Leigh Creekside Park

Moraga Blvd. corner and 4th Street, Lafayette, CA 94549, USA

This park is 1.1 acres of land located at Moraga Blvd. corner and 4th Street.

Located in the center of a heavily populated downtown area, Leigh Creekside Park is bordered by Las Trampas Creek and Lafayette Moraga Regional Trail. The crowning star, however, standing perfectly at the entrance, is: a magnificent, centenary oak. The park includes a peaceful resting spot for people to play on the regional trail, and an open space for kids in the community. Picnic tables, benches, a drinking fountain and relaxed walks make it a great place to enjoy the local countryside.

The park takes its name from John and Ethel Leigh, former property owners and early residents of Lafayette.  A grassroots community group raised money after they passed away to help the city win a State grant to buy the land and stave off construction. It's a gift from citizens who entrusted the City of Lafayette to respect the heritage of the park and preserve it for future generations as a natural, open-space style of park.

This park was born in 1999 when local residents worked with City officials to collect more than $35,600 in private contributions to help purchase property once owned by early settlers of Lafayette, John and Ethel Leigh.

The developers wanted to buy the property from the Leigh estate after the Leighs passed away, to build 5 homes on this 1⁄2 acre site. Neighbors, however, had a different view, as did Lafayette's City Manager, who was riding his bike to the property in 1998 and stopping to talk on her front lawn with a friend, Lisa Christophe. The City recommends cutting down trees and constructing a gated, luxury playground at LCP.  Playgrounds are amazing but not here. Two are within walking distance, while others are close by.

Leigh Creekside Park is the only park of its kind in Lafayette, a peaceful oasis in a neighborhood close to downtown where tourists of all ages and abilities can enjoy themselves. The canopy of oaks and cedars, the stream and the riparian wildlife corridor characterize the semi-rural character of the community. Of the ten park tourists and residents, nine tell, "LET IT BE!"All of them contributed money to create this peaceful park in 1999, when the City vowed to" preserve the land in its natural condition "for future generations.

The planned development would drastically alter the small park's character. The paradise will be lined with concrete walkways and rubberized fall-zone mats. Experts have estimated that such surfaces, combined with massive, heavy play structures (~52 ton concrete climbing structure) will compress the soil, dramatically impact tree roots and cause a decreasing spiral in the upper woodland and riparian zones.