Needed Changes Coming to Our Namesake Park

By Suja Lowenthal, 2nd Council District

Four years ago, my husband Dan and I purchased our home on Orizaba Avenue, site unseen, because we were so enamored in part by the local park and close-knit community surrounding it.

After we moved into our home, I happened to come across 30-year old architectural designs to transform Rose Park into a more inviting community park. Unfortunately, budget constraints prevented residents from implementing the vision back then, but I believed the idea had merit.

At my urging, Kerstin Kansteiner and I sat down with Phil Hester, Director of Parks, Recreation and Marine, to share the designs and discuss the possibility of seeing them come to fruition. Mr. Hester was very receptive and encouraged us to work with an architect contracted by the city to fully develop the original plans.

As a result, the Rose Park community is looking forward to welcoming some much-anticipated changes this year to our beloved namesake park. On Feb. 22, I hosted a community meeting with the Parks Department and Rose Park Neighborhood Association to share the vision for the park with members of the community.

The main feature will be a beautiful gazebo, decorated with a mosaic tile floor designed by local artists, surrounded by our original rose bushes. Included in the design are walking paths and brickwork, as well as decorative entrances. In order to maintain their beauty, the renovations will feature innovations that discourage graffiti, skateboarding, vandalism, and other detriments to our park.

The meeting was very informative and residents provided great feedback.

Improvements will come to the park in stages beginning with the gazebo, enabling us to best use our resources and reach our objective of making our park a great place to host small recitals, art exhibits, neighborhood events and other activities that enrich our lives.

I wish to thank all the community members that have dedicated their time and energy thus far to this project and encourage everyone else to become involved in making the renovation of Rose Park a success!