With no cash, park site in Sacramento's midtown is an empty eyesore
By Ryan Lillis
The Sacramento Bee
Published: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1A
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During better times, Sacramento City Hall plunked down nearly $2 million for 0.9 acres of lead-contaminated land in midtown. The prime parcel, next to a busy shopping plaza on a heavily traveled thoroughfare, was to be turned into a neighborhood park and public square.
All that's growing on the empty lot today are weeds as tall as stop signs.
The planned park at 19th and Q streets, like many projects across the city, has been entangled in an economic thorn bush since it was purchased in 2008. The city received $200,000 in federal grants to remove toxins from the site, but has barely enough of its own money to clear weeds from the land, let alone develop it into a park.
This unkempt piece of land in midtown is one of three planned neighborhood parks owned by the city but sitting fallow. Development at some of the city's large regional parks is also at a near standstill.
To fill in the gap created by cuts to the parks maintenance budget, volunteer groups have stepped up to help maintain some of the city's largest parks, including Land Park, McKinley Park and Tahoe Park.
City officials said the fact they've even been able to buy up land for future park development is a victory in itself. And they argue that vacant lots make up a minuscule portion of the city's more than 200 parks.
But it's hard not to notice the level of neglect at the corner of 19th and Q streets, passed by hundreds of commuters leaving downtown every day and next to one of midtown's most recognizable commercial developments.
"It's a natural for a park," said developer Paul Petrovich, who built the adjacent R Street Market. "And that's what creates eyes on the street, that's what creates a neighborhood."
No one at the city will even guess when the park will be finished. In the meantime, the park plan is being wrung through various levels of bureaucracy and neighborhood groups.
Before the toxic soil can be removed, county officials will need to sign off. Area residents are weighing in on how large of a dog park and what kind of shade structure they'd like to see. The city's parks commission and the City Council will need to approve the final design.
If the city is lucky, some of the toxic dirt will be capped and there might be a community garden on the plot by the end of the year.
Neighbors in midtown seem to be giving the city a pass, fully aware of the budget deficits that have hammered City Hall the past five years.
"The city has had some other issues on its plate," said Midtown Neighborhood Association board member William Burg. "They're doing it the right way. They're taking their time to make plans now while things are quiet. When things come around, they will have a plan in place."
Still, some have complained that the city has let the lot deteriorate.
While a site cleanup is set for next week, a forest of dry stalks bristling with thistles has dominated the parcel in recent months. At one point, weeds crowded through openings in the barbed wire fence surrounding the property, cutting off much of the adjacent sidewalks.
"The excuse is the budget and that they had to cut back everywhere, but I am frustrated about that part," said Councilman Steve Cohn, who represents midtown. "We have not done a good job of maintaining the site. Once the cleanup is done, if we can turn it over to a responsible group for a community garden, I think they would do a better job than we have."
The city's parks maintenance budget has been cut in half. At the same time, the development fees it relies on to build new parks have dried up with the collapse of the housing market.
That has left blank spaces in every corner of the city.
Parts of large regional parks in North Natomas, along the American River at Sutter's Landing and at the Granite Regional Park near Highway 50 have not been developed.
The city has also purchased land in recent years for parks in the Fruitridge Manor neighborhood of south Sacramento and along Garden Highway in South Natomas. Neither has been built.
Long-time residents of Fruitridge Manor, a working-class neighborhood along Lemon Hill Avenue and Stockton Boulevard, have been working with the city for at least a decade to get the old Manor Recreation and Swim Club turned into a park.
"We're thinking it's taking a little too long, but we understand it will take some time because of a lack of funding," said Mary Rogers, a 21-year resident of the area and president of the neighborhood association.
When the city tore down the old swim club last year, "We thought, 'Oh, my gosh, it's really going to happen,' " Rogers said.
But it didn't. "We're so close," Rogers said, "but so far."
All that's growing on the empty lot today are weeds as tall as stop signs.
The planned park at 19th and Q streets, like many projects across the city, has been entangled in an economic thorn bush since it was purchased in 2008. The city received $200,000 in federal grants to remove toxins from the site, but has barely enough of its own money to clear weeds from the land, let alone develop it into a park.
This unkempt piece of land in midtown is one of three planned neighborhood parks owned by the city but sitting fallow. Development at some of the city's large regional parks is also at a near standstill.
To fill in the gap created by cuts to the parks maintenance budget, volunteer groups have stepped up to help maintain some of the city's largest parks, including Land Park, McKinley Park and Tahoe Park.
City officials said the fact they've even been able to buy up land for future park development is a victory in itself. And they argue that vacant lots make up a minuscule portion of the city's more than 200 parks.
But it's hard not to notice the level of neglect at the corner of 19th and Q streets, passed by hundreds of commuters leaving downtown every day and next to one of midtown's most recognizable commercial developments.
"It's a natural for a park," said developer Paul Petrovich, who built the adjacent R Street Market. "And that's what creates eyes on the street, that's what creates a neighborhood."
No one at the city will even guess when the park will be finished. In the meantime, the park plan is being wrung through various levels of bureaucracy and neighborhood groups.
Before the toxic soil can be removed, county officials will need to sign off. Area residents are weighing in on how large of a dog park and what kind of shade structure they'd like to see. The city's parks commission and the City Council will need to approve the final design.
If the city is lucky, some of the toxic dirt will be capped and there might be a community garden on the plot by the end of the year.
Neighbors in midtown seem to be giving the city a pass, fully aware of the budget deficits that have hammered City Hall the past five years.
"The city has had some other issues on its plate," said Midtown Neighborhood Association board member William Burg. "They're doing it the right way. They're taking their time to make plans now while things are quiet. When things come around, they will have a plan in place."
Still, some have complained that the city has let the lot deteriorate.
While a site cleanup is set for next week, a forest of dry stalks bristling with thistles has dominated the parcel in recent months. At one point, weeds crowded through openings in the barbed wire fence surrounding the property, cutting off much of the adjacent sidewalks.
"The excuse is the budget and that they had to cut back everywhere, but I am frustrated about that part," said Councilman Steve Cohn, who represents midtown. "We have not done a good job of maintaining the site. Once the cleanup is done, if we can turn it over to a responsible group for a community garden, I think they would do a better job than we have."
The city's parks maintenance budget has been cut in half. At the same time, the development fees it relies on to build new parks have dried up with the collapse of the housing market.
That has left blank spaces in every corner of the city.
Parts of large regional parks in North Natomas, along the American River at Sutter's Landing and at the Granite Regional Park near Highway 50 have not been developed.
The city has also purchased land in recent years for parks in the Fruitridge Manor neighborhood of south Sacramento and along Garden Highway in South Natomas. Neither has been built.
Long-time residents of Fruitridge Manor, a working-class neighborhood along Lemon Hill Avenue and Stockton Boulevard, have been working with the city for at least a decade to get the old Manor Recreation and Swim Club turned into a park.
"We're thinking it's taking a little too long, but we understand it will take some time because of a lack of funding," said Mary Rogers, a 21-year resident of the area and president of the neighborhood association.
When the city tore down the old swim club last year, "We thought, 'Oh, my gosh, it's really going to happen,' " Rogers said.
But it didn't. "We're so close," Rogers said, "but so far."
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