Green Connections

February 1st, 2012

Connecting pedestrians, bicyclists, and critters to the City’s green spaces

Join the Planning Department for the Kick Off Event
Wednesday February 15th
5:30 to 7:30 PM
LGBT Community Center, Rainbow Room
1800 Market Street, San Francisco

Green Connections will increase access to parks, open space and the waterfront, by re-envisioning City streets and paths as ‘green connectors’. This project builds on current efforts to create sustainable corridors that enhance mobility, green neighborhood streets, and improve pedestrian and bicycle access to community amenities and recreational opportunities.  Green Connections will result in a Citywide network of green streets that can be built over time, improving pedestrian and bicycle access to parks, open space and the waterfront.

In the first year of the project, the focus will be to map a citywide network. The second year will build on this framework to design a green connection in the following six neighborhoods: Bayview-Hunters Point, Chinatown, Potero Hill, The Tenderloin, Visitaction Valley and The Western Addition.

Green Connections is a collaborative effort between the San Francisco Planning Department, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Department of Public Health and the Mayor’s Office of Housing. The City agencies have partnered with three community based organizations: San Francisco Parks Alliance, WalkSF and Nature in the City.

GET INVOLVED!
The project team will host many public events to engage communities in
developing Green Connections.

To learn more:

 

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Corbett Slope

February 1st, 2012

For generations, “Corbett Slope has been the central open space in the Corbett Heights neighborhood,” says Gary Weiss, Corbett Heights resident and leader of the Corbett Heights Neighbors (CHN) group. In its heyday the slope was once used for community gatherings, barbecues, garage sales and garden workdays.

In May of 2004, the Board of Supervisors declared the property located at 341 Corbett Street as surplus, and the parcel was transferred to the Mayor’s Office of Housing. For almost a decade, Corbett Heights Slope has been fenced off and inaccessible to the community. “For the last few years, the Corbett Heights Neighbors have worked to find a way to protect it as a park and community garden,” says Weiss.

On January 10, 2012, the Board of Supervisors supported the efforts of CHN by passing Supervisor Weiner’s legislation to have Corbett Slope transferred to the Department of Public Works (DPW) allowing the Corbett Heights neighborhood to create a park and community garden on Corbett Slope. DPW, in partnership with San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA), manages and implements the Street Parks program. The Street Parks program supports the development and maintenance of community-managed open spaces on DPW-owned properties.  Through the Street Parks program, DPW and SFPA work with residents to transform vacant underutilized lots into vibrant community gardens.

Supervisor Wiener commented in his monthly newsletter, “Our neighborhood open space is precious, and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. This legislation will prevent that from happening.” This legislation is a tremendous victory for CHN and the Corbett Heights neighborhood. Corbett Slope is located between 315 and 341 Corbett Street, between Mars and Clayton.  Volunteer workdays are held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month. Please contact gary@cobettheights.org for more information.

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SFPA Legacy Circle

February 1st, 2012

San Francisco Parks Alliance’s Legacy Circle includes those special park lovers who have included parks in their wills and estate plans.

Create or update your estate plan with a free SFPA organizer

January is a time to look ahead and make plans for the year-and beyond. When you set your goals and make your list of things you need to do this year, you may wish to create or update your estate plans. It will allow you to gain or maintain control during life and the distribution of your estate at death by creating or updating your estate plan.

San Francisco Parks Alliance complimentary estate-planning organizer, available both in hard copy and electronic form, allows you to estimate the size of your estate and list vital information your attorney will need to draft or update your plan.

Even if your plan is in place, you can use the organizer to express your wishes about everything from obituary content to final ceremonies, issues that can create family conflict without your guidance. It also lets you provide those you love with an inventory of important documents and the whereabouts of vital assets needed by you during life or required to settle your estate.

An organized estate plans brings solace to your family and can be a blessing for the parks.  If you would like to receive a complimentary estate-planning organizer, please contact Donalda Watson-Walkinshaw, Director of Membership, at 415-750-5443 or e-mail donalda@sfparksalliance.org.  Specify the hard copy or electronic versions, leaving your mailing or email address.

Support your parks with a stroke of the pen

You can help ensure that the parks you’ve enjoyed will be preserved for future generations with a stroke of the pen by remembering the San Francisco Parks Alliance in your estate plans.  A bequest in your will or living trust to SFPA will support citizen stewardship of our parks and makes you immediately eligible for membership in the Parks Alliance Legacy Circle.

If you want your charitable bequests to support your favorite parks project you can do so.  Have your attorney review the following language:  “I give, devise and bequeath to the San Francisco Parks Alliance, located  in San Francisco, California, Tax Identification Number: 23-7131784 ( specific amount, percentage of estate, or describe property) for the benefit of its general purposes (or specify the program you wish to support).”

Your bequest when received may also make you eligible for the Commemorative Bench Program.  If so, you can have your bequest specify that San Francisco Parks Alliance place a memorial bench in the parks with an inscribed plaque honoring you or a loved one.  You can also fund this welcoming and practical memorial through a lifetime gift.

For more information, please contact Donalda Watson-Walkinshaw at 415-750-5443 or e-mail donalda@sfparksalliance.org.

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Advocacy at SF Parks Alliance

December 5th, 2011

Ever since the idea to launch San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA) became a serious vision, the Neighborhood Parks Council and San Francisco Parks Trust made a promise to propel advocacy and policy development for parks with a stakeholder-driven process. SFPA staff and Board are working hard to launch the cornerstone of our policy work, a volunteer Park Policy Committee (PPC). An application to serve on the Committee will be available here before the end of the year. We will also announce the release of that application to our stakeholders. Until SFPA has assembled the critical PPC, we will not be taking policy positions that impact individual parks.

SFPA’s approach to developing public policy positions will be nimble, data-driven, collaborative, and the positions will be clear. Once formed in early 2012, the PPC will craft policy positions and employ advocacy tools to further our mission and will be broadly inclusive of neighborhood park groups, community leaders, and park activists. This Committee will develop advocacy and policy directions on issues presented to them by PPC members, SFPA staff, the public, and City agencies, and act as the link to a broader audience of grass-roots park advocates, park groups, and the general public by providing opportunities for facilitated discussions. The Committee will provide the SFPA Executive Director, SFPA staff, and the Board of Directors grounded opinions on policy issues and advocacy priorities.

The SFPA Board of Directors will decide positions on significant issues of city-wide importance and long-term impact. The SFPA Executive Director and Director of Policy & Stewardship will guide advocacy interactions with city land managers on day-to-day matters as well as implement adopted policies and practices.

For more information about SFPA, please visit http://www.sfparksalliance.org.

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Volunteers make powerful connections at the Strawberry Hill Butterfly Habitat Restoration Project

November 29th, 2011

11.29.2011

Volunteers engaged in the Strawberry Hill Butterfly Habitat Restoration Project are making important connections – both to how their actions impact the natural world, and to each other. At every volunteer work day since the program’s inception in September 2010, expert guest speakers have provided lunchtime talks on ecology, botany, and natural history.

Renowned lepidopterist (butterfly expert) Liam O’Brien has spoken to the volunteer group on numerous occasions.  He has served as crucial consultant to the project, advising on prime locations for developing butterfly corridors on Strawberry Hill, as well as the selection of beneficial California native plants.  Liam is also an artist and created illustrations for the brochure Butterflies of San Francisco.

When out on Strawberry Hill, Liam excitedly points out various butterfly species as they float over the heads of the volunteers, and his passion for butterflies is contagious.  Liam’s goal is to turn every volunteer into a lepidopterist.  As Liam notes, “The first step in stewardship is being able to name the species you’re seeing.”

Thanks to an anonymous donation from a dedicated volunteer, a beautiful porcelain enamel sign with full color illustrations of butterflies by Liam O’Brien has been funded and was installed at the summit of Strawberry Hill in time for the project’s one year anniversary party in September 2011.  Liam was excited to invite his parents to the festivities, especially his mother June O’Brien, as she had always been supportive of his work as an artist. Sadly, Liam’s mother passed away two weeks before the anniversary celebration, so neither of his parents made it to the sign dedication.

The sign itself has a direct maternal connection: the donor for the sign contributed the funds in honor her elderly mother who passed away in 2010 – the mother was someone who studied and loved butterflies. In her later years the mother lost most of her memory, but even to the end she never forgot the species names for countless butterflies.

The November volunteer work day on Strawberry Hill was an especially poignant one: Liam O’Brien visited the summit with his father, Robert O’Brien, and his brother, Colin O’Brien, so they could finally see the sign and enjoy the butterflies floating about the summit.   Liam, Robert, and Colin had the opportunity to chat with the volunteer who funded the sign, and she talked about how her mother was with them in spirit. Just then a butterfly flitted closer.  A young boy volunteering that day wondered out loud, “Which butterfly is that?” and then used the sign as a guide to identify the species, and happily yelled, “It’s a Red Admiral!”  Liam and the rest of us smiled.  It was a good day indeed.

If you would like to become a lepidopterist and/or simply be involved in meaningful habitat restoration work on Strawberry Hill, please consider joining community volunteers, SF Parks Alliance, and the SF Recreation & Parks Department at the next volunteer work day.  We meet the second Saturday of every month at 10 am at the Stow Lake Boat House. For more information, contact Julia Brashares at julia@sfparksalliance.org or 415-621-3260. Our next workday is on Saturday, 12/10/2011.

 

 

Captions for Photos:
Robert O’Brien reads the sign illustrated by his son, Liam O’Brien, at the summit of Strawberry Hill.
Red Admiral basking in the sun on Strawberry Hill.

 

 

Posted in Blog, Get Involved | No Comments »

Join us for SFPA’s Annual Holiday Open House – Friday, Dec 2!

November 28th, 2011

We at the San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA) hope you’re having a relaxing start to the holiday season. In the spirit of celebrating, we extend an invitation to you our park advocates and your families to join us on Friday, December 2 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Hayes Valley office for the SFPA Holiday Open House.

The Details…

Date: Friday, December 2, 2011

Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Location: SFPA Hayes Street Office, 451 Hayes Street, 2nd Floor (b/w Gough and Octavia)

Our staff will be providing desserts and drinks for our guests – we hope you consider bringing along a savory appetizer to share with other park advocates, volunteers, staff and board. We’re proud to be partnering with Community Partners United (CPU) and the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association (HVNA) for this special Friday evening event. Both CPU and the HVNA will be hosting choral performances in Patricia’s Green, right next door to our building. Come and enjoy great music in our park and then join us at SFPA for community, light snacks and a warm beverage.

Beverages and holiday desserts will be provided so please bring a savory appetizer to share.

Posted in Blog, Coalition Meetings, Development Blog, Events, Get Involved, Parks in the News, Programs, Stewardship & Park Groups | No Comments »

November 2011 Sharp Park Update

November 27th, 2011

11.27.11 Update:  New legislation proposed to amend park code regarding Sharp Park management

A piece of legislation introduced by Supervisor John Avalos that would amend the Park Code regarding the management of Sharp Park will be heard by the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee of the Board of Supervisors on Monday, December 5th at 10am in Room 250 at City Hall- Agendas and details HERE: http://www.sfbos.org

The legislation can be viewed HERE and  reads in part, “Ordinance amending Section 3.20 of the San Francisco Park Code 1) requiring the Recreation and Park Department to offer a long term management agreement to the National Park Service for certain property under the jurisdictions of the Recreation and Park Commission located in San Mateo County that is within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s legislative boundary (” Sharp Park”); and 2) making environmental and other findings.”

The San Francisco Parks Alliance has not taken a position on this legislation. For more about the policy process of the SFPA, Click HERE.

Posted in Blog, Park News, Recreation and Park Department, RPD Budget | No Comments »

Linden Living Alley receives Innovation Award

November 27th, 2011

11.27.2011 Linden Living Alley awarded Livable City’s 2011 Innovation Award!

San Francisco Parks Alliance’s Park Partner Linden Living Alley Project was awarded Livable City’s 2011 award for Innovation on November 14, 2011.

Livable City’s Complete Streets campaign is working to transform San Francisco’s streets and alleys, which account for a quarter of San Francisco’s total area, into safe, green, and attractive public places that support walking, cycling, and public transit, foster vital neighborhood-serving commerce, serve as community open spaces for meeting and play, and enhance air and water quality and biodiversity.

San Francisco’s small streets and alleyways – rights-of-way narrower than 40 feet – hold immense promise as neighborhood-serving public places, especially in the City’s denser neighborhoods where parks and yards are often scarce. Unfortunately, city engineering standards, which require wide roadways and strict segregation between roadways and sidewalks, make it difficult to realize the potential of these alleyways as complete streets. Linden Living Alleyway is a neighborhood initiative which transformed a section of Linden Street in Hayes Valley into San Francisco’s first modern ‘shared space’ street. Shared spaces soften the segregation of roadway and sidewalk to create safe, low-speed environments where walking, cycling, and automobile access coexist with greenery and space for socializing and play. The City has examples of shared spaces going back to the 1970s, but local standards, in particular the local interpretation of the Americans With Disabilities Act, had virtually precluded new shared space designs, despite the preference for shared space solutions for narrow streets an alleys in the City’s recently adopted Better Streets Plan. Linden Living Alley’s team, which included architect David Winslow, Loring Sagan and his colleagues from Build, Inc, and Meredith Thomas and her colleagues from the San Francisco Parks Alliance, spent many years working with City staff and disability advocates to develop the design to preserve accessibility while staying true to the shared space vision. The Linden Living Alley team have furthered the livability of San Francisco by creating an outstanding public space for all to enjoy, and by developing a prototype and set of standards that will open the way for reclaiming dozens of small streets and alleys across San Francisco.

10.1.2010 Linden Alley Opening!

Thank you for joining us! Hayes Valley’s exciting new addition to its open space Linden Living Alley was unveiled.

After nearly 4 years of work to green Linden Alley with support from the Community Challenge Grant Program and Supervisor Mirkarimi, the Linden Living Alley project is now a reality. Focused on a portion of Linden Alley at Gough Street, the project tabled the street to the level of the sidewalk, added trees and planted areas, along with seating and traffic calming.  As a pilot for the city there were a number of complicated steps to work through, but through the hard work of dedicated volunteers and NPC staff, Linden Living Alley is ready to unveil. Read more about the project on their blog: http://lindenlivingalley.wordpress.com

As always, Linden Living Alley appreciates your support and welcomes secure online gifts as well by clicking here.

To view pictures of the celebration please visit our Flickr page.

Posted in Featured Program, Fiscal Sponsorship, Park News, Stewardship & Park Groups, Successes, Successes; Fiscal Sponsorship | No Comments »

Meeting Minutes 2011

November 2nd, 2011

Check this page often for park and open space related meeting minutes. If you would like us to post minutes from your park meeting, email a PDF to council@sfnpc.org.

November

11.2.2011 Rincon Hill Dog Park Community Group | Minutes

October

10.26.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative | Agenda | Minutes

10.24.2011 Friends of Waterfront Park Playground | Flier

September

9.21.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative Meeting | Agenda | Minutes

9.14.2011 Crocker Amazon Park Advisory Board | Minutes | Crocker Activities | Facility Schedule by Room

9.12.2011 Mayoral Forum: Safer, Greener Public Space | Minutes & Questions | Mayoral Declaration | Candidate Questionnaire | Agenda

July

7.25.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative Meeting | Minutes

June

6.29.2011 Park Town Hall | Flier | Agenda

6.15.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative Meeting | Agenda

May

5.3.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative, Fourth Meeting | Flyer | Agenda | Minutes

April

4.26.2011 Silver Terrace Park Meeting | Agenda

4.14.2011 Joint NPC Coalition and SFPT Stakeholder Meeting | Flier | Agenda | Presentation | Give Feedback | Minutes

4.5.2011 Silver Terrace Park Community Meeting | Flier (English/Spanish) | Flier (Eng/Chinese) | Agenda | Minutes

March

3.30.2011 McLaren Park Collaborative, Third Meeting | Flier | Agenda | Minutes
Recommended Reading: Draft McLaren Park Needs Assessment | Appendices: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H

3.22.2011 Annual Park Group Meeting with the Mayor | Agenda | Minutes | Matrix Handout | Photos | Coalition Meeting Flyer | Answers to Questions Submitted

3.7.2011 Silver Terrace Park Community Meeting | Flier (English/Spanish) | Flyer (Chinese/English) | Agenda | Minutes

February

2.23.11 McLaren Park Collaborative, Second Meeting | Flyer | Agenda | Minutes

2.12.11 Friends of Garfield Square Park Meeting | Agenda | Minutes

2.8.11 Muriel Leff Mini Park Meeting | Flyer | Minutes | Park Map

2.2.11 Noe Valley Town Square Meeting #3 | Presentation| Questionnaire | Design 1: Front Square | Design 2: Garden in the Square | Design 3: Great Room | Design 4: Not So Square

January

1.31.11 Friends of the AMP (Amphiteater at McLaren Park) Meeting | Minutes

1.29.11 Park Town Hall | Flyer | Agenda | Minutes | Park User Survey

1.19.11 McLaren Park Collaborative, First Meeting | Flyer | Agenda | Minutes | McLaren Park Master Plan (1997)

For a listing of meeting minutes in 2010, please go to sfnpc.org/meetingminutes2010.

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Posted in Advocacy, Blog, Coalition Meetings, Events, Outreach Blog, Park Information, Park News, Programs, Stewardship & Park Groups | No Comments »

SFPA Launched Partnership with RPD and Labors 261

November 2nd, 2011

Over the past 15 years Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC), now the San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA) has proudly partnered with the Recreation and Park Department (RPD) to foster community stewardship of local parks of all sizes. San Francisco’s park system boasts over 225 parks that are nestled into the many dense neighborhoods around the city. The engagement curriculum is a program that builds upon SFPA’s successful park volunteer engagement techniques as well as the horticulture expertise of RPD’s gardener apprentices in order to help revitalize seven parks in six of San Francisco’s eleven supervisor districts..

SFPA’s Volunteer Engagement Curriculum works in conjunction with the RPD Gardener Apprentice Program (GAP) and is a collaboration between SFPA, Laborers’ Local 261 and RPD Operation and Volunteer offices. SFPA is responsible for organizing community volunteers to work with apprentices who supervise workdays and use their gardening expertise to create park work plans. Through workdays and community events, volunteers work alongside newly recruited gardener apprentices to improve parks in need of additional maintenance and beautification.

The Gardener Apprentice Program, in conjunction with RPD and SFPA have picked park locations with strong volunteer stewardship at various stages of development. Some parks have a long history of dedicated park advocates, while others sites are developing their park groups and beginning to establish regular park workdays. By having an array of groups represented in the curriculum, the apprentices receive a comprehensive experience that includes working with park stewards, showcasing the positive effect of community stewardship and workforce development in our parks.

Proposed Program Goals

  • Provide regular care and activation of 7 parks throughout San Francisco
  • Supplement the limited resources of RPD by increasing the role of volunteers and ensure neighborhood commitment to the selected parks, which will in turn discourage park misuse such as graffiti and littering.
  • Give increased training to new RPD gardeners by giving them early and frequent exposure to volunteers.
  • Develop a strong community volunteerism curriculum for the apprentices that can be replicable and integrated with the GAP coursework.
  • Showcase the success of the GAP and generate positive publicity.

Next Steps

SFPA is kicking-off the program by hosting apprentice-led volunteer workdays at sites throughout November and December 2011, peak times where volunteers want to give back to their communities. For all workdays SFPA will partner with existing neighborhood groups, such as neighborhood associations and community-based organizations, to leverage existing groups of community-minded individuals. SFPA would then conduct further neighborhood outreach through our networks to identify additional volunteer support.

2011 Schedule

Date Site Supervisor/ District Flier / Join us!
Sat, November 19 | 9am – Noon Laurel Hill Playground Farrell | 2 | Laurel Heights Flier / Email
Sat, November 19 | 1pm – 4pm Franklin Square Park Kim | 6 | Potrero Hill Flier / Email
Sat, December 3 | 9am – Noon Crocker Amazon Avalos | 11 | Excelsior Flier / Email
Sat, December 3 | 1pm – 4pm Louis Sutter Roundhouse Cohen | 10 | Portola Flier / Email
Sat, December 10 | 9am – 3pm* Strawberry Hill, Golden Gate Park Mar | 1 | Golden Gate Park Flier / Email
Sat, December 17 | 9am – Noon Garfield Square Park Campos | 9 | Mission Flier / Email
Sat, December 17 | 1pm – 4pm Sgt. John MacCauley Playground Kim | 6 | Tenderloin Flier / Email

* Strawberry Hill will be an extended workday on December 10 from 9am – 3pm. We will be concluding work an hour earlier than other sites and will allow for an hour lunch from noon – 1pm.

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