Committee wants to remake Calanan Park in Nevada City

Photo by Bob Lickter A woman reads recently near a water cannon in Calanan Park.

Although Calanan Park Committee Chairman and City Councilor Robert Bergman described the report as a “document in progress,” it did lay out a vision calling for a more open park with two plazas that could host small community events. The estimated cost was more than $100,000.

Although Calanan Park Committee Chairman and City Councilor Robert Bergman described the report as a “document in progress,” it did lay out a vision calling for a more open park with two plazas that could host small community events.

The estimated price tag is more than $100,000, according to Gary Tintle, who represented the committee at the Jan. 27 City Council meeting.

The report also includes an evaluation of the park’s three largest trees. Arborist Randell Frizzell says the city’s 90-foot White Fir Christmas tree is dying and that the 100-foot Coast Redwood next to it is still a young tree that will eventually double in size and outgrow the small park on the corner of Broad and Union streets.

The third tree, a 50-foot Giant Sequoia, could be the town’s next Christmas tree but also will eventually outgrow its present location, according to Frizzell’s evaluation.

The report also suggests removing or moving some or the park’s large mining artifacts, which rankled history supporters who spoke at the meeting.

“The park does not need a complete renovation. It just needs to be tweaked,” said Pat Dyer, who owns the Utopian Stone jewelry store on Broad Street. “We have to retain whatever we can. We are the Queen City of Northern Mines.”

The report suggests moving some of the items to places along the wall of the Alpha Building, which Bergman says in the report will be the future home of California Organics.

The mining artifacts include two mine carts, a large pulley, a large granite drill core, a hydraulic mining gate valve and a hydraulic monitor, which historian Steve Cottrell and others say has extraordinary significance.

 “Removing the monitor would, in my estimation, be tantamount to removing a marker at Manzanar because the camp was used to intern Japanese-Americans during World War II,” Cottrell writes in memo attached to the committee report. “I strongly urge you and your fellow committee members to retain the monitor as a lasting tribute to environmental progress – not environmental devastation.”

City Planning Commissioner and committee member Bob Wright said any decisions to move the artifacts “need to be considered deeply.” He went on to say, however, that the White Fir should be removed as part of a plan to open up the park.

“It’s time to give up on the Christmas tree. It’s on the decline,” said Wright, adding that the committee’s goal is to make the park a more “inviting place.”

City Councilor Sally Harris said she believed the park would have to comply with the city’s tree ordinance, which means the Planning Commission would likely review proposals to remove any healthy trees.

The Nevada City Police Department also contributed to the report. Lt. Lorin Gage wrote that a more landscaped park would make it easier to stop medical marijuana patients from smoking in Calanan Park.

Gage writes that most of the criminal activity in the park involves alcohol and drugs although it has decreased over the past five years. In addition, Police Chief Lou Trovato believes a surveillance camera would be a good tool to deter crime in the park, according to Gage’s report.

The committee report does not identify any specific sources of funding for a park renovation project. It suggests the city could see if voters would support a temporary sales-tax hike or consider using part of the Quimby fund, which has $250,000 that is now earmarked for the eventual purchase of the Sugarloaf property north of Nevada City.

The report concludes by recommending that workshops be scheduled to give the public a chance to comment on the report. No official action was taken on the committee’s report at the City Council meeting.

Calanan Park Committee members

Mayor Reinette Senum

Vice Mayor Robert Bergman

Planning Commissioner Bob Wright

Police Chief Lou Trovato

Chamber board member Gary Tintle

Chamber board member Kirk Valentine

Landscape architect Karin Kaufman