Residents Want Better Parks

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

Editor,

Thank you for the crosswords occasionally published in The Potrero View They’re well designed. I appreciate the local references in the clues. Those make the crosswords unique and makes me feel special as I get the references and solve them. Moreover, I enjoy the wittiness of some clues. From November 2022, I still remember “palindromic duty” was ‘CIVIC’. From February, “canines that bites” was ‘TEETH’, “player at Oracle Park” was ‘ORGAN’, and “early man’s beginning” was ‘CRO’ were particularly clever, though very difficult!

My compliments to the maker.

Handy Numbers

Mark Pearson Kansas Street

Neighbors and users of Franklin Square, McKinley Square, Potrero del Sol, and Potrero Hill Recreation Center parks want improvements to be made to park features, many of which were poorly rated in a recent citywide survey. Concerns include a lack of or ill maintained bathrooms, too few trash cans, and aging children’s play areas.

“In the last four years, many new residents have moved into the area,” said J.R. Eppler, president of the Potrero Boosters, a neighborhood association that advocates on behalf of Potrero and Showplace Square residents. “The parks are now being used significantly more than before because of our growing population. With the recent temporary closure of Esprit Park for renovation and the expected, later closure of Jackson Park for the same purpose, the remaining parks will bear the brunt of even higher use.”

Eppler said parks in the southeastern neighborhoods offer so few sports fields that Hill parents and schools transport children across town.

“It is a burden on parents, children, and schools to have to travel to the Richmond and Sunset districts for kids to play matches. This reflects the lack of services we’re receiving. It shows the City needs to better program parks and sports fields in our area for local uses,” said Eppler.

The Office of the Controller’s City Performance Unit and RPD staff evaluate approximately 167 of San Francisco’s 225 parks every quarter, rating a dozen features, such as buildings and vegeta- tion. The average citywide score, reflecting all park features, has increased over the past eight years, up from 86 in 2015. The City didn’t assess parks in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average overall park score in fiscal year 2022 was 91. Seven parks received the maximum of 100, including the DuPont Tennis Courts, Fay Park, and Gilman Playground. RPD considers a score above 85 to reflect a well-maintained park.

In 2022 Franklin Square Park received a 78, the City’s third-lowest ranking. McKinley Square Park was scored at 80, 87 for Potrero del Sol Park, 89 for Potrero Hill Recreation Center, 81 for Esprit Park, and 88 for Jackson Playground. Mission Bay Commons Park and Crane Cove Park weren’t evaluated because they aren’t under RPD jurisdiction.

“The park evaluations measure a moment in time. Someone walks through the park on a certain day and records what they find. A park could have a perfect score one day, then get dinged the next if someone sprayed graffiti overnight or made a mess of the bathroom,” said Tamara Aparton, San Francisco Recreation and Parks spokesperson. “Heavily used and beloved parks typically require a lot of maintenance. The park evaluations absolutely inform our funding priorities. Having a billion dollars in outstanding maintenance needs means we must constantly evaluate and prioritize. We do that based on facility condition, seismic

PARKS continues on page 9

Green Benefit District | GreenBenefit.org

The GBD will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, April 19 from 6:30 to 8:30. This is an opportunity to meet our new board members, find out what the GBD has been doing in the past year, and other topics of interest to our community. The location for the meeting and details about the agenda will be posted on the GBD website on or before April 14, at GreenBenefit.org. Join us!

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association | potreroboosters.org

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association informs, empowers and represents the residents of the Potrero on issues impacting our community, in order to develop and maintain complete, vibrant neighborhoods. We’re continuing to meet via Zoom on the last Tuesday of each month. Go to www. potreroboosters.org to learn more about how to join us!

The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association | potrerodogpatch.com

The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association promotes and advocates for independent, locally owned businesses while actively supporting our neighborhood and our wonderful communities.

PREFund | prefund.org

Potrero Residents Education Fund (PREFund) brings families together to support education and build community. Learn more prefund.org

Starr King Open Space | StarrKingOpenSpace.org

The Starr King Open Space has been one benefactor of all this rain. Come check out how great the hill is looking with all the wildflowers starting to bloom

We will be hosting a naturalist guided WildFlower Walk Sunday April 16th at 11am. All are welcome, kids encouraged, just meet near the swing. Please join our monthly volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This month it is April 8th.

If you can, please donate to help keep Starr King Open Space open, accessible, and well-maintained for our neighbors.