What happens to Santa Maria's oldest Little League diamond when fans in wheelchairs can't get from the parking lot to the bleachers? For the past two seasons, the answer has been a drive of more than three miles. Santa Maria Southside Little League has been playing at Robin Ventura Field on the city's southern edge, while Barbettini Field at Simas Park has stayed closed.
On September 30, 2026, Councilmember Gloria Soto and State Senator Monique Limón announced $1.2 million in state funding for accessibility work at Simas Park and across the city. That money is the third source now lined up behind the same field. One of the other two, a $500,000 federal earmark, carries a condition that reaches past Southside's schedule. Under a council vote, if Congress doesn't approve it, local nonprofits get none of the city's block grant capital money next year.
The field where Santa Maria Little League began
According to a history submitted to the city, local organizers got Santa Maria's Little League charter in early spring 1950. They laid out the first field off McClelland Street and called it "Little League Field." It later became Carl Barbettini Field at Simas Park. Barbettini was one of the founding petitioners. He was set to manage the Peterson Auto Parts team until illness kept him out, and Brad Riggs took over. The first game was scheduled for June 10, 1950.
The same history lists Major League players connected to the local league and its first field: Robin Ventura, Bryn Smith, James Steels, Bill Simas, Doug Bernier, Mike Bishop, Ted Davidson, Pat Kelly and Les Weber. When the league marked 70 years in 2020, the Santa Maria Times called Southside the home league at Simas Park, where the Santa Maria Valley's first diamond was built.
The field sits between Elks Field and the Santa Maria courthouse. Southside's temporary home is named for one of the players who came up on that downtown diamond. KEYT described the move as a hardship for the league and its families.
The barriers start in the parking lot
The reporting doesn't say exactly when the field closed or what decision set it off. KEYT counts it as closed for "the past two years" as of this week. What the reporting does make clear is the work needed before it can reopen.
The city hired a consultant to review accessibility at several city facilities, Simas Park among them. Parks and Recreation Director Ramon Galo told KSBY that the draft assessment found problems before a visitor even reaches the field.
"Some of the challenges that are being mentioned is starting in the parking lot. Perhaps there are loading or unloading zones for people that may need access with a van and a ramp, and then how to get from a parking lot into a sidewalk," Galo said.
At a council meeting, as reported by the Santa Maria Times, he described the target. "We want everyone who wants to go out there to have access, full access, to the areas that are critical, which is the seating areas for the public and the dugouts and ... amenities like a drinking fountain and restrooms as well."
The rest of Simas Park is still in use. The city lists the complex as having a lawn-bowling green, a basketball court, baseball and softball fields, an aquatic center and a youth center. The same access problems show up across the park. A regular at the bowling green told KSBY they had never had to think about accessibility before, and that even people with no mobility issues sometimes have trouble with a gutter there. Galo said the possible fixes include parking lot changes, better routes to sidewalks and pathways, ramps and benches.
Three funding sources aimed at one park
Over the past few months, three public funding sources have been pointed at this work. Each was at a different stage as of September 30, 2026.
| Source | Amount | Status as of September 30, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| City CDBG capital funds, fiscal year 2027-28 | Projected $900,000 | Council voted unanimously to make Simas Park ADA upgrades the top capital priority |
| Federal earmark through Rep. Salud Carbajal | $500,000 | Carbajal's office said it passed the House Appropriations Committee in June. On September 21, Galo described it as an allocation to the city |
| State funding through Sen. Limón and Councilmember Soto | $1.2 million | Announced September 30. Covers Simas Park plus sidewalks, ramps, streets and bike lanes elsewhere in the city |
The two descriptions of the federal money don't match. The Santa Maria Times reported that the earmark was part of the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. It still needed votes from the full House and Senate before it could become law. In his later KSBY interview, Galo said that "recently, there was an allocation from Congressman Carbajal provided to the City of $500,000." The public reporting doesn't settle which description fits the money today. That question matters beyond the ballfield.
Why the federal earmark matters to local nonprofits
Santa Maria expects about $1.1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant money from HUD for the 2027-28 fiscal year. Of that, $210,000 is set aside for community service providers and $900,000 for capital projects. The capital money has usually been split close to evenly. One half goes to city projects and the other half to grants that help local organizations improve their own buildings. City staff recommended putting all of the capital money into ADA work at city facilities this time.
That recommendation drew pushback. Tim Seifert, a member of the Block Grants Advisory Committee, reminded the council that past grants had helped the Boys and Girls Club, Good Sam and the Salvation Army. "What we've always had to fight for, was at least half of that capital money," he said.
The council went back to a 50/50 split but kept Simas Park first in line for the city's half. It also tied that split to the federal earmark. If Congress doesn't approve the $500,000, the full $900,000 in locally controlled capital money goes to Simas Park, and community groups get none of it next fiscal year. Both the priority update and the revised split passed unanimously.
Paul Nelson Aquatic Center, also at Simas Park, needs similar restroom and facility upgrades. It is the secondary priority and gets whatever capital money is left after the Simas project is done.
That's the setting for the state's $1.2 million. The Soto and Limón announcement said outside funding lets these projects move forward while "limiting additional demands on local General Fund and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) resources," at a time when the city faces significant budget pressure. The announcement doesn't say whether the state money will change the block grant split. Under the council's vote, that split still depends on the federal earmark.
What is still undecided
The funding is moving faster than the plans. These questions were still open as of September 30, 2026:
- Construction timing. KEYT reported that no start or completion date has been set for the improvements.
- Scope. On September 21, KSBY described the project as early-stage, with specific improvements not yet finalized. The consultant's assessment was still a draft at that point.
- The federal vote. The $500,000 earmark is the condition that keeps the 50/50 block grant split in place.
- Southside's home field. None of the reporting names the season when Southside Little League would move back downtown.
The block grant vote was only the first step of that funding cycle. The Santa Maria Times noted that the allocation process began with a community needs workshop on July 13 and continues through later council actions. Those meetings are where the Simas Park scope and the nonprofits' share will be settled. For now, Southside families are still driving more than three miles to Robin Ventura Field for games that used to be played next to the courthouse.
Projects like the Simas Park upgrades affect how a downtown block feels day to day. If you have questions about downtown Santa Maria, or about a home decision near projects like this one, James Gallegos is glad to help, in English or Spanish. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
