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In 1974, the Marin County, Calif. community of Kentfield felt so strongly about preserving a 26-acre parcel of land that contained a salt marsh and upland areas that they voted to tax themselves! Their tax dollars went toward acquisition of the property, preservation of the salt marsh and construction of a community park on the upland portion of the site. The park became known as Creekside, for its proximity to the adjacent Corte Madera Creek. The original layout, designed by local landscape architects Royston Hanamoto Beck and Abey, won awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects, weaving the natural setting with park development. ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
Clapper rails (Rallus longirostris), an endangered species, have nested in the adjacent marsh. The toddler play area includes shotcrete replicas of two clapper rail nests (Cemrock), and a custom precast concrete duck family floating on the rubberized surface. Ducks were frequent visitors to the construction site from the adjacent marsh. ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR In May 2008, Marin County Parks began work on creating a new master plan for the park, now known as Hal Brown Park at Creekside, named for a popular member of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Marin County Parks representatives Steve Petterle, principal park planner, and Nancy Peake, park planner, together with master plan consultant Moore Iacofano Goltsman (MIG), conducted focus group sessions with residents, local environmental organizations and representatives of nearby schools to get a sense of the needs and desires of the community. In addition, the parks department held a ?EUR??,,????'?????< The new master plan, approved by the Marin Board of Supervisors in March 2009, maintained much of the existing facility?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
A curving Sonoma fieldstone wall forms raised beds in the healing garden. During the renovation of the park, contractors recycled 300 large Sonoma field stone boulders. The planter wall was donated to the park. The bench is made of steel (Dumor). All the plantings but the turf play areas are irrigated with Netafim drip irrigation. All shrubs, perennials and grasses are low-water usage plants. A state-of-the-art weather-based central control system (?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR Improvements to the park included the following elements:
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Sonoma fieldstone walls with precast concrete caps (Quick Crete) spruce up the look of the amphitheater, which is used for outdoor education classes. Shade is provided by the existing oaks. ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR Michael Paul Company of Petaluma, Calif. was the successful bidder for the project. Nancy Peake, park planner, served as Marin County Parks project manager during construction. Construction costs were $1.6 million, with funds available in reserves from the county service area formed in 1974 as a taxing mechanism to acquire, build and maintain the park. Two donors provided $72,000 toward development of the Mt. Tamalpais and Creekside Marsh Overlook, and planters in the health and meditation area. To keep the project ?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
An informal petanque area under existing oaks has decomposed granite without the binder for the playing surface. The tables (Dumor) are made from recycled plastic.
Plant materials were selected for their low-water usage. Everything but the turf play areas was irrigated with Netafim drip irrigation. The new controller is a state-of-the-art weather-based central system to further curb water use. Sheet mulch was used together with arbor chips in planting areas to keep weeds down. Marin County Parks employs Integrated Pest Management (IPM) throughout its parks, and Hal Brown Park continues to be a shining example of IPM success. Five local schools are within walking distance of the park, and although the construction site was entirely fenced, nursery schooler?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
Play equipment includes a turbo twister tunnel slide with a mini-overlook, toddler swings, a 17-foot ?EUR??,,????'?????<
On February 14, 2011, following an aggressive eight-month construction schedule, the park reopened to the community. Visitors to the renovated facility now find a large, expansive turf area for informal play and relaxation; a remodeled bathroom; several new benches and picnic tables scattered throughout the park; an area for p????????(C)tanque; a health and wellness grove landscaped with plants that have healing and medicinal attributes; a redesigned amphitheater that provides the ideal location for children?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
The toddler makes a break for it! The renovated park includes expanded picnic areas with new recycled plastic picnic tables and steel trash receptacles (both from Dumor Site Furnishings). The surfacing is decomposed granite with a resin binder to create an accessible surface.
The heart of the park remains the playground. Honoring the local community?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR
A custom shotcrete play creek lets future dam builders explore water retainment/flow engineering.
Hal Brown Park at Creekside is an amazing success story, from its grass roots beginning and its innovative designs, up to and through its recent renovation. Visitation has increased and is more diversified. It?EUR??,,????'?????< ???????(R)?EUR??,,????'?EUR??,,?EUR Project Team Landscape Architects Vendors |
