Public Takes in Valley's Views at New Park
Castro Valley is getting a new park, almost across the street from Lake Chabot Park, and the views from the aptly named “Valley View Park” are fabulous. The public got a look on Saturday morning at a “Coffee on The Hill” event, more officially called Community Meeting #1.
Besides the views, just what will go in that park and exactly when it will open are just starting to be determined, according to Hayward Area Recreation and Parks District (HARD), which bought the land from East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in 2014.
“The first thing to know is that there’s no plan yet. All we know is it’s going to be a park, open space, following a number of failed attempts to develop the site.”
Saturday saw the first day in developing a planning process, with an open house and community meeting held in the park to gather ideas.
Rather than an indoor or online meeting where people patiently wait to give time-limited suggestions, the park district invited the public to come to see the park, wander around, and post their ideas on large display boards highlighting different aspects of the site and of HARD’s plans elsewhere.
Darcie DeLashmutt of HARD thanked the public for passing Measure F1 in 2016, providing funds to develop the park.
“We’d bought the land before Measure F1,” said DeLashmutt, “but we’ll use the F1 funds to build it.”
DeLashmutt of HARD said that the gathering of suggestions began with Saturday’s Post-Its and continues with an online survey extending from March 4 to May 4. The results of both will be tabulated just prior to a May 6 second public meeting. at which more suggestions can be made or opinions expressed, she said.
People at the open house entered through a gate along Sydney Way between Stanton and Carlton avenues. At first glance, the park is a green strip between two groups of housing, but a path leads up a hill. At the top of that hill is a wide space that boasts views ranging from the eastern hills of Castro Valley on one side to the San Francisco Bay on the other.
HARD said it bought the land formerly known as the Sydney Reservoir property and former “Redwood Filtration Plant” from EBMUD with the idea of providing additional open space amongst existing housing.
After the scheduled May 6 Community Meeting #2, the process would continue with HARD and WRT staff combining community suggestions and views into a concept plan, which would then be discussed at Community Meeting #3 on June 15. Taking input from that meeting into account, a final proposal would be developed and presented to the HARD Board of Directors on August 1.
While we will hopefully know what is planned by this summer, getting it done would then take a bit longer, cautioned DeLashmutt.
The future park is now closed off to keep both the public and the site safe before any initial improvements and then during any construction.