Millions of dollars will go to local parks if community supports bond

by Contessa Abono

Parks in for a face lift if Propsition A passes Children play at Dolores Park in San Francisco. (photos by Stephen Morrison)

The $185 mil­lion bond measure to improve 12 neighborhood parks including their trails, athletic fields and restrooms, had its first bilingual press briefing and park tour lead by Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval Jan. 16 at the Mission Playground on 19th St.

The bond will be on the upcoming Feb. 5 ballot and supporters claim that the bond is needed because the city cannot afford to keep up with maintenance for improvement projects at the more than 200 parks in San Francisco.

Sandoval is in strong support of Prop. A and has made it his mission to inform the Spanish-speaking community about the bond and its benefits to their children ­and themselves.

Meredith Thomas is the Stewardship Program Manager for Neighborhood Parks Console. Thomas says the NPC is in support of Prop. A and that the  bond will provide much needed funding “we are particularly excited about the parks urban forestry and opportunity to fund neighborhood parks,” said Thomas. “There is a huge need because the forestry is so mature, it needs to be assessed to best care for the foliage.”

The NPC will hold their monthly public collation meeting to discuses Prop. A on Tue. Jan. 29 at City Hall, room 305 at 6-8 p.m. “What we want to do is get peopleʼs minds on the situation and get people more involved with our parks especially the work we are doing with the eastern shoreline and developments on the bluegreen wave trail and open waterfront parks.”

Children play at a park

Proposition A is an $185 million bond measure, which will appear on the Feb. 5 San  Francisco ballot, allotting the following projects:

• $117.4 million for 12 neighborhood parks: the Chinese Recreation Center, Mission Playground, Palega Recreation Center, Cayuga Playground, McCoppin Square, Sunset Playground, Fulton Playground, Mission Dolores Park, Cabrillo Playground, Glen Canyon Park, Lafayette Park and Raymond Kimball Playground.
• $33.5 million for waterfront parks.
• $11.4 million for park restrooms.
• $8.5 million for athletic fi elds.
• $5 million for trail restoration.
• $5 million for community-nominated projects.
• $4 million for park reforestation.
• $185,000 for oversight audits of the bond program.

The measure needs 2/3 support to pass. For more information visit www.sfnpc.org and­www.fixourparks.com.­