Against the backdrop of cheering neighbors and roaring tractors, Palo Alto's elected leaders and community volunteers gathered on a dusty field in Ventura on Sept. 7 to celebrate the neighborhood's most popular project: the expansion of Boulware Park.

The project near the intersection of Lambert and Ash streets is exceptional in several ways. It marks the city's first expansion of a Palo Alto park in at least two decades, according to Mayor Lydia Kou. It also represents a rare instance of a Ventura development that has the overwhelming support of all the neighbors and city leaders.

About two dozen project advocates and Palo Alto staff members attended the groundbreaking ceremony, where Mayor Lydia Kou, Public Works Director Brad Eggleston, City Council member Ed Lauing and other local dignitaries recounted the project's history before ceremonially shoveling dirt.

The $4.2-million project, which is set to be completed in the fall of 2024, would mark yet another transition for a parcel that once belonged to John Wesley Boulware, a farmer from Kentucky who settled in the area in the early 1850s and bought 160 acres of land.

The city bought the park in 1965 and initially named it the South Palo Alto Community Land before renaming it after Boulware, whose local accomplishments include inventing the ventilated fruit storage box and serving on the county Board of Supervisors and on the local school district, Eggleston said.

Boulware Park expanded in 2018, when the city bought a 0.8-acre site adjacent to the 1.6-acre park that was then owned by AT&T. After a community outreach process, the city finalized a list of new amenities that would be added to the park, including a dog park, a restroom, bocce ball courts and picnic areas.

"We're expanding the park by 50%, which is incredible," Eggleston told the assembled crowd.

He also noted that the new park will have a host of sustainable features, including native trees, drought tolerant plants and green stormwater infrastructure. These elements, he said, will save the city thousands of gallons of water per year in landscape irrigation.

Kou credited the neighbors for kickstarting the project. Jonathan Brown, who lives across the street from the park, was at the forefront of the effort.

Brown said in about 2016 he became aware of a trend in the telecommunication industry of companies reducing the size of their devices, which in some cases also reduced their land requirements. He spoke to real estate staff at AT&T and reached out to the city to inquire about the prospect of purchasing land, an idea that the council enthusiastically embraced.

"Parks like this are so important for daily living to build the community spirit that we have," he said. "Kids learn how to ride bikes; they have birthday parties here; we hold soccer practices here. We grow and develop together, and they bring us closer together."

Kou said the park project will create an opportunity for area residents to congregate and meet new people. It will also make sure that as Ventura continues to add housing, it has adequate recreational amenities for the new residents.

The neighborhood is currently at the forefront of the city's housing plans, with various developers now advancing multi-family projects. The Sobrato Organization is looking to build a 74-townhome development at 3200 Park Boulevard, a short stroll from Boulware Park, and the city hopes to construct an affordable housing development near that site in the near future.

The nonprofit Charities Housing is also moving ahead with a 129-apartment complex for low-income residents on a nearby site, 3001 El Camino Real.

"Especially with the state mandates, where we have to build so much more housing, we want to make sure we're in balance," Kou said.