Santa Clara’s City Council voted Sept. 15 to transfer a $256,622 Proposition 68 grant from Maywood Park’s playground rehabilitation to the Henry Schmidt Park project. The move is not final: the city says California’s Department of Parks and Recreation must approve the transfer. San José Spotlight, in a report carried by SFGATE, reported that city officials said Maywood was not advancing quickly enough to meet the grant schedule, while Henry Schmidt is expected to finish before the June 30, 2028, deadline.
The grant has a local-match requirement
The transfer involves more than moving state money between projects: the Per Capita grant program also has matching rules. California State Parks’ program guide says projects that do not serve a severely disadvantaged community require a 20% match. The agency lists local funds as eligible match sources and says state funds are ineligible. Those are general program rules; they do not establish either park’s eligibility status or confirm approval of Santa Clara’s proposed transfer.
According to the SFGATE-carried report, city officials said Henry Schmidt has enough Measure I funding available to meet its match. Maywood, meanwhile, is slated to receive an equivalent $256,622 in Measure I money in place of the grant, so the city does not expect the transfer to reduce that project’s overall funding. The proposed arrangement therefore depends both on state approval and on the city’s planned local funding.
The projects are on different schedules
Henry Schmidt’s playground rehabilitation is already under construction, according to the report. Maywood’s project remains in the city’s plans, but its community outreach and schematic design are expected to begin in spring 2027. Plans for Maywood include playground accessibility and safety work, sports-court improvements, ADA upgrades, a walking loop, lighting and a shade structure.
The council’s decision shifts the timing and source of the money, rather than canceling Maywood’s rehabilitation. Whether the state approves moving the grant—and whether Henry Schmidt completes work within the grant deadline—remains unresolved.
