Saratoga, California Since
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Task force seeks local input By Kate Carter Saratoga's El Quito neighborhood is beginning efforts to reclaim its neighborhood park by chiming in on the city's plans to upgrade the facility. If all the required improvements to El Quito Park cost less than what has been budgeted, neighbors' input will also be used to possibly install new elements there, said public works director John Cherbone. And aside from capital improvement suggestions, nearby residents are also being asked about how the park should best be used and how that use could be better regulated. "The park's just been such a gem for this neighborhood," said resident Emma Wyckoff. "That's how a lot of people in the neighborhood have met other people in the neighborhood. It breeds a support mechanism." Wyckoff and two other El Quito residents are participants in the El Quito Park Task Force, which for about the past year has been working to develop a plan to improve the six-acre park at the corner of Cox Avenue and Paseo Presada. To better represent their neighbors, the three have been distributing a neighborhood survey to receive feedback about what residents do and don't like about their park and what else they would like there, Wyckoff said. "The survey is basically to take the pulse of the neighborhood and find out what they'd like to see with it," she said. The El Quito neighborhood is bounded by Highway 85 to the southwest, Saratoga Avenue to the northwest and Quito Avenue to the east, and includes about 900 families, Wyckoff said. "It's through this process that we can refine these numbers," she added. But the survey also serves another purpose: that of reminding neighbors that El Quito Park is for their benefit - something they may have forgotten last year when the park was used by sports teams while construction on Congress Springs Park was ongoing. "It was a tough year for everyone," Cherbone said. Congress Springs is completed now, and while teams can rent space there for games and practices, some keep coming back to El Quito, Wyckoff said. "The neighborhood still has yet to feel like it's regained access to the park," she said. Through the survey, Wyckoff and Cherbone said, they not only want to make sure their preliminary plans for the park are in keeping with the residents' desires, but that the park's use by sports teams and other groups for a variety of activities is also what the residents want. "It's supposed to serve the greater Saratoga community," Cherbone said, "but we want it also to be a neighborhood element. We're not planning on changing everything drastically." So far, the park task force has already installed new drinking fountains, a new fence along Paseo Presada, new sand in the volleyball court, more garbage cans and pet poop scoop dispensers. Other critical improvements include upgrading the park's playground to bring it into compliance with state safety regulations, as well as addressing safety issues posed by the park's proximity to Paseo Presada. Wyckoff said that people who drive too fast often use the street to access Highway 85. Six months ago, in fact, a dog was hit by a car on Paseo Presada near the park, she said. "It puts all the activities at the park in even more risk," she said. The city also needs to install a new irrigation system and possibly new sod to counter a growing "mud-bogging" problem on the park's turf, Cherbone said. "It's just time to upgrade," he said. The city council last fall approved about $375,000 for the upgrade - about $125,000 for the playground and the rest for general improvements. The task force has received about 100 responses to the survey so far and is giving residents two more weeks to get their surveys in. Surveys can be dropped off in a black metal collection box near the park's restrooms. Task force members will also collect them individually if requested. Wyckoff has noted that some people who returned the survey are interested in using the park for community barbecues but are concerned about being allowed to drink alcohol. Currently people are able to secure a permit to drink alcohol at the park during certain times on Saturdays. However, even that rule isn't fully enforced, and it could possibly be changed to better suit the desires of the community, she said. Also, some have suggested providing space in the park for dogs to run off-leash. Wyckoff said that many pet owners already use the park for their dogs without too many problems, and the number of lingering messes is down, thanks to the new poop-scoop dispenser. But she sees problems with designating part of the park for dogs, not only because the city has such limited park space already, but also because a dog park is liable to be besieged with dog owners from "all over the county," she said. "There's more demand for park space than the city has available," Wyckoff said. "We're trying to figure out how to strike a balance." Her favorite scenario would be for the city to pool its resources and actually purchase more public open space. As that's not likely to happen, she's working to make sure her community's open space meets as many of its needs as possible, she said. And, as the park's final plan is not expected to be complete until the end of this year, or construction on the larger elements of the park until next summer, there's still time for people's voices to be heard, Cherbone said. "We're still sort of in the incubation state," he said. "The exciting stuff is yet to come." The next meeting of the task force is June 10 at 7 p.m. at city hall. To comment on El Quito Park or to request a survey pickup, call the hotline at 408-378-5334. |
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