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Published on 04/28/1997 All articles from this issue

Four possible plans discussed for recreation use at city-owned Rosita site

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By Sona Sharma

Special to the Town Crier

The 401 Rosita Task Force members are determined to make their dream of a recreation park on the former St. William School site come true with quality and optimum use of land.

In an April 23 meeting, the task force met to discuss four possible plans put forward by Jay Beals, a San Jose landscape architect, hired by the city to give their dream a concrete shape.

Bob Rayl, recreation director, later clarified that these plans had "nothing to do with anybody's recommendations. They were just an offshoot of the wish list" of what the task force envisioned as needs in the community.

The former St. William site is located on Rosita Avenue, behind El Monte Avenue and Covington School on Covington Road. The 5.4-acre site also comprises a parking lot, a mini park and tennis courts which are a part of Covington School and are leased out to the city for recreational usage.

Keeping in mind the wish list discussed by the task force in a previous meeting, Beals presented four possible scenarios. The first kept the existing buildings and mini park intact. The second does the same with a few modifications like pulling the existing ball diamond lower toward the school property. A third plan replaces the mini park with a building and a neighborhood park, and the fourth plan expands to a theater, large meeting rooms, study rooms, and a new parking lot. A gymnasium was a common structure for all plans.

The costs involved for the Rosita property in these plans ranged from $5.3 million to $9.3 million with additional costs for work required on the school property. Beals explained that these costs included 15 percent design and 10 percent construction contingencies as these plans are still in conception stage and unknown factors may crop up later.

"We are not proposing that the city spend this much money," Beals said. "These costs are as close as they can be to being conservative. When it comes to the final picture, they might go down but it is doubtful that they will go up."

Another concept that evolved from the first plan and was well-received was the possibility of a joint use of the existing buildings and the parking lot by Covington School and the city. That would free all the land for both parties.

Marge Gratiot, superintendent of Los Altos School District such usage will be the decision of the school board and that members have not made any commitment.

"The only thing that they said was that the school district will have to keep its flexibility. Whatever we (the task force) do can't keep us from being able to use this side of the school when we need it," Gratiot said. She also said that with increasing enrollments, there is a possibility that Covington School may re-open five years from now.

The next meeting is scheduled for May 7. In the meantime, the task force will try and meet with the school district staff to iron out some of the issues. Task force members will also compile a prioritized list of what they want in the recreational facility. Beals will then design more plans of the park based on that list.

"The commitment of these people (task force members) is incredible," Beals said. "That they will do whatever is necessary to keep it moving forward, keep it on track is pretty incredible. I can tell you, in my experience, you don't see that very often."