[sugit]

I've been working the last couple months on getting some attention brought to Fremont Park on 16th Street. Its fallen a bit into despair over the last couple of years and in my mind isn't living up to its potential.

We are holding a public meeting on June 11th @ 6:00 at William Land Elementary at 12th and U Street to get peoples thoughts, ideas and views of the park currently and where they would like to see it go in the future.

I've had some great help from CADA along the way getting me in contact with the right people and resources, but this is grassroots effort on my part along with a few local dedicated residence that I recruited from their experience with the Fremont Garden. Area residences will dicate where this park goes in the future.

This is the first of what I think will be two, maybe three, meetings to put a plan together to spruce up Fremont Park.

Joining area residence and business owners at this meeting will be Councilmen Fong and staff, CADA, Park and Rec, Park Rangers, and City Police.

I know there are a lot of people that look at these boards, so I wanted to get the word out here as well. I hope some of your can make it.

My thoughts and ideas on the subject are all posted here:
http://livinginurbansac.blogspot.com/2008/05/fremont-park-public-meeting.html

I'm determined to not see this become one of those public meetings where we talk and talk about doing something and it never happens.

I will find out what people want to see happen, get a core group of people involved to put a plan together, and find a way to fund it to completion.

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/9785/fremontparkmeetingqx8.jpg

If you can't make it, I'd still love hear your ideas and comments so I can compile them with the ones from the event.

[Majin]

Get rid of it and turn it into a highrise condo.

[sugit]

lol..Not quite what I had in mind, but I'll be sure to add that to my list of suggestions.

[TowerDistrict]

Sorry I can't make it. I'm going to be in Atlanta of all places.

I do have one potential comparison - one of the most perfect urban sanctuaries I've ever been. That's the Sculpture Garden (http://www.nga.gov/feature/sculpturegarden/general/index.shtm) portion of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Although it's technically part of a museum, it functions much more as a public gathering place. There's a cafe, a very large fountain where people soak their feet, and sculptures by prominent artists.

http://www.nga.gov/press/2004/releases/spring/images/gardenjazz.jpg

The cool part that I think would work well in Fremont Park, is that they do a Jazz in the Garde (http://dc.about.com/od/concerts/a/JazzinGarden.htm)n event every Friday. I saw so many locals and tourists alike lounging around the fountain drinking wine and beer, having picnics in the shade, whatever. It was just a perfect usage of a park area. and I don't even like Jazz... at all.

I think small, regular event at a park are what keeps it's relevance. Switch things up for different days or seasons - draw different types. If you attract someone out to the park on a Tuesday evening, they'll be more inclined to come back on a Saturday just to lounge. I think maybe it's an issue of familiarity? I dunno.

I feel like that park is totally useless on the weekends too. It's a tough situation with the workforce population compared to the neghborhood population. But there's gotta be a weekend draw.

The idea of farmer's markets is always tossed around... but what about a bake sale? packaged and prepared goods? Not everyone likes to cook, but everyone likes to eat. You know people skip Sacramento (http://www.california-grown.com/) and drive from Roseville to the Davis farmers market (http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/) for just that reason.

Or how about a book sale?

Why is Chalk-it Up (http://www.chalkitup.org/) a one-weekend per year event? I don't think it need to build 362 days worth of anticipation to be successful.

Just a few thoughts incase Majin's idea doesn't work out.

[Majin]

Sorry I can't make it. I'm going to be in Atlanta of all places.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/images/icons/icon13.gif

[wburg]

Bake sale? Book sale? The library always sells books at the Wednesday market, and there are at least one or two bakery vendors at the Wednesday and Thursday markets.

Still, the more the merrier. Too much of this special-event approach (annual festival, monthly art show, etc) means that everything needs special permission. You shouldn't need to check a calendar to find something interesting going on in the central city. Part of what is, I'm sure, bringing a lot of attention to Fremont Park is the growing number of businesses that are now parkside: the more businesses around a park, the more visible the park becomes to folks walking to/from those businesses. The park can become an extension of every restaurant/cafe in the neighborhood. You want a scone but your date wants a slice of pizza? Stop at Luigi's and then Naked Lounge, then sit and eat in the park.

[TowerDistrict]

i guess that's my problem. i don't go to parks without an event. I think most parks in their vague existence are just complete wastes of space to tell you the truth. If I had a kid, I'd take them to the park, sometimes I take my dog - but Fremont ain't the best park for that.

Southside has the most weekend events I've noticed - usually they don't appeal to me at all, but I still go there to be around the people and life. I haven't been to Fremont Park in ages, but I'm very often across the street. There's just nothing going on that would draw me to the park.

[sugit]

i guess that's my problem. i don't go to parks without an event. I think most parks in their vague existence are just complete wastes of space to tell you the truth. If I had a kid, I'd take them to the park, sometimes I take my dog - but Fremont ain't the best park for that.

Southside has the most weekend events I've noticed - usually they don't appeal to me at all, but I still go there to be around the people and life. I haven't been to Fremont Park in ages, but I'm very often across the street. There's just nothing going on that would draw me to the park.

I totally agree. Open space for the sake of open space sucks, but I do believe this park is very well located once some of the planned projects happen. It can add to the synergy of the area. if done right.

Southside park is awesome. I take my kid there quite a bit, but given Fremont Park is so close, it works as well, but it's far from ideal.

I too want to see more events happening. I like your idea for a Jazz in the Garden. My idea was an 'Art in the Park' type event to help connect to 2nd Saturday a bit more. Local artists can bring their work to display and sell with bands playing, and food and drink.

From talking to my neighbors a dog park is going to be high on peoples list as well. Judging by the amount of people that are out walking their dog in the evening, I think it will be popular with others as well.

[TowerDistrict]

I totally agree. Open space for the sake of open space sucks, but I do believe this park is very well located once some of the planned projects happen. It can add to the synergy of the area. if done right.

Yeah, totally. I like Fremont Park area quite a bit, and the park is right there at the center of it all. I'm just not the type that would see a chair in the middle of nothing and decide to sit in it. So I need a slightly more specific activity at the park.

Like I said - maybe that's my problem, not the park's? I dunno.

Dogs at the park would be interesting. The only concern would be how busy the traffic is on 15th and 16th. Your Art in the park sounds like a great idea to me. That's the kinda stuff that would draw me specifically to a park.

[innov8]

Today’s the day. I'll be there to vote for dancing fountains... but I'm sure
there will be other great ideas too.

[Phillip]

A splash fountain, like in Portland's Jamison Square? It's a hit in Portland where the temp rarely gets over 90. What a draw it would be in sweltering Sacramento, and it brings families into the park, seven days a week.


http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll48/PhilipsPics/Jamison2.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll48/PhilipsPics/Jamison1.jpg


p.s. I didn't take these pics myself. I found them searching "Jamison Square" on Google. I'll post the URLs as credits.

Top photo: www.flickr.com/photos/vj_pdx/149270558/

Bottom photo: http://web.portlandpines.com:1090/WEB/images/Tues%20Playgroup/Tuesday%20Playgroup%20Jamison%20Fountain%208_9_05.jpg

[Cynikal]

I wonder how well water features will play in the middle of a drought.

[innov8]

I wonder how well water features will play in the middle of a drought.

I wouldn’t think so. Droughts usually last for a few years and this park is
going to be used way beyond the current drought situation.

Fountains typically reuse water too, so drought conditions would have a minimal
effect on water use. If a drought situation got bad enough, the city could
just stop using it for the time being... and stop watering the grass at the
park to really cut back.

[Cynikal]

Good point. I was just thining out loud. I wish I could make it tonight, I go to Fremont park all the time.

[L8 4 Tahoe]

I live a block away from Fremont park and have never used it. It has too few amenities there. I think the fountain was a waste of money unless it had a splashing area around it. Unfortunately I can't make the meeting because of school. They have a farmer's market there every tuesday which brings in some crowds. The only blemish I see around there is that hideous two story apartment building on the corner of P and 15th. I know it's part of the low income housing (which I believe in) but the building needs new paint and there is always trash out front of it and I saw a busted old Tuaca machine outside sitting for weeks, I think it's still there. They need to have events there and you have many places you can go to afterwards that are open late. You have Mochii and the sushi place (name escapes me), Uncle vitos pizza, Naked lounge and soon there will be Hot Italian. The park screams for events to jump start it. Just my two cents.

[innov8]

I live a block away from Fremont park and have never used it. It has too few amenities there. I think the fountain was a waste of money unless it had a splashing area around it.

Yeah, your right about the current fountain... not much to get excited about :(

[innov8]

The place was full with people and I didn’t expect you to also provide
pizza sugit, what a class act :tup:

It was a good start for sure. Lots of good ideas like removing the bathrooms
and having more activities there on a regular basis. In my group where we
exchanged ideas, my idea about removing the current fountain and putting
in a more interactive water feature was shot down… it was not even
mentioned by our spokesperson. I was told those kind of fountains are gross
and would not be any better that what is already there, no one agreed with
me even after I gave examples of where it has worked, so I gave up. In my
group, the lady who runs the yearly Chalk it Up event (our groups
spokesperson) ignored many ideas that people in our group said.
When she did announced some of our groups thoughts, she added a few
things that were not even mentioned by anyone. Basically, she high jacked
our group to talk about her issues for the Chalk it Up event.

Anyway, you did a good job sugit. It will be interesting to see what develops
after the next meeting. You’ll get a real up-close experience of how the
system works to reach the goal of a better park.

[urban_encounter]

I wonder how well water features will play in the middle of a drought.

The state built that water feature that showers down from that wierd sculpture as part of the east end project (the one at 16th and Capitol Avenue) and they never turn it on; even when there's not a drought.

It's a shame but i suspect after they put it in they discovered they had put in a water feature meant to attract people to stand beneath it (4 feet from 16th street). Can you imagine that thing attracting kids on a summer afternoon and some child accidentally get's struck by a car?

[sugit]

Thanks for coming out, Mike. I think it went really well. I'm expecting to see something good happen.

We had roughly 45-50 area residence come out and about 20 city employees from Councilmen Fong's office, CADA, Park and Rec, Neighborhood Services, Police and Park Rangers.

I was told Councilmen Fong was shocked by the turnout we had. They said usually they only see maybe 10-15 residence that show up to things like this, and most of the time city staff that outnumbers the residence.

Considering the infamous JKL Charrette had about 200 for something as big as the whole downtown, and we had about 50 for a small little neighborhood park, I think the turn out was great.