City Of Menlo Park

Lyle Park: With the dedication of the park site to the only Menlo Park officer to have died in the line of duty, Officer Jack Lyle Park officially opened with much fanfare in late June. A flagship facility for the Parks and Community Services Department, the park aims to serve a variety of user groups within this City of approximately 30,000 including community soccer groups as well as neighborhood children and seniors.

Since the abandonment of the Fremont Elementary School, this 1.5-acre site has served several purposes including a senior center and a child care facility. In 1999 the City embarked on a Citywide facilities evaluation and master planning process, which heavily focused on community input and needs. The master plan identified the former Fremont School site for a park facility addressing the needs for additional playing fields and neighborhood play areas. In 2000, the park was identified by the City Council as a high priority in their ambitious Capitol Improvement Program and it was funded from Rec-In-Lieu fees and the General Fund. Through a collaborative design process, involving several community workshops and interdepartmental coordination, the master plan became a reality.

The 1.5-acre site has been transformed into an oasis for the community. Situated in a well-established "craftsman" style neighborhood, users are welcomed into the park through gateway columns situated at key entrances. The design of the columns and the associated perimeter ornamental fencing blend into the style of the neighborhood while at the same time providing the safety measures the neighborhood desired. Once inside, the park opens up to an expansive turf soccer field. The design implemented a sand-based field with a subsurface drainage system that solves the site’s poor soil condition while recharging the local ground water supplies by allowing runoff to percolate into a drywell.

The next major feature one will notice is the centrally located play area. Representing an old style fort, the play area has been situated within large beds of ornamental grasses creating a prairie theme, while softening the low perimeter safety fencing. The play area has been further designed to meet the needs of various age groups with three distinctive zones with the appropriately scaled equipment in soft warm colors complementing the neighborhood’s character. Connecting these major elements is the parks meandering pathway system linking users to other features including picnic areas, a half court basketball court, and soft rolling landforms creating more intimate spaces for small groups.

The park design successfully addressed many of the concerns and desires of the neighborhood. Several goals identified through the design process were:

• To create a field that could withstand heavy usage.
• To create a place to stroll.
• To keep children safe.
• To create much needed open space within the City of Milpitas.

These needs were developed into site’s design and are actively enjoyed by the community today.

City Of Redwood City

Redwood City’s Kidz Art Day: The Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department is a dynamic multifaceted organization. The department is organized around 10 major programs from childcare to senior services; and from park and building maintenance to special interest classes. The Department employs 93 staff people and has an operation budget of over $11 million. Redwood City is a diverse community located 25 miles south of San Francisco. Redwood City is home to approximately 76,600 people and it is the oldest bayside city in San Mateo County, incorporated in 1867. Redwood City combines residential, industrial, and commercial elements in a largely urban environment. The Redwood City Latino community makes up approximately 30% of the City’s population and the two age groups that have seen the most growth since the last census are: 5-9 years old with a 62% increase and 45-54 years old with a 54% increase.

Redwood City is proud of the recent, successful collaborations between public, private and non-profit organizations within the city and county. A high degree of local collaboration has led to the successful development of new programs and services to the community. Programs developed by our collaborations serve students with the greatest needs to events that bring families together in a positive recreation setting. The 2002 Kidz Art Day is no exception.

The department was approached by representatives of ArtShare of San Mateo County to help sponsor and organize a family event highlighting hands-on cultural arts. Seeking to create further partnerships and achieving the department goals adopted by the CPRS VIP plan of "Creating a Sense of Place", "Strengthening Community Image"; and providing additional "Recreational Experiences", work began.

This community special event is unique in that the planning, organization and support is equally divided by ArtShare and the department so that the available resources are better utilized. ArtShare spearheaded the recruitment of county artisans and performers, helped to obtain grants and funding sources, and met with staff monthly on the organization of the event. The Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department led the development of the event by conducting meetings and making sure that the event was on track, providing staff support, and marketing the event.

The end result was that over $8,000 was raised through local community grants (such as from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission) and from private donations from the San Mateo County Times and the First National Bank Of Northern California. The local artists also donated their supplies. Over 600 children enjoyed the days hands-on activities including pumpkin painting, robot art, ecco foam sculptures, leaf rubbing, window hangings, mask making and much more. Both children and the hundreds of parents in attendance also enjoyed story telling, dance, circus performances and musical ensembles.

With the amount of money raised through grants, from in-kind community and artist donations, the cost of the program was recovered and the event was FREE to all who attended. We are looking forward to next year’s event as we envision that this will continue to grow. ArtShare and the City Of Redwood City, together as partners, Create Community through the KidzArt Day!

City of San Carlos

"It’s Your Turn to Play" Boomer Program/Marketing Campaign: San Carlos is a city of almost 28,000 with a median age if 38.9 and a median household income of $101,200.

"It’s Your Turn to Play" is the name of a new marketing effort by the San Carlos Parks and Recreation department to serve an identified need, attract new participants and increase revenue. The programs in this campaign are aimed at "Baby Boomers", which has been identified as one of the primary trends in the nation. By 2005, 42 percent of the 76 million people known, as baby boomers will be over 50 years of age. San Carlos is gearing up to provide recreational experiences to meet the needs of this group who likes to work hard, play hard and spend hard.

Serving Baby Boomers in San Carlos began Fall 2002 with a "Boomer Bonanza" of programs identified in the Activity Guide including a Boomer Brainstorm Bash, Sea Kayaking, Theatre Trip and Introduction to Wine. The Brainstorm Bash combined Boomer survey results with an evening of utilizing a community focus group of Boomers to give feedback to staff for future programming ideas.

The next phase of the campaign "It’s Your Turn to Play" brochures have currently been placed at all public buildings and key businesses in San Carlos. Coinciding with the brochure is a postcard mailed to all residents. A free dinner drawing incentive is included to spur response and registration of individuals for future publicity purposes. The postcard looks like a brochure, encourages participation and informs residents, "It’s Your Turn to Play".

The brochure advertises "programs that fit your lifestyle" and shows choices of outdoor activities, fitness, education, art and culture, and future programs. There are " so many programs you’ll love… choosing is the hardest part".

The San Carlos Parks and Recreation Department funded this marketing campaign with costs projected to be more than recovered from the fee based programs established from the new marketing effort. We believe that the Department is at the forefront of identifying and programming for this trend. It is the product of a task force of its staff members interested in meeting the challenges of providing for the Boomers who will be more ready to recreate than retire!

Some information taken from NRPA Parks and Recreation October 2002 issue

City of San Jose
Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood

Hershey Nor-Cal City & State Meet: San Jose is the third largest city in California, with a population nearing 1,000,000. The City of San Jose’ s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services mission is to enhance the quality of life for all San Jose residents by providing a wide area of recreation, fitness and human services that promote overall wellness and self-improvement; to offer beautification services that promote and empower residents to improve their physical surroundings; and to search out and develop cooperative agreements with community-based organizations, private enterprise and other public agencies, to ensure the availability and accessibility of these services at no or low cost to all city residents.

The Hershey Youth Program is designed to introduce girls and boys between the ages of nine and fourteen to physical fitness through participation in track & field athletic events. Conducted on both a recreational and education level, the program teaches basic running, jumping and throwing skills on the playground and in the schools. No special equipment or uniforms are required.

Dr. Donald Cohen, who also founded the National Track and Field Hall of Fame of the United States, created the Hershey Track and Field Youth Program in 1975. Dr. Cohen presented his proposal to the seven major organizations of track and field, stating that he has read a number of reports prepared by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which painted a bleak picture of physical fitness in the 9-14 year-old age group in America. In 1996, the Hershey Youth Program implemented the first steps to expand the program in Canada in cooperation with Athletics Canada. It started in the lower provinces and now includes the entire country.

The planning process is ongoing with responsibilities for overall coordination and accountability to the Hershey Foods Corporation and the City of San Jose. The state track meet is held in June of each year at San Jose City College. The planning is comprised of coordinating with 45 other cities, educators, and community service groups. In addition staff recruits new cities, and agencies to host local Hershey qualifying meets so they have the opportunity to advance their top 2 winners in each event to participate in Hershey State Meet. Staff sets date, reserves field, secures staff volunteer base with dates of meet and conduct meetings with volunteer heads to ensure we have a high quality meet. Communicate and mail out all necessary materials to all participating cities/organizations with information regarding date and have all updated material for their local meet and State Meet. Each city or organization is responsible for conducting his or her local Hershey qualifying meet. Many receive funds from their communities and or local merchants to help sponsor the local meet.

The basic philosophy of this program is to stimulate the participation of all eligible children. It is no way to be construed as an all-star program for chosen individuals. Learning, participation, enjoyment and physical exercise are the main elements of this program. The utmost importance is to stress participation at local parks and recreation department, schools and other community service organizations.

In California alone, the Hershey Foods Corporation and the Hershey Youth program serves thousands of boys and girls ages 9-14, from as far north as Yreka, to the Central Valley (Turlock-Oakdale) and as far south as Santa Maria, California, and serves all socio- economic groups.

The Hershey Youth Program and the City of San Jose have formed a real bond with the community as people from all walks of life come together to work on this program. We have over 100 volunteers from a broad cross section of people, consisting of Assistant City Manage, business owners, physicians, educators, USA track and field officials, Recreation Supervisors, police officers, high school and college track coaches, parents of former participants and people who just enjoy volunteering to work with youth. We make it fun, well organized; this combination makes people proud of being involved in a program that serves so many youth from all socio-economic backgrounds.

The program is unique because no fee or membership is required. Other than personal travel for local or regional /state meets, participants and or their families need incur no expenses. Participants may be rewarded with an all expense paid trip to Hershey, Pa. Paid for by the Hershey Foods Corporation for the National Track Meet. It is the only youth program of its kind in United States, and stresses FUN rather than competition and no fees; special equipment or uniforms are required to participate.

The Hershey Foods Corporation approached the City of San Jose to coordinate the Northern California program in 1985. With the large contingency of track and field people in this area and the need for a youth program, Hershey and the City of San Jose formed a perfect fit. Since staff’s involvement with the Hershey Youth Program in 1986, most of the volunteers are still volunteering for this program today, plus we have increased our volunteer base over 100%. This program has introduced many young people into the track and field program and has diverted them from other potentially antisocial activities. For many participants, the introduction of this program encouraged them to continue with the sport and many former Hershey athletes have excelled in College, Olympic and Professional sports. Many former participants have chosen to give back to the community by volunteering in their local Hershey qualifying meets and or start a qualifying local meet in their community.

The program is funded in part by the Hershey Foods Cooperation to coordinate the Hershey State Meet. The City of San Jose provides minimum staffing for the day of the meet; the meet itself is conducted by several volunteers from the community. The City of San Jose provides the cost of staff’s time to coordinate with 45 other recreation departments, educational and community service organizations. The program reduces agency costs because of the service of over 100 volunteers, who provide many hours of service in assisting with the preparation work as well as day of meet. If the meet’s volunteer hours were calculated based on the current minimum wage of $7.00 per hour, then volunteer hours would save the City of San Jose approximately $7,000-$8,000 per year. In addition, the meet generates approximately $2,500 from admission fees at the gate for spectators, which offsets the expenditures for the meet.

Lone Hill Park Renovation: The City of San Jose, Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood services (PRNS) maintains 3,500 acres of parks and offers over 60 programs and services to its residents of all ages and interests. PRNS continues to support its vision of Communities of People connected by play, hope and joy in life and its mission to improve the livability of neighborhoods, offer opportunities for individuals to enjoy life, and strengthen communities of people.

In the year 2000 San Jose passed Measure P, a $228 million parks bond acts. With 80% of San Jose’s voters endorsing the act the City received a strong mandate from the public to provide improved facilities throughout the community. Located in west San Jose’s District 9, Lone Hill Park was identified as one of the first facilities to benefit from Measure P. With the most recent improvements to the park dating from the early 80’s, the park was long overdue for re-evaluation.

As its name implies, Lone Hill Park sits nestled against a hill. At over 7 acres in size, it is a very generously proportioned neighborhood park. Surrounded by homes, it is used extensively by the many families in the neighborhood. While much of the park was still successful, the primary gathering spaces were in need of attention. The outdated play areas and rest facility were no longer adequate. Wear and tear were taking their toll, and the park no longer complied with safety and access requirements. City of San Jose Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services staff began plans for improving the park by assembling the project team and defining the programs’ objectives.

These objectives included:

• Replacing play structures with CPSC and ASTM complaint play equipment.
• Replacing the rest station with contemporary, Title 24 and ADA complaint facility.
• Providing handicap accessible parking, paths of travel and access to play equipment.

With a consultant selected and a budget established planning began in earnest. The project benefited from a committed public that attended design meetings held on site to voice their concerns and preferences. The final improvements are a strong reflection of the community’s wishes. The initial goals of providing new, safe and accessible play areas and rest facilities are complimented by new landscaping and improved access to and through the park. Boulders found throughout the park were incorporated in the central plaza and compliment the park’s unique character. Picnic areas were added. Worn dirt paths were replaced with gracious walkways.

San Jose’s Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department has been very gratified to witness the popularity of the park since it’s re-opening this summer.

Monopoly In The Park: San Jose is the third largest city in California, with a population nearing 1,000,000. The City of San Jose’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services mission is to enhance the quality of life for all San Jose residents by providing a wide area of recreation, fitness and human services that promote overall wellness and self-improvement; to offer beautification services that promote and empower residents to improve their physical surroundings; and to search out and develop cooperative agreements with community-based organizations, private enterprise and other public agencies, to ensure the availability and accessibility of these services at no or low cost to all city residents.

There is nothing like it in the world. At 930 square feet this incredible rendition of one of the most popular games ever played is the largest outdoor Monopoly board in the world. It opened to the public in San Jose on July 20,2002

To organize the volunteers and the planning process, a "mind map" continuous improvement tool was implemented. During the planning workshop the "mind map’ exercise generated 8 development phases:

Numerous volunteers were then identified and assigned to committees organized around the phase list above. These committees reported to a Monopoly In The Park (MITP) Executive Committee over a nine-year period. In the final year (year 10), all MITP committees merged with the San Jose Beautiful Steering Committee (a 30 member Mayor and City Council appointed body) to accomplish all the "last minute" details of project of the originality. To support the financial aspects of the project, Friends of San Jose Beautiful (501 (c) 3) provided the fiscal agent role and supported fundraising efforts.

There are two ways a group can enjoy this recreational activity. They can:

1. Actually plan a full game, either by using the short game rules (time limit) or playing the game to the "bitter end".
   
   
2. Enjoy a "Monopoly Experience" by rotating players in and out of the game every 20 minutes. In this way, players may also enjoy the socialization of the group who rented the Monopoly garden for a special event.

Residents and visitors learn about the garden and find out how to rent it by visiting www.monopolyinthepark.com. In addition the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau will market the Monopoly board to conventions for a unique off-hours experience. Silicon Valley corporations are looking for unusual team building opportunities as well.

As mentioned earlier, there is nothing like it in the world.

This game theme garden is located in Discovery Meadow, which is the festival and large gathering place of Guadalupe River Park. It is visible to the public at all times and is located in the same park as the award winning Children Discovery Museum. It is easily accessible from the public transportation. It is sited existing trees and animal sculptures.

The Monopoly Board, in and of itself, is a recreation element. It comes alive with the human element when the game is played or the picnic tables are used for chess or relaxation. Adults and children play the larger-than-life size boards with 20" cubed foam dice, houses and hotels built to scale, and custom designed upholstered token. Up to twelve people may play the game at one time.

The creation of this unique recreational element in downtown San Jose took broad community involvement. The following individuals, organizations, or corporations played a vital role:

•  San Jose Beautiful Steering Committee and staff
•  Former Mayor Susan Hammer
•  Current Mayor Ron Gonzales
•  Council member Cindy Chavez
•  Redevelopment Agency Director, Susan Schick
•  Guadalupe River Technical Committee and Task Force
•  San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau
•  Chamber of Commerce’s Metro A Trust Fund Board of Directors
•  Park Division and Community & Recreation Services Division

The actual Monopoly Board properties are made out of individual granite slabs. It originally produced for the 1992; San Francisco Garden and Landscape show by a San Jose memorial company. When the show was over, the memorial company sold it to San Jose Beautiful, a program of the city if San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department. The vision was for it to be prominently built into a park for residents and visitors to enjoy and enhance their downtown experience in San Jose. The selection of the site was negotiated with the City of San Jose and statewide-juried competition was held to identify a landscape architect. Design criteria were developed to assist the potential landscape architect in placing the existing board into the Guadalupe River Park Site conditions. Numerous concepts were submitted and cash were given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

The jury selected the winning design because it included all the requested design and was sympathetic to the site conditions. It adds colorful and innovative design elements, which expanded the Monopoly theme. The design also allowed for the future addition of amphitheater and fiber optic lighting at night.

In the winning conceptual design, the landscape architect had proposed the removal of existing large trees, which were to be replaced by Italian Cypress as a backdrop to the garden. Because the trees were valued for their shade and aesthetics (due to being the only mature tree in Discovery Meadow), the design was altered by moving the location of the board 50 feet to the west to save and protect the trees.

Once the conceptual design was selected, construction drawings were created; the redevelopment Agency of San Jose (RDA) became the governing agency responsible for construction administration. At this point, the RDA added a concrete dice sculpture as a design element.

Due to the amphitheater being left for the future construction, four game top (chess/checkers) picnic table were introduced into the design to encourage community use when Monopoly game is not in play. The board is available for play and community use by families, schools, neighborhood associations, civic organization and corporation on a sliding scale rental basis (like a picnic area in a park). For example, it has already been used for a teacher in-service day, several family birthday parties, school and two-neighborhood association membership drives.

The Monopoly in the Park garden was funded by the Redevelopment Agency of San Jose ($300,000), the Silicon Valley/San Jose Chamber of Commerce Metro A Trust Fund ($50,000), Friends of San Jose Beautiful ($50,000), and the individual properties sponsors listed below provided $5,000 each either cash or in-kind contributions. Any revenues from the board go into operations and, one day; it is hoped that revenues will be returned to the community through the San Jose Beautiful Beautification Grants program.

Property Sponsors are as follows:

•  IBM
•  California Water Service Company
•  Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
•  Hotel De Anza and La Pastaia
•  Silicon Valley/ San Jose Business Journal
•  K&C Drywall
•  CALPINE
•  Orloff /Williams and Company
•  Children’s Discovery Museum
•  San Jose Police Department
•  Department of Correction, Santa Clara County
•  Waste Management
•  Silicon Valley Business Ink/ Valley Scene
•  Terrence J. Rose, Inc. Real Estate Investments
•  Park Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department

City Of San Mateo

Holiday Festival of Dance: The Holiday Festival of Dance is a magical celebration that for the individuals and families who participate is as important a part of the seasonal celebration as Santa, holly, candles and goodwill. The Holiday Festival of Dance brings together over 500 performers of all ages and skills to tell a story of hope, peace and goodwill. December 2002 marked the 30th anniversary of the community tradition, and it is fitting to recognize this special program.

The City Of San Mateo sponsors the Holiday Festival of Dance. San Mateo is a community of approximately 95,000 and the Parks and Recreation Department is a full service agency. The department has a long tradition of one of the finest dance programs one will find in any city anywhere. We have a full-time dance administration professional who supervises children’s and adult dance and fitness programs. In a given year (4 sessions) we will provide 150 children’s dance courses for 2,100 registrants; 100 adult dance courses for 2,100 registrants; and 230 fitness courses for 5,900 registrants. Dance courses run the gamut from introductory to intermediate skills to performing groups. Dance forms provided are varied and rich, including creative, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, Mexican folkloric, Brazilian, Scottish, Irish, western salsa, Argentine tango, flamenco, line, ballroom and swing. All dance registrants are invited to participate in each of two major productions the Holiday Festival of Dance, and the Spring Dance Show. Though a modest admission fee is charged, the greater portions of costs are under-written by the City.

Each December the Holiday Festival of Dance transforms the College of San Mateo gymnasium into an enormous stage that transports people to a fantasy place through effective lighting and creative sets. There, a story of the spirit of the season is told through dance and music. Performers include all ages- Stroller Aerobics, a fitness class for new moms and their babies, participates in a dance of mother and child; Kinderdance perform the traditional snowflake dance; a variety of jazz, ballet, ethnic, modern and other classes provide the energy, tension and beauty of the storyline; Seniors In Show Biz punctuate the story with a rousing performance each year, with performers of ages ranging to 85 years. In addition, City staff plays an honored role each year. Men from a variety of departments, including Police, Fire, Parks and Recreation, IT, Attorney and frequently other departments perform as the dancing reindeer. Donned in black tuxedos and top hats with antlers, the reindeer perform a rousing, athletic dance that energizes the crowd, then later brings the show to its climax when it draws Santa and his sleigh out for the finale. Women staff also perform each year, sometimes as rein-does, sometimes as trees, or other performers. In addition, other city staff perform as dancing penguins, polar bear, Sun God, father time, Mrs. Claus, and Santa himself. It should be noted that these staff dancers are not dance staff- they are sports supervisors, center coordinators, attorneys, firefighters, phone technicians, secretaries and others who get caught in the spirit and find that they can perform in ways they didn’t anticipate.

For those who enjoy or participate in this show, the season truly has not begun until the Holiday Festival of Dance has marked its beginning.

City Of South San Francisco

Orange Park Sculpture Garden and Tennis Drive Gateway: The Department of Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Services includes five major divisions: Parks, Building Maintenance, City Garage, Public Works, and Recreation and Maintenance Services. The mission of the Department is to: provide opportunities for physical, cultural, and social well being; ensure effective use of public facilities and open space; maintain the City’s infrastructure, vehicles, equipment, public facilities and open space in a timely, efficient, attractive, and cost-effective manner.

We serve a population of over 60,000 South San Francisco residents, in addition to many individuals from neighboring communities. Our population reflects the tremendous economic and ethic diversity of the Bay Area. Participants are all ages and have a wide variety of interests, skill levels and needs.

The Tennis Drive Improvement portion of the project was funded by general fund through the city’s Capital Improvement Program. The Sculpture Garden was funded through park-in-lieu fees from a residential development. The artwork in the garden will be acquired using several funding sources, including a general fund allocation in the operating budget for public art and potentially through private and corporate donation. A sculpture loan program is also being developed for the garden.

Operating budget for the overall department/division: For 2002/03, the operating budget is $15.7 million.

Operating/capital budget for the overall department/division: For 2002/03, the budget including capital improvement projects is approximately $17.2 million.

This once neglected area of Orange Memorial Park in South San Francisco has been transformed into a grand gateway for the surrounding community. The park is comprised of twenty-one and a half acres, and includes the three quarter acre Orange Park Sculpture Garden and Tennis Drive Gateway projects skillfully. Both the Orange Park Sculpture Garden and Tennis Drive projects skillfully blend various functional relationships between vehicular and pedestrian circulation, eye-catching gateway features and the artful placement of sculptures. The grand gateway feature along Tennis Drive draws people into the space with its avenue of established and recently planted palm trees. The gateway is further enhanced with careful detailing found on the sign wall and entrance paving design. These elements combine to provide for a well-balanced aesthetic park entry. The Gateway project then leads to the prized community Sculpture Garden. Here art lovers, pensive strollers, and even children will find places of interest within the garden. Together, the graceful curves of the meandering pathways, the undulating rhythm of the ornamental fencing, and waves of colorful planting complement, enhance and create a sense of place for the community’s first sculpture "Safe Haven".

The creation of the Cultural Arts Commission in 1994 provided the 60,000 residents with a champion for enhancing and showcasing the artistic and cultural pride of the City. This Commission has been directly responsible for many sculptures and murals throughout the City enhancing neighborhoods, providing gateways, and developing community pride. The Orange Park Sculpture Garden provides this group with a fantastic vehicle to display several sculptures within a tranquil park-like setting, while enhancing the appearance of the area and maintaining important pedestrian connections.

The Sculpture Garden provides important passive recreational opportunities for park users that did not exist prior to construction. Small seating areas create private contemplative spaces for individuals to relax and enjoy the sculptures and garden. The garden’s central stone plaza and seat wall allow for larger groups to gather in preparation for a tennis match or to enjoy food just purchased at the adjacent farmer’s market held on weekends. These passive opportunities are vital components to the success of the overall park enjoyment.

The Sculpture Garden’s goal in creating a quality space was to provide places for sculpture and become sculptural in itself. The focus of the garden is the first installed bronze sculpture "Safe Passage", around which a circular area turf and stone paving creates a central gathering space. From this "heart", curvilinear pathways radiate out through the garden providing connections to seating areas, future sculpture placements, tennis, and bocce ball courts and colorful garden plantings. The plantings themselves enhance the sculptural environment by creating colorful waves of flowers offsetting the curves of the pathways.

The sculptural focus was further developed in the careful selection and design of various site furnishings. Concerns over pedestrian cross traffic from the adjacent parking lot, and the desire to provide garden visitors a sense of enclosure and intimacy prompted the artful design of perimeter fencing. Taking queues from the curvilinear forms in the garden, the four-foot high ornamental metal fence was designed with curved cross members developing a rhythmic pattern extending the entire length of the fence. These curves also revealed themselves in carefully selected benches, trash receptacles, and pedestrian lighting fixtures completing the sculptural landscape design.

Tennis Drive’s goals were more focused on the basics improving the appearance of the major gateway to the park, while mitigating concerns of residents. The design solution begins at the curved entry walls and decorative columns, which complement other entry walls within the park. The two large columns flanking the roadway were designed with glass block details, which are internally illuminated at night providing a welcoming glow to the entry statement. The sign walls are also enhanced with palm plantings complementing the existing mature palms along the street. Parking lots were screened with new fencing and landscaping and crosswalk visibility and safety was increased with the construction of colored concrete crosswalks. The residential frontage appearance was transformed into a welcoming streetscape with drought resistant plantings, new driveways, fencing, and landscaping.

The improvements on both projects also included a number of environmentally sensitive elements. The vast majority of mature trees were retained on the site. The development of dry wells in the Sculpture garden allows surface runoff from landscaped areas and tennis courts to recharge groundwater supplies. Water conservation was improved through the installation of centralized controllers and irrigation systems. High water plantings, such as turf, were minimized throughout the park and used only at key areas and entries.

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