the pace of sales within the community.
The project site is located south of Pine Avenue, west of W. Preserve Loop, and north of Legacy Park Street. Key features of the park include a walking loop lined with Cherry trees, traditional Chinese garden, arbor, chess and board game area, fitness equipment, dog park, and tot lot.
The City received 18 park name proposals from community members. The names proposed were:
1. Abacherli Park
2. Allen P. McCombs Heritage Park
3. Cadet Commons Park
4. Cultivate Chino Park or Cultivate Park or Preserve Origins Park or The Origins at
The Preserve
5. Dairy Pioneers Park
6. Dairymen Park
7. Dennis R. Yates Park
8. Dutchmen Park
9. Eunice Ulloa Community Park
10. Great Thinkers Park
11. Heritage Grove/Blossom Park
12. Floral Park or Fluorescent Park or Pollen Park
13. Harmony Park
14. Pine Grove Park
15. Preserve Harmony Park
16. Revelations Park
17. Russell M. Miller Sr. Memorial Park
18. The Heart of Cherry Blossoms Park
The Park Naming Sub-Committee met on July 2, 2026, and is comprised of Chairperson Jerry and Commissioners Cooper and Montenegro-Olivas. Following its review, the Sub-Committee determined that given the park's size and planned amenities, that naming the park after an individual community member was not appropriate for this park development. Instead, the Sub-Committee concluded that commemorating a community member would be better suited for a larger community park where the park's theme and amenities could be thoughtfully designed to honor the individual's legacy and showcase their contributions to Chino.
The Sub-Committee identified three names that best aligned with the park's overall theme and design: Harmony Park, Preserve Harmony Park, and Cherry Blossom Park.
At July 27, 2026, Community Services, Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, the Commission voted in favor of Harmony Park as it best reflects the park’s overall theme and design. Staff is requesting City Council adopt Harmony Park as the name for Block 1 at The Preserve park site.
Attachment: Arial Map and Conceptual Site Design