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Uploaded: Monday, September 26, 2011, 9:09 AM
El Camino Park to be closed through 2013
Underground reservoir and well to be installed under park
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by Yichuan Cao
Palo Alto Weekly Staff
El Camino Park will be closed starting Monday (Sept. 26) through the summer of 2013. According to a release from the City of Palo Alto, the closure is the first step in the construction of a new underground reservoir and well, which is a part of the Utilities Department's long-term citywide emergency water-supply planning effort.
According to Debra Katz, acting communications manager with the Utilities Department, the park "is about to undergo major 'internal surgery' followed by a complete head-to-toe makeover."
Groundbreaking for construction will begin the second week in October. The work will continue through December 2012 and recreational facilities will be restored by the summer of 2013.
"Even though Palo Altans will have a long wait before having access to the Park again, in exchange for that wait they are getting a secure emergency water supply and a beautiful, modern new park facility, both of which will be treasures for generations to come," Katz stated in the release.
Approved by Palo Alto voters in 2007, the Emergency Water Supply and Storage Project will provide enough water to meet basic needs for the entire city in the event of an earthquake or other emergency that cuts off normal water supply from the Hetch-Hetchy aqueduct system.
El Camino Park is located at 100 El Camino Real, across from the Stanford Shopping Center.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Bob, a resident of another community, on Sep 26, 2011 at 12:15 pm Isn't the park land owned by Stanford University? The article makes no mention of approval by Stanford. If I were the University I would have made approval contingent on concessions by Palo Alto to the new SUH. Or was that the case?
Let's do some reporting Weekly!
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Posted by Bob, a resident of another community, on Sep 26, 2011 at 12:19 pm And how many times and how much money has he city spent redoing the sports field at the park. When was the last time it was redone? How much money has been wasted since 2007 on redoing the field?
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Posted by svatoid, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 12:21 pm Why bother reporting. the Weekly is too busy shutting down threads that contains civilized give and take:
Web Link
or else this is what is considered news:
Web Link
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Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 1:21 pm
The story says that the park is to be shut down to supply to provide emergency water supplies for PA.
Are they going to build a huge underground reservoir?
It sounds like that.
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Posted by svatoid, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 1:43 pm "Are they going to build a huge underground reservoir?"
From the story:
"According to a release from the City of Palo Alto, the closure is the first step in the construction of a new underground reservoir and well, which is a part of the Utilities Department's long-term citywide emergency water-supply planning effort."
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Posted by Ann, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 2:30 pm How about the new dog park???
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Posted by Paul Losch, a resident of the Community Center neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 2:36 pm Paul Losch from the Parks and Recreation Commission here.
This is positive exciting news about El Camino Park!
The Commission on I which I serve on behalf of our fair city and its citizens has been actively involved in this project for some time. Hearings, walking the Park, reviewing numerous documents, and the Commissioners providing City Staff with its point of view about what needs to happen to top off this underground reservoir all have taken place. As Casey Stengel said, "you could look it up!"
This is a well thought out and important project. Processes have been followed, and Stanford and the City have a clear understanding around use of this land parcel.
There is no "gotcha" in this story.
How about celebrating something for once?
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Posted by PAbiker, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 4:11 pm Is the bike path that goes by El Camino Park also closed off now?
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Posted by paloaltotreewatch, a resident of the Palo Alto Orchards neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 4:35 pm Does anybody know how many trees are being removed for this activity?
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Posted by South PA Resident, a resident of the Meadow Park neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 7:14 pm Having attended the City Council Meeting where this installation was discussed. The reservoir is only big enough to supply certain areas of North PA with emergency water supplies for a very limited time.
It will not supply water to South Palo Alto in the event we loose our water supply, so this is another benefit for North PA only.
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Posted by Johnny, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 7:58 pm Is this park/reservoir near the Day Worker Center?
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Posted by Too late, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 26, 2011 at 11:45 pm paloaltotreewatch,
You did not protect the trees against the new library, so you've been fired. ;-)
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Posted by Save our Trees and Parks, a resident of the Charleston Gardens neighborhood, on Sep 27, 2011 at 2:31 am Someone on Facebook asked if the El Palo Alto tree was still standing... An answer was given that it was, had survived the homeless and animals urinating on it~ looks a little peeked but Palo Alto has survived worse things.... ;)
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Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Sep 27, 2011 at 12:19 pm Johnny - where is there a Day Worker Center in Palo Alto?
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Posted by Might-As-Well-Burn-The-Money-Instead, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 28, 2011 at 8:17 am > There is no "gotcha" in this story.
Except that this project is unlikely to ever be used, and if it were, for any reason, would Stanford end up getting the water, rather than the City of Palo Alto residents and businesses?
While the City did some use studies as a part of this project, it was clear that this reservoir would not be able to supply Palo Alto with water for very long. Suggestions to link to the water supplies of other cities, particularly those that are not supplied by San Francisco, were ignored.
So, in the long run, it's very likely that this reservoir will never be used for anything but a transfer of public funds to the construction industry.
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Posted by paloaltotreewatch, a resident of the Palo Alto Orchards neighborhood, on Sep 28, 2011 at 5:21 pm Still waiting for the city to state how many trees are being removed
for this project. City??
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Posted by Confused About Parks, a member of the Duveneck School community, on Oct 19, 2011 at 6:42 pm Again, this shows the fickle nature of park status in Palo Alto. Mayor Sid Espinoza stands for no loss of parks, and is an intense opponent of Measure E. Yet here he is seen standing over the destruction of a park for several years. His logic is convenient and self-serving. I grow weary of his attacks on Measure E given his stance on parks, yet he presides over the closure of another park. Maybe no others see the disconnect in his stances. The mayor and many of the opposing cadre hold a hollowed view toward any use of part of a former disposal site (aka park), but offer no peeps when another completed park is shutdown for an infrastructure improvement. Huh?
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Posted by JO, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Oct 19, 2011 at 11:13 pm I remember that the reservoir under El Camino Park was on the ballot years ago and voters approved it. So don't blame Mayor Espinosa, blame Palo Alto voters.
I voted against it. I voted against High Speed Rail too. As usual, I was in the minority.
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