I went to a community meeting tonight about the park renovation. Supervisor Dufty facilitated the meeting, and representatives of Rec & Park and SFPD were there.
You’ll recall that a few weeks ago, it was reported in the press that the park was going to shut down entirely for a year or more. It turns out that this was not accurate — or to put it another way, a decision has not yet been made about total closure vs. phased closure.
Here’s the situation. As part of the 2008 parks bond, the voters authorized $13.2 million for renovation of Dolores Park. The park hasn’t had a major renovation in decades. It has some significant problems. The irrigation system is a mess, as anyone who’s stepped or sat down in a puddle on a clear day can attest. The restroom building is not in good shape, and there’s always a long wait to use it. And, given the park’s high usage — which makes it so unique and fun — it’s getting worn out.
There are two parts of the renovation. First, the playground, which is a stand-alone project, will close down in October of this year for a few months for a complete re-do. It’s a $3 million project, half of which comes from the city and the other half of which comes from a private grant. The amazing Friends of Dolores Park Playground has been moving the playground project forward, and the playground plans have been approved and are in place.
Second, we have the re-do of the park. The actual renovation will start in January 2012. Yes, you have two more years of fun before the renovation begins. Starting in May or so, there will be a series of public meetings to get as much input from users, neighbors, etc., as possible. This will help Rec & Park determine exactly what needs to be done (in addition to the obvious things like irrigation, the restroom area, the worn down tennis courts, ADA issues, etc.). Rec & Park will then bid the project, the plans will be drawn up, and ultimately the Rec & Park Commission will approve the plans. Renovation will then ensue.
The big issue, of course, is whether the entire park will close down or whether it will close down in phases so that portions of the park can be used at all times. This decision hasn’t been made yet, and it will be informed by public feedback. Supervisor Dufty asked for a straw poll of the 100 or so people present (a diverse group of users), and unless I missed someone, every single person who raised a hand voted for a phased closure. One of the Rec & Park people asked whether people’s votes would change if total closure meant an 8 month renovation vs. a 3 year renovation for a phased closure. A vote wasn’t taken on that, but it was food for thought.
I continue to believe that if it’s feasible, we should do a phased closure. The only things that would change my opinion would be (a) if phasing would significantly increase project costs and make the renovation significantly less effective and (b) if there were a truly dramatic timing difference between total closure and phasing, i.e., if phasing would draw the project out so long that it would end up making everyone miserable. At this point, we don’t have enough information to answer either of these questions.
We have almost two years of this process and then a year or more of renovation work. Get ready for a fun and (I hope not too) frustrating ride!
