Rose Garden Resident
News
SJ purchases small parcel for park in the Burbank/Del Monte area
By Monica Heger
Burbank/Del Monte residents hoping for more park space will soon see some green. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved the purchase of three parcels of land totaling 0.4 acres at Clifton Avenue and Scott Street for park development.
The city will purchase the parcel for $1.3 million, using funds from the redevelopment agency, as part of the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.
Randi Kinman, the president of the Burbank/Del Monte neighborhood action coalition, said a park in the area is critical.
There are no large parcels of open space in the Burbank area, which is part of City Councilman Ken Yeager's district. Kinman said the coalition's strategy is to develop a series of smaller parks along a walkable corridor. The development of a park on Clifton Avenue and Scott Street is an important first step because it will fall in between two other parks--O'Connor and Buena Vista.
"This is the big keystone for us," Kinman said.
The park on Scott and Clifton will probably be aimed at older children. The group is looking at including climbing structures and a basketball court, since Buena Vista Park has a tot lot.
The area is also home to a sizable elderly community. This group needs some open space within walking distance of their residences.
Open space was identified as the No. 1 priority in the Burbank/Del Monte SNI. The group identified the development of a tot lot at Buena Vista Park and the acquisition of the land for a park at Clifton Avenue and Scott Street as its top priority.
The only setback to the development of a park will be the soil sampling that must first be done. Kinman said the parcel had been used for a variety of things in the past, so a soil test has to be done first to determine whether there is contamination.
If contamination is found at the site, the current owners will be required to pay for the cleanup. If the site is found to be unsuitable for a park, the city will not be required to purchase the land.
