City seeks funds for $2.2M playground: San Mateo upgrading Beresford Park

Public comment on the design options was generated through meetings, an online forum and even a visit from local elementary school students.

“The design of this park is a model of community participation and engagement that we can all be truly proud of,” Mayor Maureen Freschet wrote in an email. “Beresford Park is over 25 years old and in need of new equipment, contemporary amenities and upgrades to meet compliance with current safety and accessibility standards. It is especially important that playground equipment be safe for our children.”

After settling on a final design last year, the city is now seeking bids for construction as it hopes to reopen the playground by spring of next year. But the playful and unique plans designed by architect Miller Company comes with a hefty price tag that’s left city officials searching for means to raise funds.

The city needs to raise an extra $300,000 to afford all of the playground alternatives outlined for the outdated 1989 segment of the popular park. Recently, the San Mateo City Parks and Recreation Foundation held a fundraiser and sold nearly $25,000 worth of commemorative bricks and park benches that will be installed at the revamped park, said Parks and Recreation Director Sheila Canzian.

Freschet said while “the majority of funding comes from park-in-lieu fees, I am grateful to the San Mateo City Parks and Recreation Foundation for their fundraising outreach as well as individual members of our community for stepping up and making donations.”

Councilman David Lim said his children are looking forward to the renovations he hopes will be fully funded through the community effort.

“It’s definitely in need of an upgrade and I think what they have planned is really looking forward to the next 30, 40 years and the cost includes not only enhanced playground features, but the latest safety features. There’s also a better pathway and I think it’s going to improve the overall quality of the park,” Lim said. “This one is really exciting to see because this really is a community effort as well. The San Mateo Parks Foundation is raising some of the funds so it’s not going to come completely from taxpayer money.”

The current base estimate for construction is $1.9 million but the city is hopeful it will be able to implement the $300,000 worth of alternatives that includes the hand-pump water play feature, a fence, installing rubber in the toddler area and more, said the city’s Landscape Architect Dennis Frank.

After the city opted to seek a custom design instead of just refurbishing the current layout, the cost quickly stacked up. Ultimately, the city must wait and see what kinds of bids are returned before it’s able to solidify the exact chunk of change needed for all the improvements, Frank said.

“Beresford community park is a pretty big park, a well-known park and we thought it was deserving of more creative design with not just off-the-shelf items,” Frank said.

Canzian said she plans to continue urging the community to stay involved and help support construction of the park by donating and earning a spot in Beresford history through a commemorative brick or bench. Depending on location, the bricks run either $250 or $500 while a dedicated park bench costs $1,000, Canzian said.

Once demolition begins, Canzian said she plans to do another fundraiser and big push for the community to get involved in creating a long-lasting, unique amenity for visitors of all ages.

The city’s dedication to its parks and playgrounds is important as the facilities “support getting kids active and getting them moving and keeping them in active stages versus sitting at home,” Canzian said. “I think playgrounds are also natural connectivities for bringing the community together.”

Visit cityofsanmateo.org for more information about the Beresford Park playground renovation and ilovesanmateocityparks.org to donate or purchase a commemorative brick or park bench.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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