Long-awaited neighborhood recreation areas cleared for bid
Residents who live in the northwest quadrant of Gilroy have
voiced their concerns over the city’s lack of recreational space in
the area for years.
On Monday, they found out that most of the void would be filled
by 2004.
Long-awaited neighborhood recreation areas cleared for bid
Residents who live in the northwest quadrant of Gilroy have voiced their concerns over the city’s lack of recreational space in the area for years.
On Monday, they found out that most of the void would be filled by 2004.
After minimal discussion, the Gilroy City Council unanimously approved the draft master plan for two new community parks in the northwest part of the city.
Construction on Los Arroyos and Carriage Hills Park is slated to begin this spring.
When completed, Los Arroyos will be a two-acre facility near Mt. Madonna High School at the intersection of Hirisaki Avenue and Moro Drive.
Carriage Hills is a three-acre park at Valley Oak Court and Cresthill Way.
Construction costs for the two parks are estimated to be $1.4 million.
“Any neighborhood park is a nice amenity to the community and we always try to get them in as soon as possible,” said City Administrator Jay Baksa. “They’re a nice social area and build a sense of community. We’re excited to be getting these parks.”
Long-term plans call for Sunrise Park also to be built in the northwest quadrant. Planning for that eight-acre facility is still ongoing and not expected to be complete until next spring. At that time, the council is expected to approve its master plan as well.
Although the council approved the designs, there was some debate over the installation of lights on a basketball court proposed for Carriage Hills park as well as safety concerns surrounding the plans to put up a “climbing wall” play structure at the facility.
Councilman Roland Velasco was concerned that a climbing structure at the park may pose a liability risk to the city.
That debate, however, was soon shot down when city staff assured the council that the small wall is designed and will be installed under the same guidelines as other playground structures and will have padding.
With the safety issues cleared up to the satisfaction of the council, focus soon centered lighting on the basketball courts.
Councilman Peter Arellano suggested that the city install timed lights above the basketball courts so that older children could have a place to play until 8 or 9 p.m.
He noted that since many of the yards are small in the surrounding neighborhoods, children often move basketball hoops to the edge of residential driveways or in the road so that they can play under the streetlights.
While Arellano thought this would be the safest option for the park because it would “keep kids off the street,” others saw it differently.
City staff pointed out that local residents were concerned that the lighting might draw too many patrons to the relatively small facility, which is being built with the immediate community members in mind.
While Arellano was in favor of the lit area because he heard many residents wanted them, Councilman Craig Gartman said he heard a different story from people who live near the proposed facility.
“I did not see one person that wanted a basketball court out there that was lit up,” he said.
On that note, the council voted in an alternative option that does not allow lighting at the park’s opening but calls for setting the facility up to have lights in the future by running an electrical conduit box to the site.
Monday’s decision paves the way for city officials to put the parks out to bid.
