Council Watch

Old drive-in could feature gardens, golf and dogs

DPW gathers citizen input about park at former Winchester Drive-In site

By Cecily Barnes

In preparation for the construction of a city park at the old Winchester Drive-In site, scheduled for completion by August 2000, the city of Campbell last week hosted two community forums to gather public input.

"We got a lot of good comments and ideas for things that might work at the park," said Department of Public Works Director Bob Kass. "Input from the community helps make a better park."

Local residents suggested a range of preferences--from a community garden, a putting green and lawn bowling to an environmental habitat area and a dog park.

"A dog park would be a place where people could bring their dogs and run off leash," Kass said. "We don't have anything like that right now. Dogs are only allowed on the creek trail."

Other people suggested equipping the park with a barbecue pit, picnic area, sports field, children's play area, sand volleyball court and basketball court. Ideas for an orchard area and walking trails were also introduced.

Dennis Belluomini, treasurer for the Campbell Little League, says creating field availability at the park wouldn't affect Little League directly. "Maybe soccer could be able to use it and thereby relieve some of the use of the other facilities that Little League is using," he said.

As a private resident who lives
relatively close to the park, Belluomini says he'd like to see a multi-use facility.

"That could include a tot-lot and a dog park and open turf that could be used by different organizations," he said. "Even maybe to the extent of providing picnic tables and barbecue pits where organizations can meet in a somewhat open area."

The city's public works staff, in conjunction with the landscape architecture firm Singer and Hodges, will take the next month to compile the suggestions into three or four design alternatives for the park.

"Based on the kind of input we got, there will probably be one [design plan] that implements active sports, another with a passive environmental use and other might be some combination of maybe the dog park with a community garden," Kass said.

Once the plans have been completed public works staff will present them on June 2 to the Parks and Recreation Commission.The commission meeting will allowcommunity members to comment on the plans. Residents are also invited to phone or send letters with their suggestions.

Following the June 2 meeting, the public works department will narrow the alternatives down to one plan to present that toParks and Rec on July 7 and then to the City Council on July 20.

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