June 27, 2008

District 8 Report

Build, improve, and protect our parks and open space

By Vice Mayor Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

As my time serving you on the San Jose City Council draws to a close, many residents have asked me what priorities the next council member should promote to preserve and enhance the future of our district. In the past few issues I have written about traffic relief, economic development and education. In this issue I would like to focus on Parks and Open Space.

When I grew up in this area, it was primarily farms, ranches and open space. As a witness to the changes time has brought to our community, I have watched as more and more people come to live in the area I grew up in. Meanwhile, protecting our open space, creating recreational opportunities, building new parks and improving our existing parks has been an important part of preserving and enhancing our quality of life here in District 8. So, whomever you cast your vote for in November needs to be a strong supporter of open space and be constantly on the lookout for opportunities to expand, renovate and preserve our parks and trails.

During my 7.5 years on the City Council I have firmly pushed forward the construction of new parks. Each new park has had its own challenges that through hard work we've been able to surmount. That said, these are some of our successes:

Fowler Creek Park opened in 2006. A gorgeous 12-acre park, the land for this park was first available in 1993! Imagine my surprise when I joined the Council in 2001 and learned that no plans for construction were on the books because of a legal tie-up with the parcels of land that make up the 12 acres. I immediately brought together city staff and within months we cleared up the legal issues.  Then I gathered the community to update the park master plan and the rest moved swiftly.

Falls Creek Park opened in 2008. A delightful 1-acre park, the land for this park was deeded to the city early in my time on the council but the previous administration had not built any funding strategy for actual construction. I began working with staff and the neighborhood on designing the park, establishing a budget and then cobbling together the funds.

Canyon Creek Park opened in 2005. A stunning 1-acre park with 360 views, the community had an ambitious design in mind with unique elements such as a globe fountain. Again, I worked with staff and the neighborhood to finalize the vision for this park, establishing a budget and then cobbling together the funds.

John J. Montgomery Public Art Plaza opened in February 2008. The 30-foot high rendition of a glider wing (intended to resemble Montgomery’s craft of choice, which he flew in the Evergreen area) and plaza for seating is one of the finest public art projects in the city. After explaining my vision for this landmark to folks in the city and among the community, we worked with city staff to make this tribute come to life.

Lake Cunningham Regional Skatepark opened in April 2008. This 40,000 square foot facility is the biggest and best skatepark in the western United States and accommodates all skill levels of skaters. Check it out if you have not already done so. It is impressive!

Smythe Field opened to the general public in January 2007 and it is the City’s first artificial turf soccer field. Located adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) on Cunningham Avenue, my office worked closely with BGC and city staff to acquire the field and make it available for the community’s growing interest in soccer.

Meadowfair Park Phase II opened in 2005. Although not an entirely new park, this phase was a significant expansion including the addition of a youth play lot, asphalt game court, expanded picnic areas, and bike racks. The expansion of this park was on hold for some years, and when the city was ready to begin construction, a funding shortfall arose. My office worked closely with city staff and the community to update the park design and ensure funds were available.

Equally important to building new parks is to improve what we already have. We have invested public dollars into important upgrades at Aborn, Meadowfair, Boggini, Fernish, Brigadoon, Welch, Groesbeck, Montgomery Hill and Evergreen.

Also not to be forgotten is the importance of protecting our green space. Some of you may know that we are slated to receive a second library in southeast Evergreen. The Library Director expressed interest to locate this library inside Evergreen Park, which would have eliminated two acres of park green space. In my opinion, using park land for non-park purposes should be prohibited and I held the line and insisted that other sites be considered. Working with the adjacent neighborhood, we convinced the city to abandon this idea and thus far have preserved Evergreen Park in its entirety.

A recent and exciting addition to our green space inventory is the interim Thompson Creek Trail, which runs from the Evergreen Library north to Lake Cunningham Park. In this era of staggering gas prices and carbon emissions, we need more pedestrian-friendly options. When I first joined the City Council, there was no plan to develop a comprehensive trail system for District 8, so I initiated a study to see if a continuous trail system could be developed along Thompson Creek. Working with the neighborhoods along Thompson Creek and others, we put together a plan for a trail that, when fully built out, will run from Lake Cunningham Park to Heartland Way along San Felipe Road, stopping along important destinations such as the Lake Cunningham skatepark, the Evergreen Library, the retail center at San Felipe/Yerba Buena and the John J. Montgomery public art plaza.

The first segment of this trail opened a few weeks ago. While classified as interim (i.e. unpaved), the trail is marked with signage and various entrance/exit points have been created along the route. It is a new opportunity for people to commune with nature and travel in a healthy and eco-friendly manner to their destination. Soon we will have our first community “Trail Walk.” Watch for details to come.

I am also excited to share that four new bike lanes will be installed in our district. My office has worked closely with the community to identify these four stretches:

- Cunningham Ave. from Capital Expressway to White Road

- Ruby Ave. from Tully Road to Quimby Road

- Tully Road from Glen Hanleigh to Ruby

- Yerba Buena Road from Silver Creek Road to Silver Creek Valley Road

Working on park and open space issues has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. On a personal level, I love biking with my children to various parks or hiking up Montgomery Hill. On a community level, I believe strongly in the intimate connection between open space and quality of life. I lived it, growing up here in District 8, and I want that same experience for generations to come.

As we move forward together, please feel free to contact me at dave.cortese@sanjoseca.gov or (408) 535-4908 with any questions or comments. It is always my pleasure to serve you.