In an effort to create a master plan for the corridor—a 60-acre recreational facility covering the areas of Blackberry Farm, McClellan Ranch Park and the Stocklmeir and Simms properties—the city had assembled and distributed 320 design kits for community members to share their visions for the parkland.

By the April 24 submission deadline, the city had received 107 proposals from community groups, student teams and individuals.

Longtime resident James Feng urged city leaders to preserve and restore the parkland in the area.

"In my 35 years of living in this city, I have enjoyed walking, picnicking and relaxing in the park on numerous occasions. But I have never been able to hike all the way from McClellan Road to Stevens Creek Boulevard and vice versa because of the tall fences and other human interference," he said.

Feng encouraged city planners to eliminate the city-owned Blackberry Farm Golf Course and return the area to its natural state.

"There are not many people who play golf at the Blackberry Farm Golf Course because we have the Deep Cliff Golf Course so close by," he said. "Returning the land to its original natural state would allow more people to visit and enjoy nature. They can see the birds, squirrels, raccoons, deer and, who knows, maybe even a mountain lion."

Consistent with his preservation theme, Feng supports the building of a natural-surface trail for hiking and biking.

Longtime resident Larry Cormier, on the other hand, encouraged city planners to make minimal changes to the golf course.

"The golf course is the major revenue source for the city," he explained. "Over 70,000 individuals and groups make use of the facility 363 days a year. Improving the facility would only generate more play, which would help generate the revenue to reduce the debt on the property."

Cormier suggested relocating the main entrance to Blackberry Farm to Stevens Creek Boulevard in order to resolve the traffic problems faced by residents on Byrne and San Fernando avenues, where the entrance currently stands.

Cormier also disagreed with Feng on the type of trail that should be built in the area. He argued that the addition of a multipurpose trail along Stevens Creek would allow year-round use for the general public.

In addition to individual residents, local groups such as the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society also participated in the design process.

Craig Breon, executive director of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, said the organization would like to have the area west of Stevens Creek restored to riparian forest, with recreational and educational opportunities in the eastern section.

This would mean the removal of various structures, including two picnic areas currently standing on the western side of the creek, the restoration of facilities for educational purposes at McClellan Ranch Park and the building of a 6-foot-wide, unpaved pedestrian path that would wind through the entire area.

Designs by Feng, Cormier and the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, along with the rest of the 107 proposals, are on display in the Cupertino Room at the Quinlan Community Center. With ongoing public review to refine submitted ideas, the city council is expected to incorporate elements into the master plan in late summer.

For more information, contact the parks and recreation department at 408.777.3110 or email parks@cupertino.org.