Press Release Draft
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ed Dunkel, Jr. CEO/President, Precision Civil Engineering, Inc. 1234 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721 (559)449-4500; edunkel@precisioneng.net
Sheridan Park & Orange Cove Welcome Signs Named ASCE Fresno Branch Outstanding Small Project of the Year
FRESNO, Calif. — August X, 2026 — On the heels of being named Planning Firm of the Year for Central California, Precision Civil Engineering, Inc. (PCE) announces that the Sheridan Park Renovation and Welcome to Orange Cove Signs project has been named Outstanding Small Project of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Fresno Branch. PCE received the 2026 Planning Firm Award of Excellence from the Central Section of the American Planning Association.
Sheridan Park sat neglected for years. Residents told us what they needed, and the design followed their lead: ADA-compliant playgrounds, inclusive swings and sensory play, accessible paths, upgraded restrooms, better lighting, drought-resistant landscaping with SMART irrigation, and a mural on the park stage depicting the history of Orange Cove.
The two welcome signs on Park Boulevard were refreshed with new paint, landscaping, lighting, and an electronic message board for City announcements. Standing At 16 feet tall and welcoming visitors in both English and Spanish, the signs are the first thing anyone sees on the way into town, and they now reflect the pride this community has in itself.
PCE worked alongside City of Orange Cove leadership to secure the $2,525,000 Caltrans Clean California Local Grant that made it happen, funding 100 percent of project costs. Orange Cove won the award in the program’s first competitive cycle, a statewide round created under Governor Newsom’s Clean California initiative to beautify public spaces and advance equity for underserved communities.
The work was delivered in two phases. Phase one broke ground in July 2024 and opened the new playground to the public at the end of September; phase two broke ground on April 16, 2025, and delivered refurbished restrooms, new picnic tables, tree replacement, bandstand improvements, a perimeter sidewalk, and the two gateway signs ahead of the grant’s June 30 completion deadline. Caltrans District 6 joined City leadership to celebrate the completed project in a public ceremony.
“This project started with residents telling us what Sheridan Park should be. Our job was to listen carefully and then make it buildable, fundable, and durable. The award belongs to Orange Cove as much as it does to our team,” said Ed Dunkel, Jr., CEO and President of Precision Civil Engineering.
Today, Sheridan Park is once again a place where Orange Cove families can gather, play, and feel welcome, while the revitalized gateway signs reflect the community’s identity and pride. The ASCE Fresno Branch award recognizes the planning, engineering, and collaboration behind the project, but its lasting measure of success will be how well these improvements serve Orange Cove for years to come.
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About Precision Civil Engineering, Inc.
Founded in Fresno in 2002 by Ed Dunkel Jr. and grounded in a family engineering tradition spanning more than 55 years in California, Precision Civil Engineering, Inc. is a 60-person multidisciplinary firm with offices in Fresno, Merced, Visalia, and on the Central Coast. PCE provides planning and entitlements, land surveying, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and construction management services to public- and private-sector clients throughout California. From concept through closeout, PCE brings together local knowledge, technical expertise, and one coordinated team committed to owning the outcome and giving back to the communities it serves.