SJB Council hires firm to develop Luck Park master plan

The San Juan Bautista City Council unanimously approved a $30,000 contract with RRM Design Group at its April 21 meeting to prepare a master plan for Luck Park. The San Juan Bautista Historical Society opposed the decision, because the meeting agenda packet suggested the park could be used for a new city hall or youth recreation area, and possibly expanding the Carl M. Luck Memorial Library and museum.

In a letter to the City Council, Historical Society President Wanda Guibert said Francisca D. Luck donated the property to the city in 1974 with the provision that it be used for a public park, museum and library as a memorial to her father, Carl Martin Luck.

“It should remain a park per the donor’s wishes,” the letter said, read by City Clerk Laura Cent. 

The one-acre property is located on Third Street between Monterey and Tahualami streets. It  houses the library/museum and two historical structures: the Luck Gas Station built in 1919 and the Jim Jack cabin, which dates back to the 1880s. 

Historical Society member Georgana Gularte requested in a letter that council members study the efforts made by residents over the years to maintain the park without any city funds. 

“Since 1974 the city of San Juan Bautista has depended upon two major stakeholders, the San Juan Bautista Library Auxiliary and the San Juan Bautista Historical Society,” Gularte wrote. 

Additionally, she stated that it took the library auxiliary about 20 years to raise over $20,000 to restore the Luck Gas Station by sponsoring local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #6359 barbeques. 

Responding to resistance by community members, Jeff Ferber with RRM Design Group said the firm specializes in park master plans and has worked on sites that have historic structures. He said the intent is to gather input from stakeholders.

“We always try to match what the community would like us to do in terms of planning with fiscal resources available to do it,” Ferber said. 

Historical Society member Emily Renzel, who also sent a letter to the council requesting stakeholders be included in the process, said there is an existing Luck Park master plan and requested the city and firm to take that into account in the planning process.