By KATHERINE PETERSEN
The playgrounds at Braly and Ponderosa elementary schools in Sunnyvale will soon have refurbished playing fields and new jogging paths and exercise equipment. The city of Sunnyvale will improve the two sites as part of its 1994 agreement with the Santa Clara Unified School District. The City Council approved the plans at its Sept. 17 meeting. The district had approved the project in August.
The agreement allows members of the community to use the school parks after hours in exchange for the city paying for maintenance and improvement costs, said Jenny Ludwig, Sunnyvale's assistant to the director of parks and recreation. Sunnyvale has similar agreements with the Sunnyvale Elementary School District and the Cupertino Union School District.
"Some of the fields at the two sites don't drain real well and have standing pools of water on them. These sites were not city sites. Their irrigation will be integrated into the city's system, which is controlled by computers," Ludwig said.
The city will put in new grass that can better withstand heavy foot traffic, a 1/4-mile perimeter jogging path and exercise equipment such as pull-up bars and sit-up boards. The city owns the adjoining park, which already has playground equipment.
The exercise equipment will be tied in with the jogging path so kids and adults can walk on the path, stopping to use equipment as they go, Ludwig said.
The city estimates the project's cost at $648,000, which includes planning, design and construction. The cost of maintaining the two sites is estimated at $59,000 per year.
Ben Picard, deputy superintendent for the Sunnyvale Elementary School District, said nothing but good has come out of the agreement with the city.
"It's been absolutely wonderful for us. Prior to the agreement, we lacked the resources, manpower and dollars to afford staff to maintain the open space grounds. Over the years, the properties had deteriorated, and they weren't really good recreational areas for kids," he said.
The city will maintain sites for 25 years, and in return, the district has agreed not to sell any surplus school sites with the exception of the Benner site and former district office sites, Picard said.
"The sites are widely used. I'm a jogger at Sunnyvale Middle School. It's amazing how many walkers are out at 5:45 a.m.," he said, adding that the soccer fields and baseball diamonds are used by the community as well.
During the 25 years of the agreement, the district could save as much as $9 million, although it's a theoretical savings because the district didn't have the money in the first place, Picard said..
Wayne Hooper, assistant superintendent for the business services division, said students at the two schools and residents who live near them will benefit from the park improvements, while the city will have more open space.
"Our long-range plans did not include improvements at these school sites because of a lack of funding. This agreement is positive for both of us," he said.
The project is estimated to begin in the spring of 1997, and the district hopes it will be completed by the fall of the 1997-98 school year, Hooper said.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 2, 1996.
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