`POCKET' PARK IS PLANNED; OASIS MAY APPEAR ON T.O. BOULEVARD.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer Retail corridors are not common ground for parks, and leaders in the revitalization re·vi·tal·ize tr.v. re·vi·tal·ized, re·vi·tal·iz·ing, re·vi·tal·iz·es To impart new life or vigor to: plans to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods; tried to revitalize a flagging economy. of west Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. Boulevard hope residents take notice of the ``pocket-size'' park they envision where a gas station once stood. The tiny lot between Moorpark and Rancho ran·cho n. pl. ran·chos Southwestern U.S. 1. A hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers. 2. A ranch. roads, now covered with asphalt asphalt (ăs`fôlt, –fălt), brownish-black substance used commonly in road making, roofing, and waterproofing. Chemically, it is a natural mixture of hydrocarbons. , rocks and weeds, would be transformed into an oasis oasis (ōā`sĭs), an area within a desert where the water table reaches the surface, with enough moisture to permit the growth of vegetation. The water may come up to the surface in springs, or it may collect in mountain hollows. of sycamores and oaks, shrubs, ground cover and meadow meadow grassland, used for grazing and/or haying. meadow buttercup ranunculusacris. meadow crowfoot ranunculusacris. meadow rue see thalictrum. grass, accented by tables and benches and a narrow stream spanned by a wooden bridge. Proposed by a panel of city planners and business leaders, the initial design faces City Council scrutiny Tuesday. If the council approves the $225,000 budget, bids would be sought first for a formal design and later for the work. ``It's a rather high-quality, small park for passive recreation. And the effect will be far beyond the small bounds of this site,'' said Olav Hassel, one of the city's representatives in the planning effort. Leaders of the West Boulevard Business Group proposed the park more than a year ago as the first in a series of public improvements to match their individual storefront improvements. Yet to be discussed are street lamps, street and business signs, trash containers, benches and landscaping - all with a common old-town theme. ``If we stick with our proposed plan, it's going to turn out to be a really nice green spot in the center of the boulevard,'' said Susan Duntley, the group's president and co-owner of a print shop on the boulevard. The Gasco station that operated on the site has been gone about a dozen years. But nothing could be done with the property until soil and groundwater were cleaned up within the past year. The city agreed to buy the lot for $100,000 after the owners failed to gain approval for a small delicatessen or a fast-food restaurant because of concerns over traffic and parking congestion The condition of a network when there is not enough bandwidth to support the current traffic load. congestion - When the offered load of a data communication path exceeds the capacity. . Hassel said escrow escrow Instrument, such as a deed, money, or property, that constitutes evidence of obligations between two or more parties and is held by a third party. It is delivered by the third party only upon fulfillment of some condition. is expected to close this month. Planning is far ahead of escrow. Duntley said the park should have a western theme to mirror what's envisioned on the boulevard. Bronze sculptures bronze sculpture. Bronze is ideal for casting art works; it flows into all crevices of a mold, thus perfectly reproducing every detail of the most delicately modeled sculpture. It is malleable beneath the graver's tool and admirable for repoussé work. featuring a pack of horses and a cowboy are planned if the business owners can raise an estimated $150,000. ``This is an ongoing project,'' Duntley noted. ``This park is a first, a milestone - hopefully the first of many projects.'' The public's portion of expenses for various improvements proposed would come from the balance of a $907,000 budget approved last year from a block grant to the city for community development, Hassel said. A potential sticking point sticking point n. A point, issue, or situation that causes or is likely to cause an impasse. Noun 1. sticking point - a point at which an impasse arises in progress toward an agreement or a goal could be maintenance of the park and of landscaping yet to come on the west end of the boulevard. On Tuesday, the council will be asked to approve spending as much as $9,600 annually from the city's general fund on landscape costs. An assessment of property owners in the area for maintenance eventually would be established, when all improvements are completed, Hassel said. Duntley said the business group might oppose such an assessment, although she declined to discuss specific concerns. City officials and business owners have sought to keep the improvement effort positive and productive. Hassel noted that little would have been done so soon without the push from the business owners. ``What it's taken is this West Boulevard Business Group (whose members) are united and represent a clear consensus,'' he said. ``That's really the thing that's done it here.'' |
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