A Community’s Dream Coming True
By Noel Smith
The date was May 3, 2005 when a ten-year effort to establish a community plan for Seacliff, which included a 3-acre public park in place of a planned strip mall, seemed to go down to a final defeat.
A special election for Measure V, which would have added $98 per year to property tax bills in Seacliff for 30 years was decided by less than 25 votes. The measure’s purpose was to pay for the park that was to have provided play areas for children and easy access for seniors.
The measure’s opponents had argued that a park would be a magnet for derelicts or a staging area for out-of-town RVs waiting for their spot at the beach.
Another ten years went by and on August 3, 2015, some of those who had not given up the effort for a Seacliff Village Park smilingly grabbed shovels that signified their final victory in the quest to define Seacliff as not just a destination for visitors, but as neighborhood for its residents and took part in a historic ground-breaking for the 1-1/4 acre community park.
In those ten years from 2005 to 2015, County Supervisor Ellen Pirie, parks advocate Kate Minott, local resident Pepper Golesh along with the Seacliff Improvement Association kept the dream alive. In 2007 the 1-1/4 acres was officially designated for the future park. In 2008, the County released a “Proposed Draft Master Plan.” However, with the economic recession and then the loss of redevelopment funding, the dreams of actual construction of the park were put on hold. Nevertheless, the county and the community kept refining the plan for the day when it could become a reality
A new supervisor, Zach Friend, was elected in 2012 and he was immediately made aware of the community’s determination to see a park built on the site. The effort to make the dream a reality finally gained traction and in January of 2014, the county released a detailed Site Plan showing the features and amenities of the future park. Money from the state was found, grants were approved, and the board of supervisors made the park’s construction a part of the county’s budget.
Several community meetings took place, the project went out for bid, a contractor was selected (Earthworks Paving Construction, Inc.), and the first dirt was after 20 years of community and county effort was moved as grading finally began.
One of the amenities approved by the Board of Supervisors for the park was a public art project by local artist Kathleen Crocetti. The project includes 38 stained concrete pylons with mosaic tops that are to feature local Seacliff imagery along the park pathway and vary from 18-26” in height. Crocetti also will be working with local residents on the making the art on-site at the park.
The first phase of Seacliff Village Park construction is scheduled for completion in late fall with a play area, planted open space, and initially the restrooms will not be permanent structures, but portables. The second phase will add an amphitheater, skate park, picnic area, more landscaping, and permanent restrooms.
We encourage residents to take photos of the new park’s progress and send them to TPG via email: [email protected] so we can, through our website and publications, keep everyone up-to-date.