San Mateo officials are considering ways to close a several million-dollar funding gap for the city’s park and recreation initiatives, suggesting bond measures or even corporate sponsorships for initiatives such as playground remodeling and maintenance projects.
A Tuesday, Feb. 20, City Council presentation showed that the park renovation projects planned over the next couple of years total about $23 million, but the current balance of parks and recreation-related funds — almost entirely bolstered by developer impact fees, in-lieu fees and a park and recreation tax — stands around $12 million, with about $7 million more expected with the completion of two new developments.
One of the high priorities includes upgrades to Central Park, which comprises about 16 acres in the city’s downtown, and would include a new plaza, additional parking and an event building. The first phase of the park renovation plan, or the Central Park Master Plan, would also include remodeling the children’s playground, a focal point of the Tuesday meeting discussion.
Most recent estimates for the playground upgrades are a little over $13 million, which would deplete the current $12 million balance, according to staff estimates.
“In the next two years, it seems like we may get enough money to do this project specifically, but we may have to make some choices about what we put on hold or negotiate going forward,” Parks and Recreation Director Joanne Magrini said.
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But councilmembers reiterated the support for the playground revamp, offering ways to potentially cut costs or raise money. Hedges suggested the removal of an unnecessary fence to shave a few hundred thousand dollars, and Vice Mayor Rob Newsom surfaced the possibility of partnering with private firms.
“I’m committed as vice mayor and councilmember to help do whatever I can to raise funds and whatever measure that needs to pass, we’ll get it done,” Newsom said. “I’m also not opposed completely to being a corporate shill and trying to find corporate sponsors. I’ve seen that in some other cities where an area like a playground may have a corporate sponsor for a two-year period of time.”
While general fund and Measure S funds can also be allocated to some of the city’s parks projects, a recent staff report noted that it was “always anticipated that a bond measure would be needed to complete the Central Park Master Plan.”
“It’s going to be very important to get data to figure out what is the best way to do this,” Mayor Lisa Diaz Nash said of the Central Park playground initiative. “This is all something that we as a community want to come together for, but I think we have to do it in a very responsible way and be very clear-eyed on what those costs are going to be.”
Contract bidding for the playground remodeling is expected to begin this spring, with groundbreaking anticipated during summer or fall of this year.
Potential naming rights have been presented to the Parks and Rec commission under the previous director. There seemed to be a lot of back and forth over naming and the potential and the person or company with the rights receiving negative publicity. Seems like a simple provision of the agreement. I think maybe one person is different on the commission would be interesting to see how this moves forward. Don't worry Trump is not interested in paying San Mateo to put his name on any of our buildings or parks. Lets go get some revenue.
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(1) comment
Potential naming rights have been presented to the Parks and Rec commission under the previous director. There seemed to be a lot of back and forth over naming and the potential and the person or company with the rights receiving negative publicity. Seems like a simple provision of the agreement. I think maybe one person is different on the commission would be interesting to see how this moves forward. Don't worry Trump is not interested in paying San Mateo to put his name on any of our buildings or parks. Lets go get some revenue.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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