CC 02-07-23 Item #13 Supplemental Memo to Council Questions Att 01 - City of Los AltosCity of Los Altos
Recreation & Community Services Department
97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos CA 94022
Office: 947-2790 ⚫ www.losaltosrecreation.org
Commemorative Park Amenity Guidelines
The City of Los Altos provides opportunities for citizens to commemorate and recognize a person, event, group
or organization with the purchase and placement of a tree, bench or other park amenity approved by the City.
Each purchase is considered a donation and gift to the public, to be maintained by the City of Los Altos for the
lifetime of the amenity unless otherwise specified and determined by the City. The City has a right to deny any
request based on the information provided in a completed application, including but not limited to the
wording, amenity, perceived maintenance and overall alignment with the intent of the program and mission of
the City to foster and maintain the City of Los Altos as a great place to live and to raise a family.
The donor will receive confirmation from the City once the installation has been complete. It is the intention
that the Commemorative Park Amenity policy cover the broad sense of memorials but is not meant to be
exhaustive. Commemorative requests outside the scope of this policy will be considered. The City will attempt
to accommodate the wishes of an applicant at all times. All park improvements must conform to the ADA
(American Disabilities Act) and provide the minimum requirements for accessibility.
Website access will be provided to the donor, including a full description, details and a photo , upon
completion of the installation and payment of the donation.
Commemorative Bench Program: The Commemorative Bench Program provides for new and replacement
benches in City parks, public areas or trails.
•The cost for the purchase and installation of a memorial bench that is $3,500 for an 8ft bench and
$3,200 for a 6 ft bench. This cost includes the concrete bench footing or concrete pad, procurement
and installation of the bench and plaque/plate, and anticipated maintenance costs for the lifetime of
the bench. New and replacement bench installation is subject to the guidelines of the City of Los Altos
Commemorative Park Amenity Program and the discretion of City staff, in cooperation of the donor.
•The commemorative bronze plaque will be in a scale appropriate for the size and style of bench.
•The bench standard is Bench #58 – black, plaque-ready, made of black cast steel with powdered
coating, manufactured by Dumor Inc.
•Memorial benches will be positioned to maximize benefit to an area.
•The number of benches in each park or public area will be limited at the discretion of City staff and will
not interfere with normal park use or maintenance operations and shall not detract from the intended
use of an area.
•The City accepts no liability for damages to any bench from vandals or third parties.
•The City reserves the right to
remove any bench that is damaged,
and been determined to be beyond
repair, at the discretion of City staff.
•All commemorative benches will be
recorded on the City website and
monitored to include the following
information: status; location; bench
type; size; donor; commemorative
plaque text and photos, accessible to
the donor.
•Once the lifetime of the bench has been determined complete, the donor will be contacted with the
option to replace the bench or retire the current bench in which the commemorative plaque will be
made available for pick-up. A retired bench will not be available to the donor and will be recycled. It is
the responsibility of the donor, or their designated representative to retrieve the removed plaque. The
City will mail at the expense of the donor. Plaques must be picked up within 60 days of removal.
Commemorative Tree Program: The Commemorative Tree Program provides for the dedication of an existing
tree, replacement or new planting of additional trees in City parks, public area or trails.
•The cost to commemorate a tree is $300 (Three Hundred Dollars), depending on the type.
•The tree type, species and location will be subject to the City’s tree management program and
discretion of City staff. Trees will be purchased by the City, at a minimum of fifteen gallons in size. City
staff will plant the tree. With permission, donors are welcome to participate.
•Plaques are not available for commemorative trees. The cost to the donor includes the purchase of
the tree, planting and staking of the tree.
•No plaques, rocks or other engraved recognition items are permitted on or around the donated tree.
•Dedicated trees will be located to maximize benefit to an area and minimize the impact on intended
uses and maintenance operations.
•The number of tree dedications within the city may, at any time, be limited or temporarily placed on -
hold based on season, climate, available maintenance resources such as City staff, contract services,
water restrictions, or other factors.
•All tree dedications will be recorded and monitored on a website to include the following information:
status; location; species; size; donor; and photos, accessible by the donor.
Application
Applications for the Commemorative Park Amenity Program may be picked up at the Recreation Office
located at the Los Altos Community Center, at 97 Hillview Avenue or downloaded at
www.losaltosrecreation.org and clicking on Commemorative Park Amenity Program. Upon receipt of an
application, the City staff will work with the donor to identify the most current costs and location for the
installation of the requested improvements.
City of Los Altos
Commemorative Park Amenity Application
Please complete application. You will be contacted by the City to determine current costs and location for the
installation for the requested improvement, in order to determine donation amount to the City of Los Altos.
Contact Name ______________________________________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________
City _________________________________________ State _________________ Zip _________________________
Home phone ________________________________ Mobile phone _________________________________________
Email address ________________________________________________ Fax # ________________________________
1.Amenity: 6 ft Bench 8 ft Bench Tree, suggested type___________________________________
Other: _________________________________________________________________________________________
2.Requested Location: ______________________________________________________________________________
3.Requested Installation Date: _______________________________________________________________________
Payment Type: Check Cashier’s Check Money Order Credit Card
Please direct applications and questions to:
Los Altos Recreation & Community Services
Attention: Casey Jensen-Richardson
97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos 94022
(650) 947-2726
crichardson@losaltosca.gov
City Staff Approval: Cost: $______________________________________________________
Recreation & Community Services Department _____________ ________________________
Initial Date
Municipal Services Department _____________ ________________________
Initial Date
Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Payment must be mad e in full prior to bench in
installation. Paym ent and add itional a menity program
arrange ments will be coordin ated by Casey Jensen-
Richardson.
Check s can be m ailed or deliv ered in person; credi t card
paym ents must be processe d in pers on or on CivicRec.
ATTACHMENT A
City of Los Altos
Recreation & Community Services
97 Hillview Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 947-2790, FAX (650) 947-2738
WEB SITE: www.losaltosrecreation.org
Memorial Bench and Tree
Dedication Policy
The City of Los Altos supports the needs and principles of allowing memorials in parks and
green space areas, but it is also mindful that these facilities have many uses and are enjoyed by
a wide range of people. Therefore, the City desires to manage and regulate memorial s for the
mutual benefit of all.
Applications for memorial bench or tree dedications may be picked up at the Hillview
Community Center or downloaded by going to www.losaltosrecreation.org and clicking on
Memorial Donations.
Memorial Benches
The cost for a memorial bench sponsorship is $500 (Five Hundred dollars) made payable
to the City of Los Altos. This cost is for a 10-year sponsorship of a currently existing
bench. This includes the procurement and installation of the plaque/plate, and one
replacement within that time period, if necessary.
The cost for the purchase and installation of a memorial bench that is not currently in
place is $3,500 (Three Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars). This cost includes the concrete
bench footing or concrete pad, procurement and installation of the bench and
plaque/plate, 10-year sponsorship of the donated bench and plaque/plate and
replacement of the plaque/plate within that time if necessary. New bench installation is
subject to the City of Los Altos Public Bench Program and the limits and restrictions on
bench placement on City-owned locations.
Donors of NEW benches will receive a letter confirming the donation of the bench to the
City.
Once the 10-year sponsorship period has lapsed, the sponsor will be contacted and the
memorial plate will be made available for pick-up. It is the responsibility of the donor,
or their designated representative to make arrangements to retrieve the removed
plaque/plate, the City will not mail. Plaques/plates must be picked up within 60 days of
removal.
The bench style and location of new benches must conform to the ADA (American
Disabilities Act) resting bench program and the City Public Bench Program.
ATTACHMENT A
Memorial benches will be positioned to maximize benefit to an area. The City will
attempt to accommodate the wishes of an applicant at all times.
The number of memorials will be limited based on the City Public Bench Program , must
not interfere with normal park use or maintenance operations and shall not detract
from the prime recreational purpose of an area.
The City accepts no liability for damages to any memories from vandals or third parties.
The City reserves the right to remove any memories that have been damaged, and is, in
the view of city staff, beyond repair.
All memorial benches are added to a special data base with status, location, bench type,
donor, the person memorialized and photos.
Tree Dedications
The City of Los Altos Tree Dedication program allows members of the public to purchase
trees for dedication purposes. Trees that are dedicated through this program are placed
on City property, in City parks or along Los Altos trails.
The cost of a tree purchased through the dedication program is $300 (Three Hundred
Dollars). This cost is for the purchase and installation of the tree.
No plaques/plates, rocks or other engraved recognition items are allowed on or around
the donated tree that falls outside the City’s Memorial/Dedication Policy.
The tree type, species and location will be subject to the City’s tree management
program and the recommendations of City staff.
Donated trees will be located to maximize benefit to an area and minimize the impact
on normal park use and maintenance operations. The City will attempt to
accommodate the wishes of an applicant at all times.
The number of tree dedications within the city may, at any time, be limited or
temporarily placed on-hold based on available maintenance resources such as staff,
contract services, water restrictions, or other factors.
All tree dedications are added to a special data base with status, location, species,
donor, and the person dedicated to.
For both the Memorial Bench and Tree Dedications the donor will receive confirmation
from the City once the installation has been complete. It is the intention that the memorial
policy covers the broad sense of memorials but is not meant to be exhaustive. Memorial
proposals outside the scope of this policy may still be considered.
ATTACHMENT A
Memorial Bench/Tree Dedication Application
Please fill out this application and include your check, money order, cashier’s check, or credit
card information made payable to The City of Los Altos. If desired, donations can also be
mailed to the address below along with the completed application form.
Name ________________________________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________________________
City ________________________________ State ______________ Zip _______________________
Home phone ____________________________ Mobile phone ________________________________
Email address ________________________________________ Fax # ___________________________
1. Requested Location: _____________________________________________________________
2. Requested Installation Date: ______________________________________________________
3. Memorial Bench Inscription Request (75 characters or less, including spaces):
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Payment Type: Check Money Order Cashier’s Check Credit Card
Please mail with enclosed payment to:
Los Altos Recreation & Community Services Phone: (650) 947-2790
Attn: Manny A. Hernandez Email: mhernandez@losaltosca.gov
97 Hillview Ave.
Los Altos, CA 94022
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT (check one)
Card Holder Name: _______________________________________
Card Number: ___________________________________________
Exp. Date: ______________________________________________
Signature: ______________________________________________
City of Los Altos
Recreation & Community Services Department
97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos CA 94022
Office: 947-2790 ⚫ www.losaltosrecreation.org
Commemorative Park Amenity Program
This form is to confirm wording for both the commemorative plaque and the City’s Commemorative Park Amenity
Program webpage. Please complete all applicable fields below, checking carefully for completeness and accuracy.
PLAQUE INSCRIPTION
(max 3 lines, 75 characters, including spaces)
Plaque Inscription: __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
WEBSITE DEDICATION
Bench Honoree Name: _______________________________________________________________________________
Bench Donor Name: _________________________________________________________________________________
Plaque Inscription: __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bench Location: _____________________________________________________________________________________
The dedication date will be included in your listing on the webpage.
Please check if applicable:
Do not feature my commemorative amenity (and its details) on the City’s website.
Do not include a picture of my commemorative amenity (with its details) on the City’s website.
The above information is required for the City’s database of Commemorative benches, even if you do not w ish to be featured on the City’s website.
Please refer all questions and/or this (completed) form to:
Casey Jensen-Richardson, (650) 947-2726, crichardson@losaltosca.gov
City Staff Approval:
Recreation & Community Services Department _____________ _______________________________
Initial Date
Notes: ____________________________________________________________________________________