In 2006, a group of Veterans spearheaded an effort to construct a memorial in Atascadero. Originally, the plan was to construct the memorial in the newly completed Sunken Gardens. Jeff van den Eikhof was opposed to this location but supported the construction of a Veterans Memorial in Atascadero. After a contentious Parks and Recreation meeting where the project was proposed, Jeff approached Colonel Bill Hatch and offered to donate his engineering services, if a different suitable location was found. Jeff suggested the corner of Highway 41 and Portola Avenue. The location was approved by the City, and Jeff worked on getting all of the necessary engineering work completed. He worked closely with the artist Mark Greenaway to ensure all the elements worked together. Eikhof Design Group donated over $25,000 worth of engineering services and secured the donated work of two other engineering firms for geotechnical work and electrical design. The Atascadero Veterans Memorial is one of the premier memorials this side of the Mississippi.