The Parks and Recreation Committee is meeting tomorrow evening (August 27, 2009) to discuss the Staples Ranch Neighborhood Park Master Plan. I don’t know what your idea of a “neighborhood park” is, but I envisioned a little more than two tennis courts, a restroom, a single picnic table, and a walking path around a Zone 7 water detention basin.

According to an August 25, 2009 memo from Steve Bocian and Susan Andrade-Wax to the Parks and Rec Commission, the size of the water detention basin has increased (originally sized at 2.5-3.3 acres) and the park area decreased. As stated in the memo, this is different than what was presented during the Staples Ranch Community Park Master Plan process. What started out as a 5+/- acre neighborhood park has been reduced to, at most, 1.7 usable acres. Once the two tennis courts, restroom and covered picnic table are built, very little area remains for family activities.

The planned dog exercise area has been eliminated completely – not a surprise given how little actual park area remains in the plan. So for all you dog lovers out there, our only open dog park is in Muirwood, with no current plans for any more in Pleasanton.

With the tennis courts taking up most of the remaining planned “park” area, and with a maximum of 8, yes count ‘em 8, parking spaces available for the “park”, the Staples Ranch "Neighborhood Park" has really just become a nicely landscaped tennis court and walking path.

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