Award with purpose
Cupertino’s Memorial Park Ponds Repurposing Project was this year’s winner of the American Public Works Association Silicon Valley Project of the Year Award for projects under $2 million.
The $1.68 million project removed the concrete liner for the old ponds, which have been drained since 2013 in response to drought restrictions. The city replaced the ponds with usable green space, planted garden areas, and did some minor paving to allow residents to walk through the area. In addition, the irrigation system was upgraded and modified to facilitate better water usage.
New public works director
Chad Mosley has moved up the ranks in Cupertino’s Department of Public Works, having recently been promoted from assistant director to director of the department.
Mosley has worked for the Department of Public Works since 2009, initially as a city engineer. In that role, he has overseen land development and helped manage the Capital Improvement Program.
Mosley assumed his new role on July 3, replacing Ralph Qualls.
Park gets upgrades
Two new amenities recently opened at Cupertino’s Wilson Park: a full-size basketball court and a community garden.
The full-size outdoor basketball court has a footprint of approximately 5,600 square feet and is located south of the existing play structure. The community garden has a footprint of approximately 2,500 square feet and is located just north of the Wilson Park restrooms, near the intersection of South Portal Avenue and Wintergreen Drive. The garden has 15 beds, including some designed for those with disabilities.
The Wilson Park garden is intended to be the first of several built on the east side of Cupertino. The city is assessing potential gardens at Creekside and Portal parks, as well as other locations.
Source: www.mercurynews.com