Council Watch

Council moves to finalize plans for more parking and new park

Plan for new parking structure is finalized; Winchester site plans will be discussed July 6

By Genevieve Roja

A happy customer in downtown Campbell is someone who has found a good parking space--or any parking space, according to downtown merchants.

Because of the onslaught of new residential, commercial, mixed-use and other developments, Campbell officials have responded to the needs of downtown by designating a permanent site and approving a working plan for a three-story, 36,700-square-foot parking structure to occupy space between Second and Third streets fronting Civic Center Drive.

Finalized at last Tuesday's city council meeting, the new facility will accommodate between 250 and 300 cars. Each space will cost an estimated $4,000. Money to fund the parking complex will be drawn directly from the $39 million Capital Improvement Plan budget, which allots $6,400,000 to the structure--making it one of the single largest public works projects in the city.

For many downtown merchants, the downtown facility is welcome news.

"It's more centrally located," said Ski Kavaleski, owner of Ski's Royal Furniture at 287 E. Campbell Ave. "People are going to be able to park there and walk a few blocks to downtown. I have just a few spaces in the back and they all fill up pretty quickly. People have a heck of a time finding a place to park."

Even merchants who don't necessarily need a parking structure to accommodate their businesses believe the facility has its benefits.

Melany Moore, whose bridal bouquet preservation store, Shanel's Spring, competes for a share of a crowded parking lot with Century 21 and Gargoyle's, says the new garage will benefit her indirectly.

"If other businesses can pull masses of people in with the new parking structure, it can only be good for businesses like me," Moore said.

Merry Heskett, owner of All things Past N Present, is another merchant who says she could use the parking complex.

"I think it's great," she says. "We've needed it for a long time. Parking is always good for a town--it means it's growing."

Plans for the parking structure have been ongoing for the last two-and-a-half years, beginning with a study performed last October by Walker Parking Associates and Gordon Chong & Partners, an architectural firm in San Francisco.

In other business, the council voiced suggestions for options on the Winchester Drive-In Site Park. The council has asked that two final conceptual plans on the site be presented at its July 6 meeting.

Public Works director Bob Kass presented the council with five schematic designs--a nature awareness park, a community garden/orchard park, a large dog park, a traditional neighborhood park and an active sports park. The plans had been presented to the city's Parks and Recreation Commission June 2.

Council members suggested various items, including shower facilities, a group picnic area with barbecue pits, sand volleyball and tennis courts and a walking or jogging trail. The hottest debate of the evening focused on the question of whether dogs should be able to roam off-leash, something not allowed in any city park, with the exception of the Los Gatos Creek Trail.

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