Investing in Petaluma's parks

In 2003, ground was broken for a major recreation complex to be built on East Washington Street adjacent to the Petaluma Airport. The

complex was to include soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds and other active recreational facilities. It was to be a private enterprise built on leased city property.

It never happened. Nearly a decade later, what is optimistically called East Washington Park remains a 25-acre dream while Petaluma

youth groups cry out for more playing fields. The athletic fields at Prince Park, the city's largest active recreation area, are so marred with ankle-twisting potholes that a few years ago, St. Vincent High School was forced to stop playing home soccer matches at the park.

Petaluma has a large number of needed recreational facility improvements ranging from those that are desperately needed to "wouldn't it be nice." Unfortunately, the city is without funds to make the improvements. In fact, the city doesn't have enough money to even adequately maintain its existing facilities.

A newly formed grassroots citizens group, "Petaluma Friends of Recreation" is proposing a solution to this longstanding problem with a $52 residential parcel property tax earmarked specifically for recreation facility improvements.

The tax revenues would be used to finance a city bond issue to fund projects like artificial turf for Prince Park and the development of East Washington Park.

Petaluma Friends of Recreation has eight projects on its initial list - including three lighted, artificial surface playing fields at East Washington Park; artificial turfing of the Prince Park fields; renovation of the Polly Hannah Klaas Performing Center; development of the David Yearsley River Heritage Center, including restoration and preservation of the historic livery stable; re-roofing and other improvements to the Community Center; resurfacing and re-lighting tennis courts at McNear, Lucchesi and Del Oro parks; extending and improving river access and other city trails; repairing the Cavanagh Pool and renovating the bath house at the Petaluma Swim Center.

The beauty of these projects is that they address a very diverse number of interests and recreational needs from soccer to swimming and hiking. Almost every resident, in other words, would stand to benefit by these improvements.

We encourage the Petaluma Friends of Recreation committee members to keep an open mind as they proceed. They are walking a fine line between trying to provide so much of what the community wants in recreational projects, while not proposing a tax that voters perceive as being beyond their financial reach.

Since the effort is still very much in a preliminary stage, the current project list may or may not be what finally makes its way onto the ballot. Ultimately, the ballot measure should be written in such a manner that voters know exactly what they are getting for their money, with no possibility that future politicians or interest groups could divert the money to projects and uses not approved by the voters.

The group's preliminary polling indicates 61 percent favorable response to the plan, which is an impressive result given the state of the local economy and high unemployment rate. It will need a two-thirds majority to pass, so there is still work to be done.

The Petaluma Friends of Recreation group has already put a great deal of time, energy and thought into the plan. As they go forward, they

are going to need support to educate voters on the many benefits of the projects, and could also use financial seed money to conduct the

campaign to pass the measure.

Petaluma has always been a community that supports its young people, as proven by its citizens' willingness to repeatedly pass tax measures in support of their schools.

Recreational opportunities are an important part of our children's education and a vital component of adult community life as well.

There are still details to be worked out and questions to be answered, but it appears that the Petaluma Friends of Recreation are on the

right track towards giving local voters the chance to finance the kinds of recreational facilities they have so long maintained are a civic priority.