After cogitating
on neighborhood parks for weeks, I have a concept to propose, a concept that may
surprise many. And that’s fine. Many ideas, some of which turn out to be
far-sighted, elicit that initial response.
I’ve
recently written several posts about parks, particularly the disappointingly low
usage of neighborhood parks, the smaller parks that offer mostly open grass
with few amenities and little parking and that are primarily intended to serve the
surrounding single-family neighborhoods.
I reached a
tentative conclusion that the thought process behind neighborhood parks is flawed. I then defended my data collection approach and responded to other comments.
Now, it’s
time to offer some thoughts about what might be done with neighborhood parks.
My ideas
shouldn’t be considered a screed against neighborhood parks or parks in general. Indeed, my thinking is the reverse. Much like encouraging a talented friend stuck
in a dead-end job to look for a better opportunity, I’d like to find a way for
neighborhood parks to become better used and more essential to the functioning
of their communities.
Nor should my
ideas be considered the end of the discussion.
Much as many of us have come to urbanism by incremental steps and
insights, my hope is that the thoughts I offer here can serve as stepping stones
on the path to the best and most practical solutions.
Lastly, I’ll
refrain from mentioning parks by name. There
were a number of parks that flitted through my brain as I wrote, some in
Petaluma and some in communities far from the North Bay. But to mention specific parks would risk
getting bogged down in details and defenses.
Instead, I encourage readers to explore their own memory banks for
neighborhood parks and to plop the template I propose onto those parks.
Here’s the primary
idea. If a neighborhood park is big
enough, which probably means at least 3 to 3.5 acres, let’s consider adding a
small multi-family building near one end of the park.
This shouldn’t
be a standard multi-family box, but something with a particular character. I’m thinking at least two stories and
possibly three. And fairly small in
footprint, perhaps as little as 8,000 square feet. With three stories, that would provide up to
perhaps 15 to 20 residential units ranging in size from 600 to 2,000 square
feet.
With the
multi-story height, the building would become the focal point of the
neighborhood, attracting attention toward the local “downtown”.
The range in
unit size would attract a range of tenants, although a particular target would
be the seniors who spent much of their lives in the neighborhood.
“Aging in
place” is a popular mantra among those active in senior living. But polls have shown that many seniors want
to age in place not because they have a particular attachment to the home in
which they raised their families, but because they want to maintain long-time
friendships and to continue shopping in the stores they know. For those seniors, selling the family home
and moving into a comfortable apartment a block away might work perfectly. For seniors who still hope to host family Thanksgiving
dinners, 1,500 square feet might be perfect, while others, perhaps widowed,
might be most happy in 800 square feet.
If some of
the apartments were even smaller, perhaps little more than micro-apartments,
they might also attract young and single teachers or police officers who are
just beginning their working lives.
With a good mix
of apartment sizes, I could see a dynamic community arising.
I’d also
argue for at least two of the ground floor units to be configured for retail
use. Perhaps the retail use wouldn’t be
financially reasonable at first, so the building owner would be allowed to rent
the spaces for residential use in the early years. But my hope would be that the spaces would
eventually house coffee shops where neighborhoods would congregate on Saturday
mornings and delis where harried parents could buy ready-to-serve meals after a
late day at work.
Also, as
Leghorn Park in Petaluma is possibly showing us, there can be symbiosis between
retail and park uses. We’re ultimately a
social species. We’re more likely to
have a lingering cup of coffee in an outside café if we’re overlooking a park
full of laughing and playing children.
Also,
provision should be made for adjoining bus stops. They might not be used at first, but would allow
plan for a future when a homeowner could buy a cup of coffee and then take the
bus to the local rail station.
Parking
would be a challenge. Podium parking would
be ideal, but financial realities would likely push toward tuck-under parking.
Now, let’s
pull our focus back and look at site planning.
I noted that the multi-family building site should be near, but not at, one
end of the park. This configuration
would separate small areas of the park from the remainder of the park. For these small plots, I’d propose community
gardens or other biologically productive uses.
A couple of
years ago I wrote about a development in Davis called Village Homes.
I didn’t like the construction quality of the homes, but I thought there
was much to emulate in the land plan, particularly the use of small parcels for
community vineyards and fruit orchards. It’s
this kind of use that I’d propose for the small parcels separated from the rest
of the park.
And in the
larger part of the remaining park, I’d take hints from successful parks, such
as Leghorn and McNear Parks in Petaluma, which offer a multitude of
recreational opportunities. It won’t be
reasonable to assume that those multi-use successes can be endlessly cloned,
but adding a few more recreational amenities to neighborhood parks would seem
reasonable. Basketball and bocce ball
courts would be my top two suggestions, with sand volleyball close behind. Of course, play equipment would remain as
would grass areas for simple games of catch or three-flies-up.
Some may be
asking how a city could afford these new improvements. The answer is that a city need only spend a
little seed money.
Let’s assume
that a city proposes a new zone which allows multi-family housing to be
integrated into an existing park and then conducts the process, including
public involvement, to apply the new zone to an existing neighborhood park. (Yes, I understand that public involvement
would be filled with fireworks. Many new
ideas, no matter how well-founded, are greeted with skepticism.) It’s even possible that grant funds would be
available to defray most city expenses for this part of the development
process.
The goal
would be to present developers with a site where the development would be “by-right”,
with the only remaining hurdle being site design and architectural approval.
For a multi-family
site that is nearly entitled, a value per unit of $25,000 is often
reasonable. But this concept would
require a different architectural and leasing approach. If we use $10,000 per unit and assume 18
units, that would give us $180,000 in development value. If instead of taking all cash, a city requires
a developer to install the vineyard, fruit orchard, raised beds for community
gardening, and/or sports courts, a developer might still bid perhaps $50,000
for the right to build and to own the apartments.
But a city
would also collect impact fees from the new development, which may total close
to $500,000. Overall, a city could
pocket something like a half-million dollars and get a park that would better
suit the needs of its citizens. Against
the extent of the likely deficits looming before many North Bay cities, a
half-million dollars may not be much, but it’d be a step in the right
direction. And it would move a
neighborhood in a positive direction.
I expect that
this idea is neither perfect nor likely to be well-received in most
neighborhoods. Indeed, I expect that a
fair number of neighbors would be aghast.
But I like how it works on a number of levels. Your input would be valued. Ready, aim, fire.
As always,
your questions or comments will be appreciated.
Please comment below or email me.
And thanks for reading. - Dave Alden (davealden53@comcast.net)
I love the way you not only digest and reinterpret so much useful information, but also so often come up with creative new ideas. This one is no exception. I realize you have reasons not to identify specific parks or locations, but three existing Petaluma parks come to mind - Walnut Park and the under(un?)utilized park-like public spaces adjacent to the library and City Hall. They're both smaller than what you've envisioned, but could all use the added vitality of nearby multi-family/mixed-use (senior?) housing and a set of additional reasons to frequent the park spaces, such as your suggested basketball and bocce courts, gardens and/or sand volleyball.
ReplyDeleteSteve, thanks for the comment. You identify an interesting triad of parks and open areas. Personally, I'm not sure about Walnut Park. I think it may need a reconfiguration for its current uses, but I like that it's open on all sides. On the other hand, I love the City Hall lawn idea. I've always thought that a finger of urbanism extending into that area would change the neighborhood all the way up to the high school. Kenilworth Park, next to the library, is a puzzle to me. I've never really thought about whether it's currently serving a need and how it might function better. I should take a harder look. Thanks again for writing.
DeleteUntil now, I had never heard the name Kenilworth Park. It has never felt like a park to me - just an unused section of lawn (with some playground structures) adjacent to the back side of the library. I think it deserves better use and more respect than it has been given over the past decades. I think, however, that I should have suggested a park space nearby that would have better met your suggested criteria - the huge Fairgrounds open-space (and used space to be revisited in a few years by the Fair Board and the City Council). I believe that area is close to the bulls-eye for geographic city center.
DeleteSteve, I had to look up the Kenilworth name myself. I agree with you about the fairgrounds and have previously written that a public square at Payran and D, on the current fairgrounds property, would be a great addition to the city parks inventory. Also, I suggested the plaza be adjoined by multi-family housing and retail, accomplishing by design what I can only suggest by retrofit above.
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