Corte Madera foundation proposes upgrades to Menke Park

The nonprofit Corte Madera Community Foundation has outlined a series of proposed renovations for Menke Park.

The foundation presented the plan to the Parks and Recreation Commission at its meeting on Feb. 26. The project goals include enhancing access for disabled visitors, improving circulation and landscaping changes.

Rebecca Vaughn, the assistant town manager, said the presentation served as an update to the commission, which did not take a vote. The effort is considered a priority project in planned park renovations this year.

“We support the project,” Vaughn said. “The first iteration would be led in tandem with our public works department.”

Robert Bundy, vice president of the foundation, said the organization wanted to inform the commission about the basic landscaping plan before kicking off a fundraising effort. The nonprofit organization estimates the project would cost $100,000 to $200,000.

“It has been this really nice green gem in the heart of Corte Madera,” Bundy said.

The park, which is at 205 Redwood Ave., is the site of Piccolo Pavilion. The pavilion has events such as a summer concert series and an Oktoberfest celebration.

The property is the site of the former railroad station that was established around the founding of the town in the late 1800s. The old railroad right of way now serves as a bike path that ascends Corte Madera Ridge. The original railroad station burned down in 1904 and was rebuilt in 1905, serving commuter trains until 1941 and once-a-day freight service until 1971.

Sarah Cohen, a landscape architect in San Francisco, said construction would likely last four to six months.

“It has great bones. It is a great oasis in the heart of town,” Cohen said. “We want to honor what is there and make smaller interventions that will have a great impact.”

The landscape renovation seeks to increase safety, add circulation, improve access under the American with Disabilities Act, accommodate expanded events and rehabilitate some of the foliage.

ADA access is limited to the path surrounding the pavilion and there are single-step risers to the lawn. The plan seeks to regrade the sidewalk to allow for greater access.

The plan also seeks to add a sidewalk access via Redwood Avenue. The stairway on First Street will also be replaced in order to modernize the access.

The new landscaping would add a pedestrian crosswalk connecting the railroad corridor path via Tamalpais Drive to the park. A single parking space would be added after a retaining wall is modified, ivy is removed and an agapanthus plant is thinned.

Planning commissioners voiced support for the project.

“It kind of looks like an overgrown forgotten space that’s gone back to the wild, or kind of what you would see growing in a parking lot,” said Sarah Elsen, a member of the commission.

Park modernization has been a high priority for the town. An updated master plan has proposed $1.4 million in updates at Cove Park. The plan also indicated that residents were interested in events with food trucks and performances at Menke Park.

The Corte Madera Town Council adopted new rules for town parks in January. The rules updated the park hours to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and banned bicycles, e-bikes and motorized vehicles from grass fields.