Friends of Patterson Park held their first meeting in two years on April 9, and several new families joined long-time members for a discussion and pizza party at the park. The meeting was chaired by Jennifer Potter-Miller, and Jane O’Brien took notes.
l. Master Plan for Patterson Park
- As per an April 2012 City Council Resolution, all COA parks are required to
have a master plan in place before any new amenities can be added.
- Discussion of how Ramsey Park (Rosedale) developed and implemented a Master Plan.
- A master plan would be considered a “dream plan,” outlining the community’s vision for the park in short term, but also long term (10-20 years in future).
- FoPP will conduct a survey of community priorities for Patterson Park over the spring and summer of 2016, write up plan in the fall, and map it in winter, potentially being ready to pursue funds and/or implement a project in spring 2017.
2. Survey of community priorities for Patterson Park
- Reviewed and edited a draft survey prepared by Jennifer Potter-Miller, based on survey conducted in 2001 by FoPP Chair Isabelle Headrick and Mary Beth Metcalf.
- Discussed distributing the survey electronically as a Google Form, and in person at the park on weekends and special events (e.g. summer kick-off party)
3. Soccer ban at Patterson Park
- Jane O’Brien and Jennifer Potter-Miller reported having spoken separately with Jimmy Cone at PARD, who confirmed that the soccer ban was no longer officially in place. He indicated that if there are problems (in particular, damage to the field and resulting dust) in the future, this could be revisited, most likely by posting a sign banning organized teams only.
4. Cherrywoodstock music festival
- Two of the organizers of Cherrywoodstock, wiccit and DMan, presented the plan in progress for a free festival featuring neighborhood bands at Patterson in the fall. The project is on hold pending the approval of a permit for amplified sound.
5. Gordon Bennett memorial
- When neighborhood icon Gordon Bennett passed away a few years ago, Chula League collected donations for a memorial. FoPP members have proposed using the funds to install trail markers connecting Patterson with the Mueller hike & bike trail, which is already named in his honor. Three markers at Patterson and one in Mueller would be required to complete the trail. There are $1621 available, and there would need to be additional funds raised to complete this project. No action was taken.
6. Institutional relationships with nearby neighborhood associations and city
- The process of getting neighborhood support for park improvements in the past was described as informal and more of an open call to participate in FoPP by former chair Mark Smolen.
- A few years ago the PARD did start requiring formal approval by adjacent neighborhood associations for major improvements, and the community garden taskforce went through that process.
- Members discussed whether improvements would have to be approved individually by the affected NAs (Wilshire Wood, Cherrywood, Schieffer-Willowbrook, Delwood 2 and Mueller) if they were included in the future master plan (to be approved by all the associations), and the conclusion was that they would not. This supports the need for a thoughtful and inclusive process for developing a master plan.
7. Upcoming projects and events
- The Patterson Park Community Garden just received approval for a water tap, and the members agreed to schedule a work day soon to break ground. Garden plots are still available. For more info, contact Mark Smolen.
- Suggestions for spring and summer community events at the park included a Memorial Day summer kick-off party, an ice cream social, and a summer movie night.
The meeting adjourned at 6:15 and everyone shared pizza and salad until 7.
Meeting notes submitted by Jane O’Brien: FoPP mtg notes April 9 DRAFT
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Photo credit: Jennifer Potter-Miller
Friends of Patterson Park 