By Linda Taaffe

Los Altos residents who petitioned door-to-door to turn a former public school campus into Grant Park 22 years ago will finally have a say in the type of recreational activities the city will sponsor at the three-acre site.

Two of the facility’s four classrooms are currently leased to Stepping Stones Preschool. Neighborhood outcry last year over a possible 10-year lease extension for the preschool prompted the Los Altos City Council to turn down the preschool’s request in favor of public recreation and to develop a future-use plan for Grant Park that would include public input. The preschool was granted a two-year lease extension, which expires Dec. 31, 2005.

The Los Altos Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission recently sent surveys to residents living within 500 feet of the park and is scheduled to hold a public comment meeting Thursday night to gauge community preferences for recreation department programs at the site.

Neighbors say south Los Altos has been long deprived of recreational activities compared to the north.

Recreation Director Dave Brees said past attempts to bring recreational programs to the south end of town have experienced only moderate success. He attributed the mixed results to competition from programs in nearby Sunnyvale and Cupertino.

Brees said the survey is intended to provide the city an idea of what residents would like to see at the park before officials develop a long-term plan and marketing strategy.