San Carlos to study North Crestview Park — again

But residents speaking during Monday’s meeting noted the city has already undergone a master plan process for the park. That process resulted in the council adopting a document in 2017 which laid out a preference for a passive park, leaving the area largely untouched while adding picnic tables, improved paths, a meadow, benches and a memorial to dogs trained in the area for World War II.

“The fact that it’s a blank canvas does not mean there’s nothing there. It means that it’s got value as it is, so as a taxpayer I was astounded to see this $200,000 study plan that would throw out everything that’s gone before,” said Charlene Edinburgh, a resident who has advocating for protecting the open space first when a charter school was potentially going to be built there and then through the previous master plan process.

A resident who lives near the site and identified herself as Arleen noted wild animals like turkey and deer often travel through and cross over a fence to more open space owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Another resident, Andrew Taylor, said the city would be “putting a thumb in the eye” of the previous public process. Some public speakers suggested the council use the $200,000 price tag to implement the improvements already called out in the previous master plan document.

Other residents said they supported the city undergoing a new study process including former Councilmember Mark Olbert who argued the city has changed since the 2017 document was adopted and that all residents deserve a chance to weigh in on what’s done to the property.

“As a 25-year resident and taxpayer, I am pleased to see this council considering launching a new master plan process for North Crestview Park,” Olbert said. “Yes, one was created years ago but it was never implemented because prior councils did not feel the plan was attractive enough to pursue. And the community has changed enough that development of a new plan is warranted.”

The council ultimately agreed with Olbert. Vice Mayor John Dugan noted the city is expecting the development of about 3,200 homes over the next eight years as mandated by the state through its housing element process.

That influx of residents, he and Mayor Adam Rak said, means the city will need to look at the land it currently has to make sure it has adequate parks to accommodate all residents. Rak said ensuring the city has high quality parks is a top priority for him along with expanding open space trails. He hopes to partner with SFPUC to create more trails from the North Crestview site to the utility agency’s but Taylor, who said he deals with the SFPUC through his job, called that suggestion into question.

Councilmember Pranita Venkatesh also argued that the city should seek the input of children and young people who she said would likely support improving the park. Councilmember Ron Collins, the lone councilmember currently on the council who was also serving during previous planning, said he also supports reopening the discussion given that the last conversation happened six years ago and the current board — now mostly new — may have a different perspective.

“We made a decision that we were going to do something with this area at that time. The problem is nothing was done and this council — there’s four new members of this council — they’re not necessarily bound to a decision that was not implemented by a council six years ago,” Collins said. “That doesn’t mean that this council will not come to the exact same conclusion after more meetings, after a study. But it does mean that this council has the prerogative to look at things with a fresh eye.”

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