Boulware Park and Birch Street Property Renovation Project

Park Facilities

A community meeting was held on Saturday November 9, 2019, to provide the community with an opportunity to share their input on the park facilities they would most like to see maintained or added to the Boulware Park site and the newly purchased park land across the street (former AT&T site). The community was asked to provide input using a series of sticker boards.  The stickers were used to identify the park facilities that are supported by the community and to prioritize the facilities the community would like to see maintained or added. If a specific park facility was not included on the board, the community was asked to write in the facility along with comments to provide further feedback.

A community meeting was held on Thursday February 27, 2020 to review the three schematic design plan options of Boulware Park with the community.  The meeting was a joint meeting with the North Ventura Coordination Plan Committee to provide community input on two planning projects being developed in the Ventura Neighborhood.  Stickers were provided for community members to vote on different plan options and note cards to allow specific comments to be captured for each schematic design. 

The images below show the plans used at the meeting and the comments captured. 

Plan Option #1(PDF, 1MB)

Design Option #1 Comments 

• Option #1 is good, but I would add the small amount of parking to the dog park. 
• Let’s think native planting throughout the park!
• Two bathrooms would be awesome. One by the basketball court and one by the playground.  Makes it easy for people to pee (and not in the bushes!)
• Playground and picnic too for apart. 
• Don’t build buildings and stay within strict cost limits. 
• Playground near picnic area good.
• Community garden instead (pointing to dog park). 
• What about dog park here where the bball court currently is. 

Plan Option #2(PDF, 1MB)

Design Option #2 Comments

• No need for parking other than existing street. 
• Design has best elements plus some small parking along Lambert. 
• Landscape – only use natives. 
• No off-street parking! Parks for people not cars. 
• Community garden plot would benefit from max solar exposure. 
• Native planting are important to me and should be everywhere.  Non-lawn planting go in. 
• South P.A. has no dog park – it is needed, and was a fairly popular “activity” even if it ended up getting fewer votes. 
• Why so much space given to a dog park when it was a ‘low priority’ on the survey?
• Need picnic area near playground w/ shade. 
• Would like dog park in far corner where basketball is now. 
• Enlarge picnic area. 
• There is sufficient parking without these new stalls – Lambert, Chestnut
• Restrooms; one by playground, one by picnic closer to Fry’s site is good. 
• Picnic area further from road and traffic, like near triangle of loop path, creek and cul de sac. Park slope into creek, make creek play part of park. 
• Don’t build buildings on the park.  Stay within strict const. limit.  Financing can be insecure. 
• Restroom always near playground. 

Plan Option #3(PDF, 1MB)

Design Option #3 Comments

• Enlarge picnic area. 
• This gets my green dot, but I’d like a bigger playground and picnic area near it for kids and families. 
• Picnic area near playground needs to be bigger to support birthday parties.
• Smaller dog park, how about tennis court?  Combine athletic activities (basketball, tennis, adult fitness, into one location. Put leisure activities – picnic, bocce ball, playground together. 
• Don’t build building on the park. Stay within strict cost limits – finance can be insure. 
• Keep Creekside area to less developed options so changing concrete channel is an option.  Reduce turf area. Remove invasive acacia, privet and ivy. 
• Don’t limit native to one area – use everywhere flowers, shrubs and trees are planted. 
• Increase sq.ft. of picnic area near playground. 
• Won’t this attract workers which is fine but the neighborhood part should be bigger. 
• Consider community garden area here. 
• Neighborhood serving area should be bigger. 
• Very sunny area community garden. Shady area for playground. 
• Ped/Bike (multi use) path adjacent to creek – connecting park ECR.  Extend into Fry’s Development. 
• “Turf” can also be native like I’ve seen giant yarrow based lawn that worked well. 
• Landscaping use native. 
• I like how the basketball court is next to the street.  Maybe people from the office nearby could do pickup games during lunch. 
• Think that basketball court is needed, very well used but in more central location. 
• Playground Picnic Restroom A = Ultimate family friend option.  Great for birthday parties!

Community Meeting Photos

Two community meetings were held on Monday December 7, 2020 to review the proposed schematic design for Boulware Park. Refer to the attachments to review the presentation and the plan. If you would like to provide further input on the plan please email comments to peter.jensen@cityofpaloalto.org.

• Community Meeting Presentation(PDF, 2MB)
• Presentation Plan(PDF, 1MB)

• Playground:  42 votes
• Security Lighting: 34 votes
• Shaded Seating Area: 32 votes
• Open Turf Area: 30 votes
• Restroom: 30 votes
• Loop Walking Path: 28 votes
• Group Picnic Areas: 23 votes
• Creek Lookout: 21 votes
• Habitat/Native Planting: 18 votes
• Basketball Court: 18 votes
• Dog Park: 17 votes
• Community Garden: 13 votes
• Adult Fitness Area: 8 votes
• Pickle Ball Court: 4 votes
• Bocce Ball: 4 votes
• Horse Shoes: 4 votes 

• High Priority: Playground, Open Turf Area, Restroom, 
• Medium Priority: Shaded Seating Areas, Basketball Court, Group Picnic Area, Loop Walking Path, Security Lighting, Community Garden, Habitat/Native Planting
• Low Priority: Dog Park, Adult Fitness, Creek Lookout, Bocce Ball, Pickle Ball & Horse Shoes 
  
  

Three additional questions were included in the on-line survey, these included a question concerning the communities interest to close a portion of Ash Street that would connect the two properties into one park, and two questions on timing of the renovation. 

Question 1

Would you be in favor of eliminating Ash Street and making Chestnut Avenue a Cul De Sac to connect the two parcels together into one park?

Survey Response: 88% of those surveyed are supportive removing a portion of Ash Street. 

Question 2

Would you be in favor of renovating the full park site in phases (over multiple years), as opposed of doing the full renovation at one time? 

Survey Response: 43% of those surveyed are supportive of doing the project in phases. 

Question 3

Would you be in favor of renovating the full park site at one time, dependent upon city funding to complete a large park renovation project (funding of project in 3-8 years)?

Survey Response: 67% of those surveyed are supportive of doing the project all at once even if having to wait a few years for funding to become available.

The Boulware Park Renovation project was initially presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on January 28, 2020.  Community input was shared along with a preliminary draft park layout plan. The Commission provide discussion and input on the plan.

Boulware Park Renovation Project Report Update(PDF, 4MB)
Boulware Park Preliminary Layout Exhibit(PDF, 2MB)
January 28, 2021 - Meeting Presentation(PDF, 1MB) 
Community Meeting Responses(PDF, 474KB)

The Boulware Park Renovation project was presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on January 26, 2021.  Community input was shared  from the first and second community meetings along with a schematic park plan developed from community and commission input.  The Commission provide discussion and input on the plan.

Draft Boulware Park Plan(PDF, 244KB)
January 26, 2021 - Meeting Presentation(PDF, 2MB)
Community Survey Results(PDF, 26KB)

The Boulware Park Renovation project was initially presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on January 28, 2020.  Community input was shared along with a preliminary draft park layout plan. The Commission provide discussion and input on the plan.

Boulware Park Renovation Plan(PDF, 2MB)
Boulware Park PIO(PDF, 279KB)