December 29, 2006

New projects for Lake Cunningham

Skate park, landscape improvements to start in 2007

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

Two significant projects are set to start in the new year at Lake Cunningham.

The projects, which have been under discussion for the past six to eight years, are a 40,000 square foot skate park and perimeter landscaping on the (northern) Cunningham Avenue side of the park.

The new regional skate park at Lake Cunningham will offer 40,000 square feet of space and will include beginning and advanced skating areas as well as fencing, lights, access pathways and restrooms.

City Council members voted Dec. 5 to move on the projects with construction for both starting in late winter or early spring.

The beautification project was first discussed eight years ago, but shelved because of environmental questions about burrowing owls. It was reintroduced approximately four years ago, but again put on hold because of the city’s fiscal problems and questions regarding its ability to maintain the improvements once the project was completed. A part of the project remains on hold because future transportation work on the Capitol Expressway portion could affect it.

Regional skate park
The initial references to the skate park were in 2000, said Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Park Manager Brian Hartsell. Lake Cunningham Park was chosen for its size and because it is the second most active regional park facility.

When the city first decided on skate parks, it planned one in each council district with a large one to fit all levels at a regional park. Three of the neighborhood skate parks have been built and opened. The park at Lake Cunningham will include beginning and advanced skating areas, as well as access pathways for the public and a building, combining a small staff office and restrooms.

The city hired Beals Alliance in 2003 to conduct a feasibility study. It determined that Lake Cunningham should serve as home to the regional skate park, indicating that the preferred location for skate enthusiasts would be in the southern portion of the park. The city also used Beals Alliance to design the skate park. The budget is just slightly over $5 million for the project.

“The park is purposely positioned so it serves a greater section of the public,” said Hartsell. “The current model is for lighting for four days a week only, but it’s designed in such a way that in the future it can accommodate nightly lighting. The current model will be operated by City/Lake Cunningham staff.”

Lake Cunningham Park is one of the more heavily used parks in the San Jose system, said Hartsell. It serves a great number of people because of its amenities, including Raging Waters and Lake Cunningham itself. It is the second most active regional facility, he said, next to Kelley Park.

Landscape improvements
The landscaping improvements to the Cunningham Avenue side of the park include more than new plants and flowers. The idea here is to improve the roadway, add a curb, as well as gutters and a sidewalk, and a vegetative swale for drainage and water percolation.

Currently, the road drops off into gravel and dirt. The plans make the area more pedestrian friendly and provide the necessary rain percolation into the ground so that all the water doesn’t impact the bay.

In addition, Hartsell said, the city will landscape with shrubs and trees to improve the visual aspect of the park.

“The Capitol Expressway, or west side, of the park isn’t being ignored,” he said. “We want to wait until future VTA work is finished to more cleanly define the western edge and then we will come back and finish landscaping that edge of the park too.”

The city is expected to award the construction/landscaping job on Feb. 13, Hartsell said, with construction set to begin April 9 and completion projected for early spring of 2008. The landscape budget is about $1.5 million.