From: herb
To: Council, City; Clerk, City
Cc: Historic Resources Board; ParkRec Commission
Subject: March 4, 2024 Council Meeting, Item #6: Park Dedication for Tower Well Site Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024 4:00:23 PM
Attachments: Attachment 1.pdf
Attachment 2.pdf
Attachment 3.pdf
Attachment 4.pdf
Attachment 5.pdf
Attachment 6_3.pdf
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MARCH 4, 2024 CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AGENDA ITEM #6
PARK DEDICATION FOR THE TOWER WELL SITE
I urge you to adopt the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission to adopt a park dedication for the Tower Well site at 201 Alma Street.
I also urge you to:
1. Retain the current name of the site by naming the newly dedicated park as "Fred Eyerly Tower Well Park";
2. Initiate adding the site to the California Historic
Register and National Historic Register.
3. Direct staff to take necessary action to ensure that the site is maintained by the staff, the existing maintenance contractor, or a new contractor.
4. Direct staff to erect a sign with the name of the park that is similar to the signs used for other dedicated parkland.
The Tower Well site was named for Fred Eyerly in a dedication ceremony on October 2, 2000. (See Attachment 1).
Earlier discussion of the site by the Historic Resources Board was reported in the Palo Alto Weekly of May 12, 1999 (see Attachment 2) and April 5, 2000 (see Attachment 3) and the Daily News of September 2000 (see Attachment 4).
The site was identified by Page & Turnbull as eligible for the National Register of historic properties. (See Attachment 5.) The reasons for dedicating the site as parkland were discussed more than 23 years ago in my November 7, 2000 letter to the Historic Resources Board that included excerpts of articles from the Palo Alto Weekly of May 24, 1999 and April 5, 2000, and also included excerpts from the City Council Minutes of February 28, 1994 and June 10, 1996. (See Attachment 6.) When I recently visited the site, it was clear that it was not being properly maintained, because (a) an A-frame sign with the announcement of the November 2023 HRB meeting was lying on the ground, and (b) two of the six interpretive signs had been tagged by vandals including the sign located behind the tower that includes the original water utility rates.
Thank you for your consideration of these comments.
Sincerely,
Herb Borock
cc: Parks and Recreation Commission
Historic Resources Board
Attachments:
1. Naming Ceremony for Fred Eyerly.
2. "Tower of Power", Palo Alto Weekly, May 12, 1999.
3. "Tower well will get new life", Palo Alto Weekly, April 5, 2000.
4. "Dedication for Eyerly", Daily News, September 29, 2000.
5. Page & Turnbull historic survey.
6. November 7, 2000 letter to Historic Resources Board.