TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Jon Cicirelli
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: NAMING OF A NEW PUBLIC PARK DATE: August 8, 2022 AT 3257 PAYNE AVENUE
Approved Date
8/17/2022
COUNCIL DISTRICT: 1
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” as the official name for a new public park as recommended by staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission as a result of a public outreach process.
OUTCOME
Approval of the recommendation will provide an official name for a new public park. The name will be recognized in the City of San José’s (City) park inventory and posted on a sign at the site.
BACKGROUND
The proposed 1.9-acre park site is located within Council District 1 on the north side of Payne Avenue approximately half a mile east of San Tomas Expressway and half a mile west of Winchester Boulevard (as shown in Attachment A: Park Location Map).
This site will convert a former church and preschool to a new City public park. The Master Plan for the park was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission on September 2, 2020 and approved by the City Council on October 27, 2020
1. Design documents for the park are 100
percent complete and construction is expected to begin in fall 2022. Attachment B shows the concept plan for this space. This process will lead to the City Council officially naming the park prior to its anticipated public opening in 2023.
1 September 2020 Master Plan Report for Payne Avenue Park:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/77681/637685979501700000 COUNCIL AGENDA: 8/30/22
FILE: 22-1285
ITEM: 7.1
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
On June 1, 20222, the Parks and Recreation Commission voted (7-0-3 – Commissioners Snider, Villarreal, and Vega absent) to recommend adoption of the name “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” consistent with Council Policy 7-5, Naming of City-Owned Land and Facilities, and the public outreach process.
ANALYSIS
City Council Policy Number 7-5, Naming of City-Owned Land and Facilities 3, (Policy 7-5)
establishes guidelines and procedures the City follows to name City-owned land and facilities that are not public streets. Per Policy 7-5, official names must be reflective of one of the following criteria:
• Geographic location;
• Prominent geographic feature or local reference point; • Adjoining subdivision/community;
• Historical event;
• An individual who has made significant contributions to San José, the state, the nation, or the world and who has been deceased for at least five years; • An individual via a donation or sponsorship agreement; or • A group via a donation or sponsorship agreement.
Policy 7-5 also encourages names that reflect the City’s ethnic and cultural diversity. The City’s Racial Equity commitment
4 supports identifying ways to improve outcomes for Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian and Pacific Islander, and People of Color.
Staff recommends the City Council adopt “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” as the official park name. Staff finds that naming the park “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” aligns with Policy 7-5 because it reflects a geographic location (Payne Avenue is a public street that fronts the park site) and because it is the highest ranked name choice by the community (see Public Outreach section below). “Friendship” could also be interpreted as promoting good relationships between all ethnicities and cultures, which is consistent with the City’s Racial Equity commitment and the intent of Policy 7-5 to be inclusive.
2 City of San José Parks and Recreation Commission, June 1, 2022, Meeting Agenda:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/86447/637892457206800000 3 Council Policy Number 7-5, Naming of City-Owned Land and Facilities:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/12757/636669904910330000 4 City of San José Office of the City Manager: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments- offices/office-of-the-city-manager/office-of-racial-equity
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
CONCLUSION
The recommended park name, “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” aligns with Policy 7-5 and reflects the highest preference ranking by the community. The recommended park name is also supported by the Parks and Recreation Commission. The selected name will appear on a sign at the park.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Once a name is adopted, staff will coordinate with the City Clerk’s Office to ensure the name is recorded and the Public Works Department to include park signage during construction.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ
The recommendation in this memorandum has no effect on Climate Smart San José energy, water, or mobility goals.
POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Alternative #1: Select an alternative park name from the list of qualifying names generated through the public outreach process.
Pros: City Council could adopt a name from the list of qualifying names received during the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services’ (Department) public surveys (see Table 1 in the Public Outreach section below for the list of qualifying names). “West of Eden” and “George C. Payne Ranch Park” were the second and third most preferred names in the Department’s public surveys. “West of Eden” would reflect the park’s geographic location in relation to the adjacent public street (Eden Avenue). “George C. Payne Ranch Park” would honor George C. Payne, the former owner of the ranch where the park site is located, who was a renowned horticulturalist known for his pioneering achievements in grafting walnuts
5. Cons: City Council would be selecting a name other than the one recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission and Department staff and a name that was supported by the community during the public outreach process.
5 Biographical references on George C. Payne:
https://www.mariposaresearch.net/santaclararesearch/SCBIOS/gcpayne.html ; https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8qv3smc/admin/#did; and https://www.moreland.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=427312&type=d&pREC_ID=990650
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
Reason for not recommending: “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” was the highest ranked name by the community and is recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission and Department staff as a result of the public outreach process described below.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
The Department completed a multi-phase online survey process that encouraged public participation, solicited name suggestions, and allowed the public to rank their preferences for a qualified name.
Names were initially solicited during an in-person Master Planning community meeting held on January 31, 2020. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in the master plan process, the naming process was halted.
Staff restarted the naming process in 2021 through two online public surveys that allowed participants to suggest names and rank their preferred name from the list of qualifying names.
The two online public surveys were held during the following dates:
• Name Suggestion Survey conducted between October 13, 2021 to October 22, 2021; and • Ranked Choice Voting Survey conducted between November 15, 2021 to December 1, 2021.
This effort resulted in “Eden Gardens Neighborhood Park” as the highest ranked name. The name Eden Gardens Neighborhood Park was too similar to the existing “Edenvale Gardens Regional Park”
6; therefore, staff did not recommend this name to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
“Payne Avenue Friendship Park” was the next highest ranked name; however, in an effort to align with the City’s Racial Equity commitment, Department staff suggested “Esperanza de San José” as the park name. This name was included in a memorandum that was scheduled to be considered by the Parks and Recreation Commission on April 6, 2022
7. After the memorandum posted, many community members expressed concern about not being able to re-rank their preferred names after the name Eden Gardens Neighborhood Park was not recommended by staff. This item was deferred to the June 1, 2022 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting.
In response to the community’s concerns, staff initiated another voting survey conducted between April 8, 2022 to April 17, 2022 that allowed the public to rank their preferred name
6 City of San José Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services park webpage for “Edenvale Gardens Regional Park”: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/2178/2028 7 City of San José Parks and Recreation Commission, April 6, 2022, Meeting Agenda:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/83618/637837118977530000
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
from the list of the next four highest ranked names: “Payne Avenue Friendship Park”, “Esperanza de San José”, “George C. Payne Ranch”, and “West of Eden”. “Payne Avenue Friendship Park” emerged as the highest ranked name by the community. Tables 1 – 3 show the results of all online public surveys. Table 3 shows the result of the last voting survey.
Ranked Choice Voting Survey
Staff utilized a ranked choice voting format where participants selected their top name choices and ranked them in order of preference. To calculate the highest-ranking name preference, the participants’ top choices were assigned a weight (the larger weight equals a higher preference).
For example, in the First Ranked Choice Voting Survey, participants were asked to provide their top three preferred names out of the 14 name options. The top three names were assigned a weight of three, two, and one. Similarly, in the Second Ranked Choice Voting Survey, the four name choices were assigned a weight of four, three, two, and one. The fourth weight was added to the Second Ranked Choice Voting Survey because there were only four name options to choose from. For instance, the first preferred name choice was multiplied by four, the second preferred name choice was multiplied by three, the third preferred name choice was multiplied by two, and the fourth preferred name choice was multiplied by one. For every name option, the votes were multiplied by the assigned weight and added together. The result was then divided by the total number of survey responses received to calculate the weighted score. The name selection with the largest weighted score informed staff’s recommendation. The voting results are shown in Tables 2 (initial voting round) and Table 3 (final voting round) below.
Table 1 – Results of the First Name Suggestion Survey (Qualifying Names)8
# Proposed Name
1 Eden Gardens Neighborhood Park*
2 Esperanza de San José
3 George C. Payne Ranch Park
4 Helen Payne Park
5 Nikola Tesla Park
6 Payne Avenue Friendship Park
7 Pueblo Play Park
8 Rosalind Franklin Park
9 San Tomas Park*
10 Shark’s Park
11 Valens Park
12 Walnut Grove Park
13 West of Eden
14 Winchester Park*
*Similar names already in use.
8 Staff consolidated and combined similar names from the Name Suggestion Survey. All the name options listed align with the City’s Naming Policy (City Council Policy 7-5).
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
A list of all name suggestions received, and staff’s analysis is provided in Attachment C.
Table 2 – Results of the First Ranked Choice Voting Survey
# Name
First
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of Three)
Second
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of Two)
Third
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of One)
Total
Votes
Total
Survey
Responses
Weighted
Score9
1 Eden Gardens
Neighborhood Park 98 44 14 156 223 17.76
2 Payne Avenue
Friendship Park 26 46 31 103 223 9.01
3 Esperanza de San
José 14 25 16 55 223 4.84
4 West of Eden 13 23 23 59 223 4.84
5 George C. Payne
Ranch Park 6 22 30 58 223 4.13
6 Pueblo Play Park 19 5 9 33 223 3.41
7 Winchester Park 19 5 8 32 223 3.36
8 Helen Payne Park 3 11 22 36 223 2.38
9 Nikola Tesla Park 8 10 9 27 223 2.38
10 Sharks Park 4 8 17 29 223 2.02
11 Walnut Grove Park 3 9 13 25 223 1.79
12 Rosalind Franklin
Park 9 2 5 16 223 1.61
13 San Tomas Park 1 0 5 6 223 0.36
14 Valens Park 0 1 3 4 223 0.22
9 The weighted score value was multiplied by ten to generate a whole number.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
Table 3 – Results of the final Ranked Choice Voting Survey
# Name
First
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of Four)
Second
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of Three)
Third
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of Two)
Fourth
Preference
Votes
(Weight
of One)
Total
Votes &
Survey
Responses
Weighted
Score10
1 Payne Avenue
Friendship Park 213 77 38 20 348 3.39
2 West of Eden 63 105 140 40 348 2.55
3 George C. Payne
Ranch Park 27 139 129 53 348 2.40
4 Esperanza de
San José 45 27 41 235 348 1.66
Survey Distribution
The surveys were distributed through the Department’s electronic communication and social media networks. Email notifications were sent to Council District 1 staff, the San José Park Advocates, the San José Park Foundation, five schools located within a mile of the park (Academy of Mandarin Immersion, Action Day Primary Plus, Castlemont Elementary School, Moreland Preschool, and Payne Elementary School), the Cadillac-Winchester Neighborhood Association, the Winchester Neighborhood Action Coalition, the Winchester Orchard Neighborhood Association, the Eden Neighborhood Association, Community Garden staff, and Project Hope. In addition, survey links were distributed to several individuals that provided their contact information during the master plan community meetings and previous surveys.
Language Accessibility
The earliest online survey was translated from English to Spanish, and traditional Chinese. Staff did not receive responses to the Spanish or traditional Chinese surveys. Spanish translation was provided for the subsequent surveys because of staff’s experience with a Spanish-speaking community within the neighborhood, their presence at the master planning meetings, and continued engagement in the project.
Name Suggestions Received after the Surveys
In addition to the public surveys, the public could send park name nominations for the City Council to consider. On April 19, 2022, staff received “Rosemary Park” as a name nomination.
Although Rosemary Park aligned with Policy 7-5 (referenced the local Rosemary Elementary School), the name was too similar to the existing “Rosemary Gardens Park”. Thus, staff did not
10 The weighted score value was multiplied by ten to generate a whole number.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
include name in the list of qualifying names for City Council to consider. This name suggestion was received after all online surveys were closed.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Manager’s Budget Office and the City Attorney’s Office.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
This item was presented at the Parks and Recreation Commission on June 1, 2022
11. The
Commission acknowledged the community’s concerns regarding staff’s process for recommending the original name (Esperanza de San José) that was scheduled to be considered by the Parks and Recreation Commission on April 6, 202212 and supported the name Payne Avenue Friendship Park as that was the highest ranked name by the community in the reinitiated survey. The Commission also commended staff for responding to the community’s concerns by reinitiating the voting survey. Commissioner Ames motioned to recommend the name Payne Avenue Friendship Park to the City Council, which was seconded by Commissioner Morrow.
The motion carried (7-0-3). Absent: Snider, Villarreal, and Vega.
FISCAL/POLICY ALIGNMENT
The proposed action aligns with City Council Policy Number 7-5, Naming of City-Owned Land and Facilities, and the City’s 2009 Greenprint, Activate SJ, and the Envision San José 2040 General Plan.
Additionally, this park site addresses the need for a park within a ten-minute walk of the surrounding area and provides a new park in a neighborhood and City Council District that is deficient in parkland.
11 City of San José Parks and Recreation Commission, June 1, 2022, Meeting Agenda:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/86447/637892457206800000 12 City of San José Parks and Recreation Commission, April 6, 2022, Meeting Agenda:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/83618/637837118977530000
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
August 8, 2022
Subject: Naming of a New Public Park at 3257 Payne Avenue
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-008, General Procedure and Policy Making results in no changes to the physical environment.
/s/
JON CICIRELLI
Director, Department of Parks,
Recreation and Neighborhood Services
The principal author of this memorandum is Leonel Tapia, Planner II. For questions, please contact Rebekah Ross, Planner IV, by email at [email protected] .
Attachments:
A. Park Location Map
B. Park Concept Plan – Phase 1
C. Staff Analysis of Name Suggestions
Attachment A: Park Location Map
Figure 1: The park location at 3257 Payne Avenue.
Figure 2: Regional Location Map.
Attachment B: Park Concept Plan – Phase 113
Figure 1: Phase 1 of the Master Plan park layout.
13 Additional information regarding the project phasing is available in the September 2020 Master Plan Report for Payne Avenue Park: https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/77681/637685979501700000
Attachment C: Staff Analysis of Name Suggestions
Table Legend
Name aligns with the City's Naming Policy (City Council Policy Number 7-5) (Green Row) Name does NOT align with the City's Naming Policy (City Council Policy Number 7-5) (Red Row) # Name Summary of Name Reasoning Does it
Fit the
Policy?
Same or
Similar
Existing
Park
Name?
Explanation
1 Eden
Neighborhood Park
Three survey respondents
suggested this name has a
connection to place because Eden
Neighborhood is one of
the neighborhoods surrounding
the park site and reflects the
Eden Neighborhood Association.
Another respondent pointed out
that Eden Avenue runs through
several of the neighborhoods
surrounding the park site. Staff
found no information on the
history of the name “Eden.”
Yes Yes, this
is similar
to
Edenvale
Gardens
Regional
Park.
Geographic location.
Name for one of the
neighborhoods around
the park site.
2 Betty Ong
Memorial Park
The survey respondent suggested
this name to honor Betty Ong’s
heroic efforts aboard American
Airlines Flight 11 to notify
authorities of the
9/11 hijacking14.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual
who made significant
contributions to the
nation.
(This name meets the
criteria, but it does not
have a local context.
Betty Ong was a San
Franciscan native, not
San José).
3 Eden Garden The respondent suggested this
name because it references
nearby Eden Avenue.
Yes Yes, this
is similar
to
Edenvale
Geographic location.
14 Biographical references on Betty Ong: https://nextshark.com/betty-ong-911/; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Ong; and https://www.911memorial.org/connect/blog/remembering-911- hero-flight-attendant-betty-ong
Gardens
Regional
Park.
4 Winchester Park
Two respondents suggested this
name as a local reference point in
the area. One respondent
suggested this name could have a
dual purpose of honoring Sarah
Winchester, while the other
respondent felt that it was more
important to focus on the local
reference point.
Yes Yes, this is
similar to
the future
“Winchest
er
Orchard
Park”.
Geographic location.
Deceased individual.
Prominent geographic
feature or local reference
point (Winchester
Mystery House).
5 Payne Avenue Park Two respondents suggested
naming the park after
the nearby street. One person
suggested that it makes it easy to
locate and identify the park,
while the other suggested that the
name is important to the
area because it includes all the
neighborhoods in the area.
Yes No Geographic location.
6 West of Eden The respondent suggested this
name as a geographic play on
Steinbeck’s novel “East of
Eden”. This name denotes the
park’s geographic location in
relation to Eden Avenue.
Yes No Geographic location.
7 Homeless Camp #
29 The respondent referred to the
presence of homeless individuals
in parks.
No N/A N/A
8 Shark Tank The respondent suggested this
name because they felt that it
sounds nice.
Yes No Prominent geographic
feature or local reference
point.
(The SAP Center at San
José, also known as
the Shark Tank, is a
local reference point
in the city. “Shark” also
references the current
playground.)
9 Victory Park The respondent suggested this
name to celebrate the fight
No No While this may be
considered a historical
event, it is not clear how
against the COVID-
19 pandemic.
this specific event is tied
to the local community
or San José, in general.
10 Rosalind Franklin
Park
The respondent suggested this
name to honor Rosalind Franklin,
a brilliant chemist, whose
discoveries in DNA and virology
contributed to the advancement
of chemistry and science15.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual
who made significant
contributions to the
nation.
11 Barack Obama
Park
The respondent suggested that
the former president was
a “Great president.
Prominent U.S.
president”
No N/A Person is still living.
12 Pueblo Play
Three respondents suggested this
name to recognize the existing
playground and to honor the
people who contributed to the
creation of the playground. One
respondent referenced the name
of the previous church on the
site, Pueblo de Dios. Another
respondent felt that this name is
reflective of the surrounding
community.
Yes No Prominent geographical
feature or local reference
point.
13 Pueblo Play Park
Five respondents suggested this
name to honor the existing
playground name and to
reference the Pueblo de
Dios church which previously
occupied the site. It was also
pointed out that the word
“pueblo” conveys a sense of
inclusive community.
Yes No Prominent geographical
feature or local reference
point.
14 Cherry Orchard
Park or
Apricot Park
The respondent suggested that
the park be named after the type
Yes No Prominent geographical
feature or local reference
point.
15 Biographical references on Rosalind Franklin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin; https://www.biography.com/scientist/rosalind-franklin; https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02144-4; https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/spotlight/kr/feature/biographical; and https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jun/23/sexism-in-science-did-watson-and-crick-really-steal-rosalind- franklins-data
or what
ever fruit trees were
there prior
to the neighborhood
development
of orchard that once occupied the
site.
15 Valens Park The respondent suggested this
name to honor rock star Ritchie
Valens, who is considered a rock
and roll pioneer and a pioneer of
Chicano rock. Ritchie
Valens lived and worked with his
family in San José during the
1950s16.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual
who made significant
contributions to the
nation.
16 Payne In the
Avenue
The respondent suggested a play
on the words “pain” and
“Payne.”
Yes No Geographic location.
17 Esperanza de San
José
The respondent suggested this
name because it means “hope”
and because it received several
votes in the previous survey.
Yes No Geographic location.
18 Payne Avenue
Friendship Park
The respondent suggested this
name explains where the park
is located and sets a non-
confrontational tone.
Yes No Geographic location.
19 Garden of Eden The respondent suggested this
name to reflect the Eden
Neighborhood.
Yes No Geographic location.
20 Pueblo Pueblo Park The respondent suggested this
name to honor the existing
playground name and to
reference the Pueblo de Dios
church which previously
occupied the site.
Yes No Prominent geographical
feature or local reference
point.
21 Garden of Eden
Park
The respondent suggested this
name to reflect the Eden
Neighborhood and garden-like
qualities.
Yes No Adjoining subdivision or
community.
16 Biographical reference on Ritchie Valens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=negZzC68Rfg
22 Nikola Tesla Park The respondent suggested this
name to honor the inventor and
engineer whose inventions in
electrical supply and other items
contributed to the technological
advancement of society17.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual
who made significant
contributions to the
nation and the San José
area.
23 Dos Negros
Cortazon
The respondent suggested that
the name reflected a historical
event.
No N/A No information was
found for “Dos
Negros Cortazon”. After
changing the name to
“Corazon” (i.e., heart in
English) instead of
“Cortazon,” information
was found regarding a
revolution in the
Philippines.
However, no relevant
connection to the City of
San José or the local
community was
found.
The individual did not
leave any contact
information for a follow-
up.
24 Sarah Winchester
Park
The respondent suggested this
name to honor Sarah Winchester
and the Winchester Mystery
House18.
Yes Yes, this is
similar to
the future
“Winchest
er
Orchard
Park”.
An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual,
however, it is not clear
what significant
contributions Sarah
Winchester made to the
nation, the state, or to
17 Biographical references on Nikola Tesla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla; https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-rise-and-fall-of-nikola-tesla-and-his-tower-11074324/; https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/nikola-tesla; and https://www.biography.com/inventor/nikola-tesla 18 Biographical references on Sarah Winchester: https://www.biography.com/personality/sarah-winchester; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Winchester; and https://historysanjose.org/research-collection/research- library/sarah-winchester-at-history-san-jose/
the City of San José
area.
25 (First/full
name) Mrs. Payne
The respondent suggested
naming the park after Helen
Schultz Payne, wife of George C.
Payne. The respondent knew
Mrs. Payne as a child and
remembered her generosity. The
respondent also thought that the
Payne family tried to gift the
park to the City after Mrs.
Payne’s passing19. However, the
park was not gifted to the City.
The City purchased the land for
the park.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
It should be noted that
the family did not gift
the park site to the City.
Instead, the City
acquired the park by
purchasing it from the
Pueblo de Dios church.
26 Payne Avenue
Community Park
The respondent suggested this
name references a geographic
location near the park site.
Yes No Geographic location.
27 Mysticalville Park The respondent suggested that
the name reflects the “beautiful
and happy community.”
No N/A N/A
28 George C. Payne
Ranch Park
The respondent suggested this
name to honor George C. Payne,
the former owner of the ranch
where the park site is
located, who was a renowned
horticulturalist and was known
for his pioneering achievements
in grafting walnuts20.
Yes No An individual who has
been deceased for at
least five years.
Deceased individual
who made significant
contributions to the
nation and the San José
area.
29 Walnut Grove Park The respondent suggested the
name to reference the former
agricultural use on the site and
the “Walgrove Manor” subdivisi
on that immediately surrounds
the park site.
Yes No Geographical location.
Adjoining
subdivision/community.
19 Biographical reference on Helen Payne, wife of George C. Payne:
https://www.mariposaresearch.net/santaclararesearch/SCBIOS/gcpayne.html 20 Biographical sources of information on George C. Payne:
https://www.mariposaresearch.net/santaclararesearch/SCBIOS/gcpayne.html , https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8qv3smc/admin/#did; and https://www.moreland.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=427312&type=d&pREC_ID=990650
30 West Valley
Neighborhood Park
The respondent suggested this
name in reference to the park’s
location in West San José.
Yes No Geographic location.
(West Valley is the
name of the urban
village in the area.
However, West Valley
also has strong
connection to
the neighboring city of
Saratoga).
31 Eden Gardens The respondent suggested this
name in reference to nearby Eden
Avenue, which runs through the
neighborhoods.
Yes Yes, this is
similar to
the
existing
“Edenvale
Gardens
Regional
Park”.
Geographic location.
32 Friend's
Playground
The respondent suggested
friendship as a theme for the
park.
No N/A N/A
33 Friend’s Playground
on Payne Avenue
The same respondent suggested
this name and added Payne
Avenue.
Yes No Geographic location.
The addition of Payne
Avenue makes this
suggestion comply with
the policy.
34 West Valley Shark
Park
The respondent suggested this
name to recognize the
contributions of the San José
Sharks in funding the
construction of the existing
playground.
Yes No Geographic location.
West Valley is the name
of the urban village in
the area.
Prominent geographic
feature or local reference
point.
References the existing
playground on the park
site.
35 San Tomas Park
The respondent suggested this
name in reference to San Tomas
Expressway.
Yes Yes, there
is an
existing
park with
Geographic location.
this name
at 4093
Valerie
Drive.
36 Shark’s Park The respondent suggested this
name in recognition of the
contributions of the San José
Sharks in funding the
construction of the existing
playground.
Yes No Prominent geographical
feature or local reference
point.