Thank you very much for your support of Francisco Park. You helped get us over the finish line of Phase 1.
On July 22, 2014, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Supervisor Farrell’s proposal for the Recreation & Parks Department (RPD) to take over jurisdiction of the entire 4.25 acre Francisco Reservoir property for the purpose of creating a new public park.
The appraised market value of $9.9 M will be paid over 12 years to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) from the SF Open Space Acquisition Fund. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will document the transfer should be executed by the end of September this year
Now we move on to Phase 2, which we are dividing into three strategic scopes of work:
- Legal: We are forming our own non-profit entity, the Francisco Park Conservancy (FPC), and will also apply for tax-exempt status under the IRS Code 501(c)3. This entity will be entering into a separate MOU with RPD for the design, construction, and maintenance of the Park. We have engaged legal counsel to help us with these efforts.
- Fund Raising: We will now begin to organize a fund-raising campaign to raise money to pay for the design and construction of the park. Thankfully, many pledges have been received already, but there will be more needed to complete the project and fund a maintenance reserve adequate to keep the park in good order in perpetuity. Until we have secured our tax-exempt status, your donations are held in a restricted account for Francisco Park with our financial sponsor, San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA) and are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law. The SFPA tax ID# is 23-7131784.
- Site analysis and development: We have much to learn about the site, and will be working with the RPD to commission land surveys and environmental studies as soon as possible. We expect to be able to provide you an update on the outcomes and next steps in the next few months.
Many of you have asked, “What can I do to help?”
The most important thing you can do to help the project move forward is to make a tax-deductible donation to the SF Parks Alliance specifying the donation is for the Francisco Park Project. If you need more information about tax-deductible donations or the SF Parks Alliance, please email us at [email protected]. Your interest and financial support are vital to the success of this new public park project.
Meantime, if you missed the recent lighthearted segment Joe Rosato of NBC News did with the help of Lynn Jefferson of the Francisco Park WorkingGroup, take a look at this; you’ll enjoy it.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Defunct-San-Francisco-Reservoir-to-be-Turned-Into-Park-270027041.html