A new expansion of Cupertino’s park and trails, 20 years in the making, is one step closer to construction, and advocates say it could create more equity across the city.
The Cupertino Planning Commission unanimously approved the Lawrence-Mitty Park and Trail project’s conceptual design last week. The approximately 7.8-acre, half-mile project could provide picnic and playground areas and expand the San Tomas Aquinas/Saratoga Creek Trail, with trails running along the Lawrence Expressway. Traffic noise will be dampened by landscaping. The project will take approximately a year to complete once work begins.
Jennifer Shearin, chairwoman of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission and a 15-year resident who lives on the city’s east side, said the area has fewer services than other parts of the city.
“This is a great opportunity to add vitally important green space for residents living on the east side of Cupertino,” he told San José Spotlight. “I think it would be a beautiful addition to our places that people love to walk, bike and enjoy all the amenities of our park.”
The project is expected to cost just over $8 million, paid for through developer fees from Apple Park, which opened in 2017. The city already spent some of the money to purchase and annex the land, and will use the rest to finance development and construction, city officials said.
The Cupertino City Council will review the design for final approval in July and will work with several agencies to obtain permits, including Caltrans and Valley Water. The project’s construction schedule is yet to be determined.
Cupertino first envisioned the neighborhood park in 2002, when it began considering purchasing and annexing land from San Jose. In 2020, the city purchased the land from the Santa Clara County Department of Highways and Airports and in 2022, the city annexed the land and began work on a conceptual design.
Susan Michael, director of Cupertino’s capital improvements program, said the idea for the park came from east side residents who wanted more services spread throughout the city. She said she is glad to see a tangible result after decades of hard work.
“I think he’s just crying out for his life back,” he told San José Spotlight. “It’s kind of a social experiment to see how we can take advantage of this excess space and make it nice and pleasant for the residents.”
The project also adds to the city’s park goals. In April, the city council unanimously approved a conceptual design for a Memorial park overhaul, including plans for eight pickleball courts.
Aaron Klinefelter, 48, has lived in the Rancho Rinconada neighborhood for four years and will live about a half mile from the new park, where he plans to take his dog, Orca.
“I would love to be able to take advantage of that extra walking space and that outdoor space. That way I don’t have to cross the Lawrence Expressway,” he told San José Spotlight.
There won’t be designated parking due to the parameters of the space, but Seema Lindskog, planning commissioner and president of Walk-Bike Cupertino, said it’s fine if it becomes more of a neighborhood park than a space people drive to. She said it’s a good start and hopes the trail will expand all the way to Cupertino High School, giving students a safe place to walk and bike.
“It is an area that has been neglected, not because of a lack of will, but because there are no open areas available,” he told San José Spotlight. “So the fact that we were able to annex this land from San Jose and now we’re finally moving forward with its development is really fantastic.”
Contact Annalize Freimarck at [email protected] or continue @analise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
