Article from The Mill Valley Herald
Written by Angelica Marden
August 30 - September 5, 2005
Locals hope to give Sycamore Park a facelift
What’s the point of having a neighborhood park if kids don’t have fun playing there?
That’s the question that came to Mill Valley resident Scott Harrington about six months ago when he realized
he was sick and tired of bringing his child to Sycamore Park, getting dirty and not having any fun.
Motivated by some of the more modernized local parks, Harrington, who lives across the street from Sycamore Park, started researching park projects and how a civilian like him could give Sycamore Park a much-needed lift. His research and determination has lead to the Sycamore Park Project, which will kick off its first design meeting this month, with the help of local children and families who want to get involved.
The project will focus on updating the park’s currently outdated and severely worn equipment, poor playing surfaces and inadequate facilities to support park visitors, children and families.
The goal is a safer, more exciting place where Mill Valley’s young and old can play together.
Harrington said he was inspired by the redesign of San Anselmo’s Millennium Park, which, with the help of a nationally recognized playground design group, Leathers and Associates, was completed in 2000.
According to Harrington, the combination of the local efforts and the work of Leathers and Associates — whose playground design and community playground concepts have been featured in Smithsonian magazine, Readers Digest and on “Sesame Street” — is just the right mix to give the park a boost.
“It’s probably more work, but it keeps everyone involved,” Harrington said. “The good news is, our involvement
exponentially increases the chances that the park will be finished soon.”
Ronnie Sharpe, who is also volunteering time to the project, said she hopes the project will serve as a strong example of community collaboration.
“We hope to inspire other communities to get together and help make the Bay Area a wonderful place to raise a family,” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said bringing people in a community together to work on a project for the benefit of local children is a return to an older and deeper concept of community.
“From children to retirees, we rarely make the time to say hello,” Sharpe said. “Even with the time-saving devices of today’s world, the complexity of the times doesn’t offer many opportunities for us to work together with our neighbors. Part of the large appeal of building a beautiful new playground is the adventure and pride our entire community will capture at its completion.”
As for the design and look of the park, Harrington said it’s up to the local kids.
“It’s all about the kids,” Harrington said. “The kids are the ones who will give the designers their ideas.”
The Sycamore Park Project will officially begin its efforts on Thursday, Sept. 29, when John Dean, a representative from the Leathers group, will spend the day with children at both the Park and Edna Maguire schools to get their input on what they want the new Sycamore Park to look like. The design plan for the new park will be unveiled that evening between 7 and 8 p.m. at the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation Department Cascade Room. Children, parents and business members are encouraged and welcome to view the plans and find out how to get involved. For more information how to get involved in the Sycamore Park Project, visit www.sycamorepark.org or contact Scott Harrington at 388-2670.