It all started with traffic. In the late 70s traffic here was horrendous: ambulances, fire trucks, and unchecked cars sped through the neighborhood. Adding to traffic problems, there was limited parking available at San Jose State, so students were forced to park in the neighborhood. The Naglee Park community wanted safer, saner streets and requested a traffic study in the early 1980’s. When the City refused to fund a traffic study, the Naglee Park CCA stepped up and funded one. It confirmed that traffic calming measures were needed and very committed neighborhood leaders started working on a traffic calming project with the City in 1983. Numerous neighborhood meetings with City traffic engineers were held with much discussion about the types of medians, safety and aesthetics. The City approved the design of concrete medians – without plants. The City did not approve the request to plant, water and maintain the 43 medians, they would construct the medians and then the neighborhood members must maintain them. CCA members stepped up and the medians were planted and have been maintained entirely by neighbors ever since. 

Median Buddies

Currently, the Median Buddies work most Tuesdays from 8:30-9:30 AM, weeding, trimming, sweeping and removing litter from 1-3 medians at a time. They replace plants that die or are damaged by vehicles, enrich the soil and add mulch. Afterwards, they retire to House of Bagels and enjoy a cup of coffee or a bagel, courtesy of CCA. Bev Fitzwater currently heads the Median Buddies. She heartily welcomes new volunteers. Please see the weekly notice on the CCA email list or contact Bev at medians@nagleepark.org. 

Median Waterers

The plants in the medians would not survive without water during the dry months. No automatic irrigation system is in place; each median must be watered manually. Over 50 neighbors volunteer to water specific medians during the 6-8 month dry season. Lorene Sisson is head of Median Waterers and is always looking for new volunteers. If you’re interested, please contact Lorene Sisson: waterers@nagleepark.org. 

The Beautification Committee began with the medians, but their mission has enlarged to include other projects to beautify our neighborhood. 

William Street Park

Motivated members of the Beautification Committee planned and installed the decorative gate and the flower garden at the entrance to the park around 2010. Over time, interest shifted away from the garden and it fell into some neglect. Now a revitalized group, headed by Anne-Marie Meredith, has made a good start on refreshing the garden. A dedicated group has been weeding, trimming and spreading mulch. They have worked with the City to get the irrigation repaired. Plans are being made to redesign the garden to make it more drought tolerant and even more attractive. If you are interested in helping with the garden, contact Anne-Marie Meredith: gardens@nagleepark.org 

Many of you recall that Coyote Creek caused a major flood in 2017 that resulted in many of our neighbors being flooded. As a result, the Santa Clara Valley Water District has been tasked to install flood control structures. Their original plan was to install 4-foot-tall berms or levees around the two open sides of the park. Thanks to our strong neighborhood opposition, they have now changed the plan to putting in passive flood barriers that will lie flat on the ground and rise up only during a flood, a task to be completed in 2026. Once construction is completed, the garden area can be replanted. 

Litter and Blight

Many neighbors spontaneously pick up litter on their own. Thank you! Over the years the Beautification Committee has sponsored neighborhood litter pick up events, with special attention to 10^th and 11^th Streets. We are working on getting a regularly scheduled neighborhood pick up. Want to help with this? We are currently looking for a volunteer coordinator. Please contact Sheila McGann-Tiedt: litter@nagleepark.org 

Highway Ramps

For several years the on and off ramps from 280 onto 10^th and 11^th Streets were almost totally neglected by CalTrans. They were filled with chest high dead weeds and a ton of litter. For several years Beautification worked to persuade CalTrans to clean up these ramps; mostly they ignored us. So, with support from CCA, a contractor was hired to do litter removal and vegetation control and the appearance of the ramps did improve. But CalTrans would not allow the contractor to work on the steeper parts of the ramps due to safety concerns, so around 80% of the ramps were cleaned up only very rarely by CalTrans. The contractor was prohibitively expensive, so we let our contract expire in 2023.  Neighbors Carl and Marianne Salas have been big supporters of this clean up and helped us form a “Clean Team” task force. Recently, CalTrans has partnered with the City, allocating funds to pay City crews to remove litter on many ramps within the City. We are working hard to have our ramps included. Interested in working on this? Please contact Susan Snydal: ramps@nagleepark.org 

Pastries in the Park

Yes, we like to have treats too! After working hard on all our service projects, we coordinate the annual spring celebration, Pastries in the Park. The main purpose of this gathering in William Street Park is to welcome new neighbors and to encourage involvement in neighborhood activities. We also don’t mind showing off our newly cleaned up flower garden. We provide delicious pastries from local businesses and you provide your favorite beverage. We now include fun activities for kids of all ages. This year it will take place on Saturday, May 18^th, from 10:00 – 11:30 AM. Would you like to help out with this fun event? Please contact Mital Bhakta: pastries@nagleepark.org 

Get Involved!

The Beautification Committee coordinates all the above activities and is in close contact with the CCA Board, who funds our projects. We are very open to hearing about new proposals for projects that would improve our neighborhood. The Committee meets around four times per year, and we are always seeking new members. Interested? Please contact the current Chairperson, Susan Snydal: beautification@nagleepark.org