Community rallies to restore McNear Park

McNear Park - where Petaluma residents have held picnics, walked their dogs, played baseball, and organized other community events for decades – is going to be restored. This is the goal of volunteers and city planners who met with three dozen area residents on Jan. 14 to look over maps and models, and hear organizers talk about the future.

Spearheading the effort to restore the park, which is located between 8th and 11th streets on G Street, is Golden State Lumber Chief Operating Officer Seth Nobmann and the nonprofit organization Mentor Me.

“During the next three years, we will be focusing on different aspects of the park,” said Nobmann. “The first phase will be on the picnic area. We want to get feedback from the community and develop a plan that will work for everyone.”

Petaluma city planners have joined with Nobmann to organize and promote the project, though the city is not funding the effort.

“The proposal includes components that under normal economic conditions would be undertaken by the city in the course of typical park maintenance activity,” said Ron DeNicola, manager for the city’s Parks and Maintenance Department. “Budget reductions since 2008 have dramatically impacted the city’s ability to renovate and maintain park sites.”

DeNicola and Assistant City Manager Scott Brodhun attended the meeting and offered praise for the volunteer efforts.

DeNicola noted that the volunteers had developed a draft drawing of the improvements, including planting and replacing shrubs and trees, installing new picnic tables, benches, bocce ball courts, and renovating the sidewalks and pathways.

Nobmann said he thought it would cost from $80,000 to $120,000 for the renovations to the picnic area. The focus in the next few months will be raising funds, in either cash contributions or in-kind donations of labor and materials.

“The city has been supportive and we are working as partners,” said Nobmann. “It would be nice if the city could pay for these things, but maybe it’s better left to the community. When people donate to a specific project like this, they know exactly where their money is going to be spent.”

During the last decade, voters have consistently rejected tax increases to pay for municipal services. In the last election, Measure Q, which would have raised the city’s sales tax to bolster the general fund, was defeated. In 2012, Measure X, a special tax exclusively for parks, narrowly failed.

Deborah Dalton, who serves as executive director for the nonprofit children’s advocacy group Mentor Me, said a basic lack of trust toward city officials accounted for the reluctance of voters to increase taxes.

“If the city could do things like this alone, that would be great. But we haven’t seen it,” said Dalton. “I think there is a lack of trust for the city’s leadership and how they will spend the public’s money.”

Mentor Me operates in the Cavanagh Recreation Center at the northeast head of the park on 8th and G streets. Dalton said Mentor Me would not directly give money to the cause, but would act as a “fiscal sponsor” and fundraising agent for the effort to renovate McNear Park.

“Because we are a non-profit, we can accept tax-deductible donations for this project,” said Dalton. “Anyone that wants to contribute can donate to Mentor Me and earmark the donation specifically for McNear Park.”

Among those residents who attended the Jan. 14 meeting, there was a cautious enthusiasm for the project.

Concerns raised by attendees included developing more open space within the park, adding better lighting and visibility to the park at night, and developing a soccer field.

“I see great potential and value in this proposal,” said Barry Bussewitz, who has been going to the park for 30 years. He said his top concern was making sure uses for the park were not decreased as a result of the renovation.

(Contact E. A. Barrera at ernesto.barrera@arguscou rier.com)