San Carlos against interactive water feature downtown

The water feature is proposed across Laurel Street from an elevated pavilion that will be placed near Harrington Park. 

The interactive water design was pitched with entertaining children a priority, but McDowell worried over the burden that could be placed on nearby restaurants and stores, and said she is not a fan of an interactive element. 

“Having an open fountain like this, kids are going to run in there, get soaking wet, and then go to the Reading Bug and make everything wet — that’s literally what’s going to happen,” McDowell said. 

Venkatesh shared she was in support of the water feature being a more visual asset rather than interactive. 

“When I think about downtown, I think about something that’s really zen and calm,” Venkatesh said. “I work with kids, and they’re loud. You add water to that element, and you get even louder kids.” 

Disagreeing, Councilmember John Dugan said he goes to downtown as a place to feel energized rather than zen. 

“I’m looking for activation and community and a space where people are gathering, so I view it as a major feature that kids would be drawn to these major “bloom” interactive features,” Dugan said. 

However, Dugan did acknowledge the insight McDowell and Venkatesh shared over families visiting and children getting soaked. When the two shared their concern over an interactive feature, Dugan said “every mom in the room nodded along.” 

City staff is roughly budgeting anywhere between $750,000 and $1 million for the water feature, however, estimates could significantly fluctuate as designs become finalized. The interactive water feature proposed was estimated to cost around $1.5 million, raising concern over making such an investment. 

A second design proposal included a fog element that some felt was interesting while others worried over the ultimate waste of water and how cold the fog could feel. A third design proposal was a more traditional artistic fountain, which was identified as a far more practical option, but possibly mundane by councilmembers. 

The two other proposals were estimated within the budget, but councilmembers also maintained that if an investment is to be made in a water feature, they would like it to be unique and more interesting than a traditional fountain. 

McDowell said it will be critical for more exact numbers to be proposed at future council meetings so decisions can be made keeping priorities of the entire revamp project in mind. 

“In some ways we’re building a $5 million fountain and there’s no way,” McDowell said. “This is one piece of our downtown, but there’s a lot of pieces of our downtown that we need to construct.” 

San Carlos is designing the first phase of the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan, including the redesign of Harrington Park and Laurel Street between Cherry and Olive streets. Councilmembers also gave staff and consultants feedback on furnishing, planting and lighting. 

The water feature is proposed on the opposite side of an elevated pavilion that will be placed where Harrington Park and Laurel Street meet. 

A finalized design for the first installation of the downtown redesign is planned for review and confirmation in April.