The California State Park Department recently awarded the city of Westlake Village a $1-million-grant to help finance the eight-acre sports park that will sit adjacent to the proposed Triunfo YMCA complex.

More than $46 million in grants was given to 61 park projects. Westlake Village received the maximum amount.

“In the 13 years I’ve been with the city, this would be the largest grant the city has received,” City Manager Ray Taylor said.

Because of the city’s affluent population, Westlake Village rarely receives grants from the state, which is why the city council recently gave Assistant City Manager Audrey Brown—one of the grant’s authors—a special commendation for acquiring the money. “It really was a team effort,” Brown said. “We’re a very small city with a very small staff and by combining resources . . . and because we had a very good, competitive grant, we were successful in getting it awarded.”

Brown said she believes the city received the grant because the facilities will benefit the entire region.

Last August, the Westlake Village City Council approved construction of the city’s longawaited YMCA. The 35,000-square-foot sports complex will be built on a 33-acre parcel located on the north side of T.O. Boulevard west of Lindero Canyon Road.

City officials said they hope to see the field built soon, but according to YMCA officials, it will take about three years to raise the $8 million needed to build the complex.

––Daniel Wolowicz