Neighbors Nancy and Joan have been meeting with folks from Supervisor Campos’s office, and they bring an urgent update on the effort to rebuilt and revive the Esmeralda/Winfield Slide Park Plaza. Here’s how you can help:
Everybody is on board to rebuild the plaza structures. We do have initial support from DPW. The cost to rebuild the planter box, trellis, and benches is greater than the $20k generously allocated from Campos’ office to DPW for the rebuild. DPW has agreed to go back to the Mohammed Nuru (the Director of DPW) to see what additional funds can be had, if any. Meanwhile, we’ve been advised to apply for the Community Challenge Grant. This grant happens annually and allows communities to apply for matching funds for community projects.
There is a Community Grant Workshop this Saturday, July 11.
Neighbor Joan will be attending with regards to the Esmeralda Slide Park Plaza rebuild. This grant is the best way for us to start moving forward with our community input to make the rebuild happen.
Please RSVP if you plan on attending.
If you’re interested in being actively involved in the Esmeralda Slide Park Plaza rebuild, please email nancy*AT*windesheimdesign.com.
We need volunteers to make this project happen… so please Get Onboard!
PHOTO: Esmeralda/Winfield Slide Plaza on June 16, 2015 (now removed). Photo by Nancy Wildensheim
Bernalwood 
Someone should reach out to Precita Valley Neighbors – Demece has been very successful with these grants in the past…. (http://www.precitavalleysf.org/)
Funny how the original post about the park being torn down resulted in a ton of comments. The neighborhood was up in arms! Now, there’s actually a way to get involved to rebuild the park and it’s crickets. As the Buddha said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” This is in contract to complain about the change you don’t want to see and then do nothing about it.
*contrast…not contract
I hope that you’re wrong, b. I suspect that people are getting to the work required to make the change they want to see.
It’s probably disappointing to a lot of neighbors that we can’t just raise a fuss and get what we want. I know I’m disappointed that a city with so much wealth we doesn’t suffuciently fund maintenance in departments like Muni, DPW and Rec and Park. It’s a shame that we have to pass bond measures to fill pot holes.
It’s frustrating that our infrastructure (and trees) have to get to the hazardous point before we do anything to them because maintenance is never funded. By the time a tree or a trellis becomes a hazard we have to take it down. That’s the right thing to do, but then we have to get a Community Challenge Grant to rebuild or replace them because everything is budgeted as if it’s a one time expense.
The millions we’re spending on contractors for DPW (2011 bond, $248m) and Rec and Park (2008 bond, $117m; 2012 bond, $195m) are stop gaps, funds desperately needed for some big problems in our city. But we also desperately need maintenance funding, or a lot of those investments are going to be really short term.
I agree that it’s too bad we need to get grants or bonds to pay for maintenance on our parks. I guess the part I don’t understand is why people don’t just go out and do it themselves? That’s an actual question, not just me being snarky. What are the consequences of a neighborhood getting together to purchase the materials and provide the manual labor? Are there any consequences? If not, then my perspective is to just go and get it done! You can wait for the red-tape, or you can cut through it. If this is a park people care about and are emotionally invested in already, then chipping in a few bucks for wood and a few hours of work should be well worth it. Frankly, if someone went to Park & Rec and said…”hey, we’re going to have a community event to rebuild this park, is that cool?” I’d be they would say “go for it!”
As an answer to b on “What are the consequences of a neighborhood getting together to purchase the materials and provide the manual labor?”, I do wonder (with sincerity) if it’s best to be selective and pick projects that won’t open up possibilities of lawsuits.
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