Past Monthly Coalition Meetings

You can download fliers and notes from this page to learn about our past coalition meetings.

April 2nd: San Francisco's Failing Playgrounds and How NPC Is Raising the Grade
On Wednesday, April 2nd, the Coalition heard an overview of NPC's playground work to date as well as exciting details about NPC's Playground Initiative. Interested volunteers were also told how they could become involved in the 2008 assessment.

Prior to our playground presentation, we held an overview of an exciting new way to reduce your impact on climate change and help our failing playgrounds. The City of San Francisco's Solar Subsidy Program is making solar power extremely affordable for San Francisco homeowners. NPC is excited to announce a partnership with a solar company, SolarCity, which will donate $100 to NPC's playground campaign for every system they sell in San Francisco this year that results from a lead from an NPC volunteer. Bruce Karney, SolarCity's Community Programs Manager, will speak about this unique opportunity to accelerate the greening of San Francisco while reducing the city's carbon footprint. For more information, visit http://www.solarcity.com/

The company's unique partnership with NPC could provide $10,000 or more to help renovate San Francisco's 'failed' playgrounds that received a D or F in NPC's playground survey. CLICK HERE for a meeting flier.

February 13th, 2008: Stopping the Proposed Closure of Candlestick / GGNRA Big Year
On Wednesday, February 13th, we heard from a Candlestick State Park Ranger, Literacy for Environmental Justice, the California Parks Foundation, and local community members on the proposed closure of Candlestick Park and had a lively discussion about what we can do to stop the closure. For more ways to get involved and meeting notes, please click here.

Brent Plater also discussed the 2008 GGNRA Big Year: a race to save the Golden Gate Recreation Area’s endangered species. For more information on the GGNRA Big Year, visit www.ggnrabigyear.org.

January 29th, 2008: Community Opportunity Fund: Designing an Effective Program
On Tuesday, January 29, 2008 a diverse group of small grant program experts and community members discussed models of effective small community grant programs, lessons learned and program elements that should be incorporated into the $5 Million Community Opportunity Fund grants program that is part of the February 2008 Prop. A Parks Bond package. To read complete meeting notes click here.

December 5th, 2007, 6-8pm: NPC Holiday Party
Thank you to all who came to the annual NPC Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 5th at the NPC office! A special thanks to Supervisor Sandoval, Supervisor Mirkarimi, Supervisor Chu Fiona Ma’s Office and all the park advocates that came out to share in the holiday cheer! To see photos from the holiday festivities, click here.

November 14th, 2007, 6-8pm: Park Safety
On November 14th the NPC coalition met in City Hall and heard from a panel of safety experts that are building communities around previously unsafe parks. These communities have transformed violent venues into playgrounds that attract toddlers by utilizing neighborhood watch programs, community partnerships, private security, Park Patrol, beautification projects, programming and more!

Thank you to all of the organizations that participated in this informative panel: South Park Improvement Association, SF Safe Crime, the Quesada Gardens Initiative, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center and the Department of Public Works Landscape Architecture.

Meeting Highlights
• A community can hire off-duty police officers or private security to patrol their park, but it is expensive. Click here for more information.
• SF Safe can help you set up a neighborhood watch program in your neighborhood that results in a network of neighbors getting to know each other and able to work together in a time of need.
• The Quesada Gardens Initiative, a Crissy Field Heroes Award recipient, transformed a median in the Bayview into a lush landscape through the hard work of community leaders. To hear the inspiring story, click here.
• The Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, also a Crissy Field Heroes Award recipient, connects homeless and resident populations to clean up Capp street in the Mission and build community through their Adopt an alleyway program. To hear the inspiring story click here.
• John Thomas, a Landscape Architect for the Department of Public Works, discussed how specific design elements can greatly improve the safety of a park, such as appropriate lighting, and layered landscaping that keeps sight lines open but also creates an interesting park. Click here for his notes about designing parks with safety in mind.

For full meeting notes, click here.

October 10, 2007: Revitalizing Parks on the Eastern Shoreline: Warm Water Cove
Warm Water Cove is a neglected, largely unknown and underutilized park owned by the Port along the eastern shoreline. On October 10th, Mike Ernst, city planning student and the first Piero N. Patri fellow, shared his innovative plans to expand and revitalize Warm Water Cove Park. His presentation proposed to expand the park by converting surrounding lots and creating an active, multi-use space that serves as a piece of the Blue Greenway park network along the Eastern Waterfront.

Some of the key community feedback heard at the meeting included making the park more accessible to the surrounding residential communities and accentuating the waterfront park quality. Chris Guillard, Landscape Architect, CMG Landscape Architecture, set the stage for the discussion by explaining the importance of combining a clear vision for a park with community input in order to provide a well-designed space that the community will use. Click here to view Mike Ernst’s presentation and meeting notes. Click here to download a flyer.

September 5, 2007: Parks and Open Space Bond: One Strategy for Addressing Our Parks' $1.7 Billion Need
On Wednesday, September 5th park advocates from each district gathered at City Hall to hear Dawn Kamalanathan, Planning Director of the Recreation and Park Department, and Dan Hodapp from the Port present the proposed park bond projects. Following the presentation, park advocates gave their feedback. Click here for meeting highlights and detailed notes.

August 8th, 2007: San Francisco’s Open Space Frontier: The Eastern Neighborhoods
Click here to read highlights from the current plans for open space in the Eastern Neighborhoods, Hunter’s Point Shipyard, Candlestick Point, Pier 70 and Brannan St. Wharf.

June 13th, 2007: Fundraising For Your Park
Creative ways to fundraise for your park will be discussed, such as foundation grants, brick donor projects, corporate solicitation, and advocating to your Supervisor. Panelists include representatives from Mayor Newsom’s office, The Stewardship Council, San Francisco Beautiful and the Friends of Rossi Park.
To download a flier for the meeting, click here.
To read the meeting agenda, click here.
For notes on fundraising strategies, click here.
For a list of grant sources, click here.

January 10, 2007: Volunteering In Your Park
A discussion on how park groups can utilize the new RPD Volunteer Policy. Click here to download flier.