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Council OKs Butterfly-themed mini-park

by Daniel DeBolt

A design for a mini-park at the west end of Dana Street was unanimously approved by the council Tuesday night, despite some previous disagreement over its design among neighbors.

Sometime in the next few weeks firefighters will burn down the vacant homes on the .6-acre lot for training purposes. Construction will start in late spring 2011 on the park, which will include a butterfly garden, walking paths and a playground. Completion is set for winter 2011.

Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly, and city staff say a butterfly theme will be carried throughout the park.

"I'm looking forward to the butterflies in this park, the mariposas," said Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga. Mayor Ronit Bryant said the park would be easy to name.

The park's main path will provide a new connection to Mariposa Avenue from the end of Dana Street. Several existing trees on the site will remain along with several new trees, park benches, a children's water and sand play area, a rose garden, a trellised entry and a playground aimed at kids between 2 and 12 years old.

The park was designed by Robert Mowat Landscape Architects with the input of neighbors in community meetings in March and April. Neighbors opposed a design that many had previously favored that placed the children's play area along the street. The final design places the children's play areas in the middle of the park, with a low fence in front of the park to keep children from running into the street. A walking path was also removed from the rear of the park to enlarge the lawn area.

The project is funded by $1.3 million in park land funds, $68,000 of which will go to Delta Oil Field Services to scrape the site.