The City of Morgan Hill has about $3.5 million to develop three new downtown parks to complement the vast infrastructure upgrades and property improvements underway in the neighborhood.
The parks would line up along Third Street with a trail leading to a hilltop park at the city’s downtown water tower; a creekside rest area on the north side of West Third Street; and a “Depot Park” on Depot Street that would replace dozens of parking spaces adjacent to the railroad tracks with playground equipment, shade trees, benches, new fences, artificial turf, bike parking and other amenities like a giant wooden xylophone, according to city staff.
The City Council approved the design concepts for the three parks at the Oct. 21 meeting. Some concerns were raised during council discussion, such as the elimination of parking spots on Depot Street and the noise of passing trains.
City staff is in the process of soliciting proposals from interested consultants, one of whom will complete the design and construction drawings for the project.
The total projected cost for the three parks, which would be completed by early 2016, is about $3.5 million, according to Morgan Hill Community Services Director Chris Ghione. This cost includes about $150,000 for public restrooms at one of the parks or elsewhere in the downtown.
The parks concepts have been in the works for more than two years, Ghione said. The effort is part of the city’s “downtown placemaking investment strategy,” which is a widespread plan to use former Redevelopment Agency funds to improve both public and private properties in downtown Morgan Hill.
“Development of these park sites will help make the investment strategy a reality,” Ghione told the council Oct. 21. “We want to provide all these opportunities for recreation, relaxation and making our downtown vibrant.”
The Depot Park on Depot Street would be the most “active” of the proposed new R&R sites, with play equipment for children, bridges, crawl spaces and walkways. This park would eliminate up to 54 parking spaces at the Caltrain lot on Depot Street, on the south side of the former “train station” building now occupied by Jonty’s restaurant.
Councilmembers also worried about how the loud noise from passing trains would affect users of the park.
“At the Depot Park site, I would suggest we don’t underestimate the sound of the passing trains. I’ve gotten to know it quite well,” said Mayor Pro Tem Larry Carr, who recently moved to a residence close to the downtown railroad tracks.
Ghione said staff will continue to explore options how to mitigate this sound, with a sound wall considered as one possibility.
He added that while the train’s passing sound levels are “very loud,” they occur only intermittently.
The West Little Llagas Creek Park, on the north side of West Third Street, would consist of more “passive” features such as benches, tables and pathways nestled among existing nearby residences. “The park would utilize the area’s natural features to provide a welcoming area just steps away from the city’s downtown,” reads a city staff report.
The westernmost of the three parks—the Hill Top Park—would convert an existing dirt service road, now closed to the public, to a walking and hiking trail, according to city staff. This multi-use trail would link to a future trail that would span the length of West Little Llagas Creek through downtown.
“The new trail would serve to provide for a unique health and wellness related walking/running path right near the downtown,” the city staff report says. And the park would incorporate slides that use the existing grade of the hill to “provide a unique experience.”
This park would also require the city to reroute West Third Street so it is a westbound one-way street for vehicle traffic, Ghione added. This would be done in an effort to slow down cars as they crest the steep hill at the intersection of West Third Street and Del Monte Avenue.
City staff have so far determined that the best location for a public restroom among these parks would be at the Depot Street site, Ghione said. A facility in this location would be the safest spot for a public restroom as it offers the best visibility for police and EMS personnel.
