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The Monta Loma neighborhood is inching closer to gaining a “mini-park,” with the city of Mountain View expecting to start the design process for the long-anticipated project this spring.
The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to hire Westwood Professional Services to conduct surveys of the site, create a schematic plan, support community outreach efforts and provide assistance throughout the construction process.
The 0.45-acre park is set to be built on two adjacent properties the city purchased: 538 Thompson Ave. and 2231 W. Middlefield Road. The plan is for Westwood to bring a concept design to the council for approval early next year, with a final design completed by the end of 2027. Construction would then start in spring 2028.
Monta Loma sits within the Thompson Park Planning Area, which has the second-lowest amount of park space per resident out of the Mountain View’s 10 planning areas, city spokesperson Lenka Wright previously told the Voice.
The lack of parks has long been a significant concern for local residents. When the Mountain View Whisman School District sought to fence off Monta Loma Elementary School’s campus back in 2020, neighbors organized in opposition. The school district ultimately opted to fence off only a portion of the campus.
On Tuesday, Council member Alison Hicks pulled the Westwood contract from the consent calendar, which contains routine items meant to be approved in a single vote, so that she could ask city staff to clarify some points.
“I know there is concern in the community, and that people want to make sure that the park is planned according to the desires of the people living in the neighborhood,” Hicks said at the Feb. 24 meeting.
Mountain View resident Jim Zaorski had raised concerns during public comment about putting a Texas-based company in charge of designing a park for the local community.
Public Works Director Jennifer Ng clarified that while Westwood is headquartered in a different state, it has offices throughout California. The staff designing the park will work out of the company’s Pleasanton office, Ng said.
Once the city has formalized its contract with Westwood, which is capped at $385,000, community outreach will commence. According to Ng, the city hopes to host a community meeting this spring to give local residents an opportunity to share their desires and needs for the park.
While the current space for the mini-park is 0.45 acres, Ng noted that staff will direct the consultants to create a design that can be easily expanded, in case the city is able to buy more land.
The city defines a “mini-park” as a spot that’s less than one acre with seating areas, playgrounds or green spaces that usually serve the immediate area.
Mountain View’s goal is for all its planning areas to have at least 3 acres of open space per 1,000 residents. As of a 2022 council report, the Thompson Park Planning Area had only 2.56 acres.
