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June 30, 2003 (6:00pm - 7:15pm)
Crocker Amazon Clubhouse
In Attendance:
Raul Corpeno (D. 11 Council), Linda Davirro (OMRA), Sharon Eberhardt (CIA), Jacqueiline Garrett (OMI), Al and Mary Harris (OMI-NIA), Alexis Harte (Living Library), Grace Klinger (OMRA), Catherine Pacheco (OMRA), Sam Shaw (NPC-Parkscan), Rebecca Silverberg (EDIA), Robert Sindelar, Vidya Tikku (NPC-DPP), Betty Traynor (NPC-DPP), Anthony Vacco (NMTLA/Balboa Park), Hal Voege (NPC-Parkscan), Robert Watkins (RPD), Dan Weaver (OMI Neighbors In Action), Daniel Woodward (OMRA)
I. Welcome and Introduction – Vidya Tikku, NPC
II. Open Space Study -- Vidya Tikku, NPC
The District Park Planning program has been working on a study of the gaps in service areas of San Francisco’s parks as well as the acquisition of new parkland over the past thirty years.
San Francisco has 3317 acres of parkland. Of that, 2300 acres are in the city’s five largest parks. The remaining third is in our neighborhood parks. In the past 30 years, San Francisco has acquired 91.8 acres of new park land – that’s less than a 3% increase. Of that, 2.73 acres is in District 11.
San Francisco does not have an open space acquisition plan. We hope that one will be developed that takes into consideration existing park land, gaps in service areas, demographics, topography (eg., hardscape or greenscape, hill or flat), and types of open space needed. We need to answer the question: If open space is acquired in the future, what kind of park is needed in a neighborhood?
We created GIS (Geographic Information System) maps that graphically show what areas are or are not within a convenient, "useable" distance of a park. These distances vary with the size and type of park as determined by the Planning Department. For instance, a mini park’s service area is about 2 blocks. A large park like McLaren serves up to 1/2 mile.
Our maps show that District 11 has big gaps—down the center and at the borders. Also, we don’t know where the mini parks are in the District.
Community members can help us with this project by telling us information we may have missed, e.g. right-of-ways, community gardens, mini parks, topography or other elements that limit accessibility. Also, the community needs to set up priorities: the type of open space you want purchased, e.g., neighborhood park, rec center, athletic fields. Let your PROSAC Representative know if you see a parcel of land that should be acquired or if you feel that RPD should be looking for certain types of parks or facilities.
Q & A/Comments:
- Has the Open Space Fund been robbed again?
RPD still wants to use the Open Space Fund to balance its budget—use it for maintenance, gardeners. You need to let RPD know that you want the Fund to be used for acquisitions only. - Rebecca and Sharon said they would take the District 11 open space map and fill in the mini parks in the district.
- It was recommended that NPC do a Workshop on this open space study.
III. Sustainable Development -- Alexis Harte, A Living Library
Alexis’ background is that of an arborist. He worked for four years at Friends of the Urban Forest where he was the stewardship director and established a teen program. He is now with Life Frames/A Living Library where he is working with Bonnie Sherk to establish an outdoor classroom at the nexus of Balboa High School, Denman Middle School, and San Miguel Child Development Center. They will be transforming a portion of the playground and parking lot at San Miguel into a garden, extending the already existing community garden there. This is only about 3% of the entire project. The vision of the Living Library is to have a Green Center of Community beginning with the transformation of the schoolyard, and including orchards and uncovering of Islais Creek that runs through the area.
Alexis will be setting up a training program for adults in the community, N.E.S.T. (Neighborhood Environment Stewardship Training), so they may learn about organic gardening, solar and wind power, tree planting and maintenance, as well as how to run a small, green business. There will be six to eight week sessions (about five hours per week: one weekday evening and one week-end morning) for up to 12 people who will receive a stipend of $500 for participating. The first session will begin 9/15/03 with a second one beginning in January 2004. Alexis is looking for participants. If you or someone you know is interested, contact him for more information at (510) 524-3650, alexisph@onebox.com or visit the website: http://www.alivinglibrary.org.
IV. Parkscan -- Sam Shaw, NPC
ParkScan is a new method to evaluate park conditions using computer technology to streamline communication between RPD and community members. We are all here because parks are important to us. Parks provide lots of amenities. They need to be safe, clean and beautiful. Right now there is not a uniform way to evaluate them. Many parks are not as clean as they could be; some parks are even unhealthy. Other than phone calls, there is no way to let Rec. & Park know the condition of the parks.
How it will work: teams of volunteers, in groups of two, will carry out surveys in parks once or twice a month using hand held computers and digital cameras. The recorded conditions will be forwarded to agencies and stored in our database. All of this data will be available online at the ParkScan website. Scorecards will periodically be made widely available. This gives an objective, standardized way to show our concerns to Rec. & Park as well as providing long-term data for trend analysis. It shows action over time.
ParkScan participants are chosen to participate based on having a history of advocacy. Neighborhood volunteers generally walk their hour-long route two times per month. Unsatisfactory conditions are photographed, prioritized by the surveyors, and are posted to the ParkScan website. RPD has three days to address the problem – not necessarily to fix it, but to address it. If the issue is a serious health or safety threat, RPD has agreed to respond within 1 business day. All of our past surveys, comments, and RPD responses are on our website: http://www.parkscansf.org.
Park groups that have participated so far, three in District 9, have reported noticeable improvement at their parks. Also, viewing the website you can see the progress of a problem and how it is addressed by RPD, showing its decision-making process.
Q & A/Comments:
- I hope that this could be a Win-Win. Can RPD use Parkscan to get more money?
Yes, We are collecting data that can be analyzed and we believe it will show that more funding is needed to maintain the parks and also that better, more efficient decisions can be made. - Will there be a dialog with the community on what is done?
Yes, this can take place at District Park Planning meetings in District 11.
V. Report from Robert Watkins, Park Supervisor
- Sears and Lessing Mini Park opens this week;
- Excelsior Playground online;
- Oceanview to be renovated in the future;
- Upcoming problem with staffing in this District: Some gardeners will be moved around. Expect to lose one at least from Crocker-Amazon that now has five to six gardeners. Balboa park has three gardeners, and McLaren park has five.
- Board of Supervisors not talking about staffing at RPD, especially for gardeners. Please contact the supervisors (D 11: Gerardo Sandoval, 554-6975, Gerardo.Sandoval@sfgov.org) and speak up for gardener staffing at our neighborhood parks.
VI. Community Updates:
- Crocker-Amazon Playground - Opening tomorrow, July 1 at noon. All encouraged to attend.
- Balboa Park – Event (to send details).
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