At 9 a.m. on Oct. 9, the City of Lincoln and the Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon at Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park, a 5.4-acre park in Lincoln Crossing next to Scott M. Leaman Elementary School. Gold Mountain California News covered the ceremony. The park has a basketball and futsal court, two playground structures and a multipurpose field for soccer and picnicking.
The whole park still isn't open. The City's own status line puts the full opening in December 2026.
Across town in Twelve Bridges, Bella Breeze Park is on a similar timeline, about two months behind. The City plans a partial opening there in November 2026 and expects a full opening in February 2027. At Pineschi, the City has spelled out the sequence: construction, then a required period for new landscaping to get established, then formal acceptance by the City. Most of the remaining wait there comes from that middle step.
Why the Ribbon Came Before the Gates Opened
The City's August 2026 update on the Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park project page says the project was substantially complete and that parts of the park were open. Before the City can formally accept the project and open all of it, the contractor has to finish a required 90-day landscape maintenance period. The City says that window is there to make sure new landscaping is "properly established, healthy, and maintained before final acceptance."
The count adds up. In July, the contractor was still installing landscaping, including sod for the soccer field, and expected to finish by mid-August. Ninety days from mid-August is mid-November, and the City's full opening target is December.
The park page doesn't list which features are open now and which are still waiting. Before planning a birthday party around a particular playground or the field, call City Engineering at 916-434-3233.
What Lincoln Crossing Gets When the Fences Come Down
Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park isn't brand new ground. It used to be Henry Rood/Brentford Circle Park, and the work was a rebuild. In September 2024, the Lincoln City Council authorized a contract of about $3.6 million with Olympic Land Construction, plus funding for construction management and inspection.
When it's fully open, the park will have:
- A sport court for basketball and futsal
- A sand volleyball court
- Ping pong tables and cornhole goals
- Two play structures, one for ages 2 to 5 and one for ages 5 to 12
- A multi-use field for soccer and picnicking
- A restroom building, a shade shelter, barbecue grills, drinking fountains and benches
- A parking lot, plus pedestrian access points on all sides of the site
The park sits at Brentford Circle and Caledon Circle. Its walking path connects to the Brentford Nature Reserve Trail on the park's south side, so a loop around the courts can run straight into the preserve trail.
The name was decided before construction started. On June 25, 2024, the City Council approved Resolution 2024-131, renaming Henry Rood Park for Aldo Pineschi Jr. Council members described him as a community partner who wanted to connect people across Lincoln and Placer County. Gold Mountain California News reported that he was closely involved with the Lincoln, Rocklin and Placer chambers of commerce. He was also a founder of the Placer Business Alliance and the Placer Breast Cancer Foundation, and a driving force behind the Tommy Apostolos Fund, which helps local families pay for clothes and school supplies.
Bella Breeze Follows a Similar Timeline, Two Months Behind
Bella Breeze Park, Phase 1, covers about 7 acres in Twelve Bridges. The site is bordered by Bella Breeze Drive, Cabra Street and a nature preserve. Construction started in summer 2025.
The City's August 2026 update listed the work still underway: landscape plantings, soil prep and sod for the soccer field, irrigation laterals, post-and-cable perimeter fencing, and driveway paving. At the time, the City expected substantial completion in early October. The City's current status line now says the park is still under construction, with a partial opening planned for November 2026 and a full opening expected in February 2027. The City hasn't announced a specific day for the partial opening, and the timeline has already moved once.
Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park | Bella Breeze Park, Phase 1 | |
|---|---|---|
Neighborhood | Lincoln Crossing | Twelve Bridges |
Size | 5.4 acres | About 7 acres |
Substantial completion | August 2026 | Anticipated early October 2026, per the City's August update |
Partial opening | Portions open as of the August update | Planned for November 2026 |
Full opening | Anticipated December 2026 | Anticipated February 2027 |
Parking | Paved lot | Gravel lot |
On the City's timelines, each park's full opening falls roughly four months after its substantial completion date, actual at Pineschi and anticipated at Bella Breeze. Phase 1 at Bella Breeze includes a restroom near the play areas, two shaded playgrounds, a jogging and walking loop, a large shade structure with picnic area, a large central grass field, two smaller picnic areas, and informal grass areas. The two City sources give different parking counts. The project page lists 40 to 50 gravel stalls, and the Phase 1 concept drawing labels the lot at about 50 to 60.
The street outside is changing too. The project includes new crosswalks and restriping of the existing Class II bike and NEV lanes on Bella Breeze Drive between Cabra Street and McCullough Street.
The Turf Decision That Built the Wait
At Bella Breeze, natural grass was a planning choice. The Bella Breeze project FAQ answers whether the soccer field will be artificial turf for year-round play. The City's answer is that current plans show natural grass, and that artificial turf "carries a substantially high initial cost." Turf may still be considered later, depending on community preference and budget.
The same FAQ shows similar trade-offs elsewhere in the plan. Play areas are planned with bark instead of rubberized surfacing. The City pointed to higher upfront cost and higher repair and replacement costs for rubber, including from vandalism. There's no splash pad in the plan. The City says the maintenance cost is too high, and community survey responses ranked it lower than other features.
The City frames each of these as a cost decision. A natural-grass field also means new sod, and at Pineschi the City's acceptance waits until new landscaping has gone through its 90-day establishment period.
What Twelve Bridges Is Waiting On Beyond Phase 1
Phase 1 is a small part of what the City has planned. The Bella Breeze Community Park Master Plan was adopted on March 12, 2024. The City's preferred concept map shows features beyond Phase 1, including baseball fields, basketball, a covered multisport field, a teen area, a bike park and pump track, concession and restroom facilities, and pickleball courts. According to the FAQ, the covered multisport field is drawn at about 120 by 200 feet. Lighting is planned for the fields, walkways and parking lot, but not for the pickleball or basketball courts.
These are planned features, not scheduled construction. The City expects three or more additional phases and estimates full buildout at 5 to 20 years. It hasn't set a start date for Phase 2. Once built out, the preferred concept would have about 180 parking stalls.
A November With Both Parks in View
Thanksgiving morning, Twelve Bridges' established park is the place to be. The City's Huffin' for the Stuffin' Turkey Trot is Thursday, Nov. 26, at Twelve Bridges Park, 2540 Eastridge Drive. The Kids Donut Dash starts at 8 a.m., followed by the 5K at 8:30 a.m. Packet pickup is Nov. 24 and 25.
A practical order for the next few months:
- Now through December: Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park is partly open. Check with City Engineering about specific features before you go.
- November: Bella Breeze Park's partial opening is planned, but no date has been set.
- Nov. 26: The Turkey Trot at Twelve Bridges Park.
- December: Aldo Pineschi Jr. Park is expected to open fully once the landscape maintenance period ends.
- February 2027: Bella Breeze Park, Phase 1, is expected to open fully.
Whether a park around the corner has an open field or a fenced one this winter is the kind of detail we follow. At Brian Perry Real Estate Group, we keep track of what's opening across Lincoln Crossing, Twelve Bridges and the rest of South Placer, so that when you're ready to talk about your next move, the conversation starts with how you actually live day to day. Schedule Your Complimentary Concierge Consultation.
