What does the timeline look like for the CalSpace project, and how has COVID-19 impacted things?
See our chart below:
What is the historical significance of Ken Adam Park, and how has it evolved with time?
Ken Adam Park, named after the long-serving owner and publisher of the Lompoc Record newspaper, a 42-acre area located in northern Lompoc, adjacent to the Lompoc campus of Allan Hancock College, holds a significant place in the history of the region. Originally part of a Santa Barbara County park located on property leased from the federal government in 1968, the park underwent several transformations. In 1986, after the federal government granted this property as well as additional acreage to the City of Lompoc for the Western Spaceport Museum and Science Center and for educational and recreational purposes related to this museum, the administration of the park was transferred from the county to the Western Spaceport Museum. During this period, the park was renamed to “Spaceport Park” and was open to the public on a limited basis until 1998. Following the failure of the proposed museum project, in April 1998, the City of Lompoc re-acquired the park from the Western Spaceport Museum and obtained the federal government’s consent for this property to be used for educational and recreational purposes, or for open space. In 2000, the City of Lompoc reopened Ken Adam Park as a city park.
The park is not only a recreational space but also a site of historical significance, housing three memorial plaques dedicated to 17 astronauts who lost their lives in space tragedies. These plaques, completed as Eagle Scout projects and located amidst Monterey cypress trees, pay tribute to the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle crews, as well as the astronauts who died in a 1967 fire at Cape Canaveral. However, these memorials, burdened by neglect, require regular maintenance and better signage. Overlooking the park is a three-poled flag monument, a remnant of the erstwhile envisioned Western Spaceport Museum and Science Center.
Access to Ken Adam Park has been a topic of negotiation, particularly with Allan Hancock College. In an interim agreement, the college and the City of Lompoc outlined conditions for park access, which included no overnight camping and limited advertising of the park's opening. This agreement was necessitated by the college's concerns about the use of campus roads leading to the park and potential safety issues related to overnight camping.
Plans for the park, as of the early 2000s, included developments such as reserved overnight camping, a group camp area for 21 people, and a picnic area accommodating up to 150 people. These plans aimed to enhance the park's functionality while preserving its natural and historical essence.
