April 2, 2007

A place to relax

Community, developer, city work together for park

End result makes all happy

By Carol Rosen
Editor

It took six years and a lot of meetings, but finally the residents at the near junction of Russo and Lansing in District 9 can be happy because they have a park.

Everyone collaborated in cutting the ribbon to open Russo Park. From the left are ROEM Project Manager Derrick Allen, Lansing Avenue resident Jeff Chandler, Katie Bowman who is directly in front of her mother Wendy Bowman and father Tom Bowman, Councilwoman Judy Chirco and Rebecca Hughes. Hughes and Wendy Bowman were instrumental in turning a road into a park.

Six years ago, neighbors heard plans that a developer wanted to build a 240-unit apartment complex at the end of Russo Drive. But that wasn’t all, they planned to curve Russo into Lansing creating a through street to Meridian. That would have left no space or sidewalks and parking would be horrendous.

Two women who lived in the area weren’t happy about it and so Rebecca Hughes and Wendy Bowman got to work and began holding meetings with their neighbors and with Roem Development. Their meetings led to the Almaden Oaks Action Committee, which led to the 0.3-acre park.

In the end, everyone turned out happy. Instead of 240-unit apartment complex, there is a residential home for seniors that looks like quite expensive apartments.

But most important, there is a turnkey park where Russo and Lansing would have connected opening up space and providing grass and sunshine for children, their parents and the senior citizens. There’s a pedestrian bridge over Highway 85 that allows the neighborhood children to walk to school. There are even horseshoe courts.

Two area residents spoke about growing up in the area. Jeff Chandler, who lives on Lansing Avenue remembered growing up there when there were mostly prune orchards and the streets Cherry and Russo didn’t exist, nor did Highway 85, the Home Expo or the Costco.

People brought their dogs and kids to the opening of Russo Park. Among those attending are some of the seniors that live in the complex to the south of the park.

Tom Bowman, who also lives on Lansing, said most of the thanks for the new park go to his wife Wendy and Rebecca Hughes. “If not for them, we’d be living here with a 240-unit apartment complex, a lot of cars and streets where the park is today,” he said.

Hughes mentioned that only 16 neighbors showed up at the first meeting. The next meeting had 30 people and then it really started growing with 60 and finally 100 residents showing up. The neighbors were joined by ROEM Development. “They showed up with coffee and T-shirts,” said Hughes. The T-shirts didn’t promote ROEM they were about 9-11, and the developer was open to everything.”

“It’s important to us that what gets built makes sense to the people [in the neighborhood]. This project was a collaboration between the city, the developer and the people in the neighborhood,” said Derrick Allen, ROEM project manager. “There needs to be strong education so that the community residents can understand the process, because ultimately we all three need to be working together so we end up with everyone happy.”

The park was planned to be enjoyed by everyone. When the neighbors said they wanted trees with leaves, instead of palm trees, that’s what they got.

Derrick Allen throws horseshoes while Judy Chirco looks on.

The park offers horseshoe pits, walkways, fencing, lighting, a drinking fountain, trash receptacles, turf, irrigation and other landscaping amenities. The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department will maintain the park.

The park was constructed for $349,050, and paid for by the city’s Park Trust Fund.

Helping open the park and cut the ribbon were District 9 Councilwoman Judy Chirco and District 4 County Supervisor Ken Yeager, who was a city councilman with a priority of parks and trails. The two former colleagues quipped about who should be called if there was a problem, but both noted their happiness over the park and the collaboration that made it happen.

Finally, Allen suggested that everyone can “take pride in the land we do have. Land is scarce, it’s a premium. This park can be a model for what other areas can do. It’s available for moms to walk with their children, older people to play horseshoes or people to walk their dogs. It was accomplished with everyone working as a group. We can accomplish more by working together,” he said.