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Published on 04/06/1998 All articles from this issue

Council votes $850,000 for playing fields, park

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue / Town Crier Staff Writer

The fall planting season will be a busy one for the city of Los Altos this year thanks to a $1.12 million surplus of one-time city funds.

At the April 7 meeting, city council members unanimously approved $850,000 for playing fields and park development: $711,000 to begin demolition and turf work at the city-owned 5.5-acre site at 401 Rosita Ave.; and $139,000 to finish the city's .75-acre vest-pocket park on the corner of Edith Avenue and San Antonio Road.

The immediate plan for the former St. William School at 401 Rosita is to demolish the convent house and classrooms, renovate existing turf and plant new turf. Doing this in time for fall planting should create, by next spring, 3.5-acres of new "multi-purpose turf," said Los Altos Recreation Director Bob Rayl. That's equal to two soccer fields and a baseball diamond.

This funding will provide the turf but not the building of the baseball diamond, Rayl said.

"This will let the kids know we are serious about funding their fields," said Los Altos Mayor Kris Casto.

The complete plans call for a $7.8 million recreation center and involve a partnership with the school district. While the city waits for the results of the school district's study of its facility needs, this will allow progress toward more playing fields, currently in short supply in Los Altos.

The city bought the 401 Rosita site, located south of El Monte between Cuesta Drive and Covington Road, in November 1996.

"It's time to turn it into ball fields - by next spring," said Councilman Lou Becker.

The council wants to raise $287,000 of the $711,000 by tapping into community donations and possible grants.

In addition to the money allocated for fields and a park, the council approved spending the balance of the money as follows: $115,000 for a computer network and e-mail at city hall; $52,000 for a cable TV consultant; $15,000 for a consultant for studying uses for the city land at Main and First streets; $6,000 to coordinate the vision plan with the city's general plan; $218,000 to the city's community improvement reserve fund; $148,213 into a reserve for ongoing operations; and $1,500 to the YWCA of Mid-Peninsula Rape Crisis Center.

In addition to the city's surplus of one-time funds, the council also allocated a surplus of $73,000 of ongoing funds to the following: $8,000 for maintenance of the new park that will be going in at San Antonio and Edith; $24,000 for the computer network/e-mail going in at city hall; $41,000 to fund a full-time employee for History House.

The council vote for fields and the park "pushes the 'go' button," said interim city manager Bill Zaner, for some long-anticipated city projects.