Viewpoint
Save Our Parks

By Dean McHenry Jr.

The city council will be deciding soon on the terms of what is really a “gift” of a portion of Cahuilla Park to the organization called Uncommon Good.  At its March 25th meeting on a vote of 3 to 2 vote it instructed the city’s staff to draw up an agreement to bring about the transfer.  Because of restrictions the state imposes on the disposition of park land, the “gift” will take the form of a long-term rental at virtually no cost—$1 per year for 50 years was mentioned as a possible basis for the agreement.  Uncommon Good wants to build what sounds like a wonderful structure on the land. I hope the city council facilitates its construction somewhere, but NOT in one of our City parks. 

Parks deserve to be preserved. 

• Parks have a sacred character.  They are meant to be preserved for the use of future generations, not filled up with buildings, however magnificent they may be.

• Equally compelling cases will arise in the future: Uncommon Good has said that this request will not set a precedent, i.e., that each case for the use of parkland should be judged separately.  The problem is that there are many excellent projects that a generous city council might feel warrant a gift of parkland.  Little by little, the city’s parks will be lost.

• Laws making the disposition of parkland difficult have reason behind them:  Most of the staff report in preparation for the March 25th consideration of the issue involved a review of how to bring about the transfer given the many laws which protect the easy disposition of parkland.  These laws are there for a reason and that is to protect citizens’ interests in their parks.

• Parks symbolize the environment we wish to protect:  Ironically, Uncommon Good argued that its structure would foster environmental awareness, while at the same time it would take away parkland.  Placing any kind of a building on parkland is more a symbol of our disdain for, rather than love of, nature.

Uncommon Good’s project sounds grand—something the city council should encourage.  But, preserving our parks should take precedence.  In helping locate an alternative site, perhaps the Council might consider linking the structure with one of its important projects like an affordable housing complex or a police facility.  With imagination and effort Claremont can preserve its parks and Uncommon Good can build its facility.