Courtesy of Don Hotz and Ruth DeSantis, as printed in the February newsletter:
News of the renovation of Marcy Park has sparked excitement and overwhelming praise for the project. Without even having yet begun the fundraising campaign, unsolicited donations have been rolling in.
Don Hotz, Project Manager, says, “We already have just under $10,000 in the kitty even though fundraising won’t officially kick off until after the new year”. As his project partner, Ruth DeSantis explained, “Now that we are under the University City Community Foundation (UCCF) umbrella, donations to the Marcy Park renovation are tax deductible. With yearend tax planning upon us, many people are looking to reduce their taxable income and what a win-win to be able to save on their taxes while helping renovate their own park.”
Plans for the renovation of the existing broken 2- 5 year old play structure as well as the addition of an older play and picnic area were unveiled at a kickoff event at the park in September. While there is great enthusiasm for the project, it did spark some questions from residents that Ruth and Don have been fielding. They share residents’ concerns about off-leash dogs and maintaining the pristine nature and beauty of the park.
Marcy Park is open from sunrise to sunset and will remain a leash-only park. Most park-goers respect their neighbors and will happily leash their dogs if asked. The new play structure, along the fence line with Mission Bay Montessori Academy, should provide more distance between dogs and children, while in no way encroaching on the open green space.
There have also been questions about the cost of the park. As Ruth advises, “When I started this project 5 years ago, the cost was less than half of what it is now. Since then, Prevailing Wage Laws were enacted which increased the basic hourly rate required to be paid on public works projects.” However, Ruth and Don are encouraged by talks they have had with local and City officials and believe that if half of the estimated $400,000 project cost can be raised by resident donations, they can find the other half in the City’s coffers.
Additionally, Ruth believes there may be a loophole that would allow part of the project to by-pass Prevailing Wage Law. Ruth adds, “To accomplish this, we would have to raise $50,000 quickly and then break the project into smaller stages. Based on what I have seen over the past 30 days of donations and the positive feedback we have gotten, I think this a real possibility”.
Many people understand the value of having a well-maintained park with a play structure for children and adults alike. UC Realtor Ryan Ahearn is one of them. He and his very capable team of realtors and marketing specialists have just joined forces with the Marcy Park Project to help push the renovation timeline forward. As a realtor, Ryan realizes the value that a wellequipped and maintained park adds to a home. He says that “Improving Marcy Park is very important to me and my family, especially my 2-year-old who loves to play there. My team and I will be hosting multiple fund raising events right here in UC in 2017 to help hit our goal of funding this very important project. Please join us in donating to the Marcy Park Project.”
Please consider donating to the UCCF. Go to https://uccfsd.org or mail your tax-deductible check to: 5644 Lamas Street, San Diego, CA 92122
For related posts, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/parks-recreation-dept/
