City of Los Altos-funded consultants are underway preparing a community engagement process aimed at transforming downtown parking plazas into a public park.
Residents can expect outreach from park designers MIG (Moore Iacofano Goltsman) and architects Watry Design, Inc. as they pursue a redevelopment of plazas 1 and 2, located between First and Third streets, and Main Street and San Antonio Road.
The outreach will include everything from surveys to workshops and social media. The idea is to use the input to develop three concept alternatives before working with the city on a final design that would be permitted and sent out to bid.
Los Altos City Council meetings at an April 22 study session were encouraging the planners to “be daring,” as Councilmember Larry Lang said, as well as flexible. Mayor Pete Dailey noted there were downtown projects – such as the conversion of parking plazas 7 and 8 to affordable housing – that were more definite than “aspirational” plans for a performing arts center on parking plaza 1 – a project yet to see major funding.
According to plans from the April 22 presentation, the first part of the process involves creating marketing materials, a website, preparing a list of outreach contacts and a questionnaire for initial engagement focus groups. Then comes discussion of ideas, overall character and components of the park. Following that are focus groups and appearing at events like First Fridays to get feedback. There also will be “open house” workshops.
By November, consultants hope to have developed three concept options, and then go to the community for preferences. Along the way, updates will be given to council, which will also have opportunities to give further direction. By no later than February 2026, a proposed final plan will emerge for further feedback. Once the plan is approved, there are two design phases, followed by permitting and sending out to bid for construction.
The process also will include a site survey, geotechnical report (borings and soil sampling), noise and traffic studies, environmental report and cost estimation.
Some council members offered initial feedback.
Lang said he would like outdoor space whose uses could change with the seasons.
“I’m particularly interested in how you’re going to get feedback from our younger residents,” added Dailey. “They love our downtown but they and all of their friends go to Mountain View instead – and the reason they go to Mountain View is because they can park and walk and because Castro (Street) is partially closed off.”
Council members also discussed the ongoing complaints among young people that there’s “nothing to do” downtown.
“You need somebody who speaks teenager,” Dailey said.
Consultants offered solutions that included reaching out directly to schools and use of social media. One consultant noted a project in Emeryville in which direct high school outreach “dramatically changed what we were thinking out.” Issues included walking and frequency of bus service.
Maddy McBirney of the nonprofit Arts Los Altos said she hoped public art would be considered – art that is “interactive, immersive and electric and ignites fun.”
Council members also advised consultants to be prepared for scrutiny from the public that could include concerns about construction impacts and cost estimates.
Although there was initial talk about underground parking as part of the project, the indication from Dailey was that above-ground parking not associated with the park space was more likely. He encouraged working with staff “in discussion of a broader downtown context” involving parking.
“As we look at parking downtown, (the) city owns a number of assets, lots of real estate, lots of parking lots, so it is possible that the right parking solution isn’t necessarily taking part of the footprint or going subterranean under the park – it could be pillar parking a block away or two blocks away,” Dailey said. “I would just ask that that flexibility be part of the public input. The stakeholders will certainly want to weigh in on parking in Los Altos.”
Lang encouraged consultants to “be daring” in their design process.
