West Sunset Plgd. to be Rebuilt

By Ed Moy

The SF Recreation and Park Commission has approved plans to rebuild the West Sunset Playground.

Located in the Sunset District at 39th Avenue and Ortega Street, the aging playground no longer meets current safety and access requirements and was identified as a playground that contains arsenic laden wood timbers, according to the SF Recreation and Park Department.

"This really started two years ago when community members brought it to our attention," said SF Supervisor Carmen Chu. "It's not just that the playground was consistently getting a failing grade, it's also an area that in my first year as supervisor I had parents who called and said their kids were getting their fingers cut on shards of glass on the slides."

Chu's office has been working with a group of parents who formed the Friends of West Sunset Playground (FOWSP) organization, which is dedicated to ensuring that children have a safe place to play in the neighborhood.

According to FOWSP member Harmmonie Wexler, the group was formed two-and-a-half years ago when resident Arthur Tom reached out to the community looking for people who were interested in rebuilding the playground.

The organization received sponsorship from the Neighborhood Parks Council, which has been guiding the group through the rebuilding process. Current FOWSP core members are Gregory Syler, Monica Syler, Arthur Tom, Michelle Tom, Fred Ibalio, Meredith Kurpius, Darryl Fown and Wexler.

The playground's play equipment area is adjacent to a large concrete courtyard, which is utilized by a variety of park users for many different recreational activities. The courtyard area bridges the space between the playground and the current Ortega Branch Library renovation project.

Chu said the playground rebuild will be coordinated to coincide with the reopening of the Ortega Library in 2011.

"We are creating as little disruption to the area as possible," Chu said. "We're really working hard to get the West Sunset Playground to minimize disturbance to the community."

The Rec. and Park Commission estimates the budget to rebuild the playground will be $1.8 million, which includes $368,575 in design and management costs and about $1.5 million in construction costs. To pay for the project, $1.1 million will come from the city's General Fund and $754,575 from a 2006 bond measure.

Construction is scheduled to being in November of this year. If everything goes as planned, Chu expects the facility to be up and running by next year.

In May, FOWSP hosted its second annual Sunset Soiree: "Tastes of the Sunset" at the Janet Pomeroy Center as a fundraiser benefit for the West Sunset Playground. Event organizers said the fundraiser featured local Sunset restaurants, which donated 100 percent of the food. For a $50 ticket, guests enjoyed an open bar and all the food they wanted as well as entertainment from local dancers and a "great" DJ to dance the night away.

"It was just one of those playgrounds that needed to have some renovation work to be done but had, quite frankly, not been taken care of in very long time," Chu said. "So, we thought it was something we should work with the City and community members along with the Ortega Branch Library."

According to Rec. and Park, the proposed renovation includes the complete removal and replacement of the existing playground area and the adjacent concrete plaza space. The new playground is designed to accommodate two separate, age-appropriate play areas for both pre-school and school age children.

Separating the two play spaces is a gathering area that will accommodate seating and picnic tables. The plaza area and the existing tree grove will be improved with new permeable pavers and a natural looking paving material beneath the trees, improving the overall aesthetics of the space while at the same time making the plaza more functional and easier to maintain.

So far, FOWSP has been working with Dan Mauer at the Rec. and Park Department to create a new design for the playground and courtyard.

"We are in the final stages of design and it looks fabulous," Wexler said. "There is something for kids of all ages, including the junior high students from neighboring A.P. Giannini Middle School. We also considered the needs of the many adults and seniors that use the area for various exercise and dance groups. Everyone had input on the design. It has been wonderful to watch the community come together to create this outdoor play space."

Other proposed additions include a new entry gateway and signage, planting and irrigation improvements in and around the playground, improved site drainage, security lighting, beginner skateboard rails, climbing boulders, new fences and modified restrooms, drinking fountain and trash receptacles.

"Once it's finished, what you're going to see is a very welcoming community center for residents, neighbors and their children," Chu said.

For more information about West Sunset Playground, go to the website at www.fowsp.org.