Ione is gearing up to raise the quality of life inside the city's sprawling Howard Park.

Some 89 acres on the town's southern edge, bordering State Route 124, is the subject of an extensive Howard Park Master Plan document prepared by city planners.

"The results of the Initial Study show that implementation of this Master Plan could have a significant effect on the environment related to the addition of lighting on the site, impacts to air quality as a result of construction activities, loss of critical habitat, potential impact to jurisdictional waters, tree removal, the geology of the site, impacts to hydrology and water quality, and noise," the plan's authors state. "However, mitigation measures were identified that would reduce these potentially significant adverse impacts to less than significant levels."

Under the California Environmental Quality Act A, 30-day public-review and comment period for a Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration began Nov. 13 and will end Dec. 14. City Park and Recreation commissioners were expected Dec. 9 to recommend that the Ione City Council adopt the document to fulfill CEQA requirements. The matter would then go before the council in January.

Ione has operated Charles Howard Park since 1967. Amenities at the park currently include numerous ball fields, a community center, a skate park, a pair of snack shacks, a horse stable, a 50,000-square-foot covered arena used year-round for equestrian, dog and car shows and a beer garden that hosts occasional social events.

"The last significant upgrades at Howard Park were the Arena and sports fields approximately 2003,".said City Manager Kim Kerr. "We are looking at improvements in the park and we want to be prepared when we have the funds to move forward."

A storm runoff drainage system serving the site currently is inadequate, according to the planning document. Some flooding has occurred as a result. In addition, several of the on-site drainages are considered wetlands, bringing improvement projects under CEQA regulation.

In addition to upgrading the park drainage system, projects anticipated under the plan include the following:

- construction of a new community hall

- general landscaping

- brush clearing

- improvements to bathroom areas, bleachers, backstops, and picnic tables

- pond maintenance

- upgraded lighting

- parking-lot improvements

- refurbishing of stables and horse track

- remodeling of arena, both interior and exterior

- re-establishment of bicycle-motocross tracks, and

- creating a wetlands along an existing stream near the arena.