Huntington Park residents were excited to learn recently that they’re not just getting another new park in town: They’re getting a 10-block-long stretch of green space where almost every block with have fitness equipment, artistic bike racks and playgrounds for kids.

 That’s particularly important in Huntington Park, where residents have raised concerns about the environmental impacts of industrialized areas of the city and neighboring towns.

As part of the project’s “reveal” celebration on Oct. 5, the Department of Parks and Recreation announced that it plans to turn 10 lots into long parks running from Santa Ana Street through Walnut Street, South of Salt Lake Park. Between Cudahy Street and Broadway Avenue, the park will  feature a “meditation maze.”

 The city received more than $4 million from the Urban Greening Grant program, part of the California Natural Resources Agency, for the linear parks, according to Huntington Park’s 2019-2020 adopted budget.

 Mayor Karina Macias thanked the parks department and the state for the grant.

 “The parks department is an area where we provide a lot of the resources for the community. A lot of people who live in apartments don’t have a front yard to play in so a lot of the parks are the front yards for the community,” Macias said.

 Some Huntington Park residents were happy about the idea of turning the lots into parks. For instance, Rosa Esquivel said she hopes to visit the new park soon with her family.

 “We are very happy…We have to take advantage and bring our families and hopefully, the result is beautiful,” Esquivel said in Spanish. “It looks like everything will look nice once it’s done.”

 Another resident, Lilia Delgado, likes the idea as well but hopes to see the project expand north of Salt Lake Park.

 “We want it to expand more, especially on Randolph and State [streets] where the train doesn’t go through as much, but there is space, lots, wastelands where they throw trash… they should turn them into parks or semi parks… so there can be more trees so we can inhale cleaner air,” said Delgado in Spanish.

 Delgado hopes for projects like these to help improve the environment in Huntington Park not just for her, but for future generations.

 Some residents are less pleased about the linear parks, citing safety concerns.

 Jose Rodolfo said the city should provide more police and security in the park.

 Resident Norma Pohl, who lives nearby one of the future sites, said she is concerned with some of the planning that has gone into the project.

 “There’s a lot of issues [city officials] haven’t addressed. I was asking if there was going to be a barrier between the property and the park area. ‘Maybe within in a year or so.’ I mean why wait,” said Pohl.

 She raised concerns of teenagers tagging around the area and jumping the fence of a nearby tower — adding that she hopes the rocks in the park aren’t light enough to throw at local houses.

 “Sure, we want it to look nice, but we want it to be safe,” she said.

 City officials say the linear park is set to open sometime next year.