Santa Clara shifts park priorities to keep $256K grant

Santa Clara resident Wesley Dudzinski walks through Maywood Park everyday as part of an hour-plus route between his home and Stevens Creek Boulevard. He said he likes the quiet, greenery and low-traffic surroundings, though he has noticed the park could use more shade during the summer. But while Dudzinski continues to use the park, a long-planned rehabilitation project remains years away from construction, and the delay has prompted the City Council to approve shifting $256,622 from the Maywood Park Playground Rehabilitation Project to the Henry Schmidt Park Playground Rehabilitation Project, since the Maywood state grant would not be able to meet the required timeline. The proposed change still requires approval from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, since the council s Sept. 15 vote would amend the Santa Clara s state grant under Proposition 68 — a statewide initiative passed in 2018 to help improve local parks. Santa Clara Parks Recreation Director Damon Sparacin