There must be a few more important things in the world to concern oneself with than what a small town wants to do with their small park. It was 1974 when San Anselmo’s Creek Park was officially dedicated, I wish I could have been there.
We are two years away from it’s 50th anniversary. To look at the grove of Redwoods where picnic tables exist at their base and to think this was the design of good civic minded citizens, is to add to the wonder. Dan Goltz was the principal designer; his name can be found on a plaque placed on the Pedestrian Bridge. He was a San Anselmo resident who I came to know. I moved out here in 1975, part of that youthful wave from the East, pardon me you old-timers.
The 200th anniversary of America was coming up back then and it was an opportunity for some reflection and I do appreciate the San Anselmo Town Council of 1974 for dedicating the Park to the principles of the American Revolution. The plaque proclaiming that event can be found also in the Park though I think many people have never noticed it.
I consider myself a Friend of Creek Park. I know there are other friends of Creek Park in our neighborhood. I am concerned about the wheels of progress today as I was in 1976. It seems that ‘Improvement’ on behalf of Man against Nature has been going on for a long time.
I have many questions of what happens when good humans release big money to create ‘improvements’ particularly to a municipal park whose purpose is to provide its citizens with a touch of nature, an oasis from the clamor of our modern world.
I know there was a meeting back in September of 2021 held at the temporary plaza. I was there. I admit I was a little disappointed to find out it wasn’t actually a meeting where citizens could have a public discussion. It was more of a guided tour of where you could leave your
suggestions under various topic headings. I was firmly told that raising the platform, that serves so delightfully as a gathering place, was an impossibility.
I found it interesting that according to the town or or the source of the re-design reported at a council meeting that the number one wish from the participating citizens was to ‘widen the paths’. Widen the paths? The sidewalks through the Park? Forgive me for being astonished at my fellow citizens.
These paths that start at 7′ wide and slope down to 5′ wide in front of the stage, a 4′ wide walk through the Redwood Grove is not enough? Do we really believe it is an important matter to tear up the existing concrete path and replace it with a fresh path that is a half a foot wider?
How long does concrete last? Don’t you think
we might get another 500 years of use in the existing paths or are we not allowed to think like that?
I found it also interesting that in the same document that enshrined Widen Paths as the winner of what represented the wishes of San Anselmo people that the runner up or maybe it was third place request was ‘Raise the Platform’, as in elevate it further above the Creek.
This I found heartening and surprising for not only was I being told that there was no point in requesting this, that it could not happen, but I could hear other’s at the meeting event being told the same thing – “No, we cannot do that. It is out of our hands. Impossible.”
People who were told that they| could not request an option that went against the direction of our local Government, went ahead and did so. I find that inspiring and I appreciate the
fortitude of those who wrote their request anyways or maybe there were simply enough people that our local leaders couldn’t tell everyone that you can’t request that particular idea of “progress”.
Raise the Platform you would think would be the hands down winner. There may be a creative path that works for everyone, the connecting Bridge that we all agree will be necessary at the temporary plaza. Make that a very wide bridge. So wide that you hardly realize it’s a bridge. A friend suggests a European style flat bridge, with plenty of tables and overlooking the creek. Maybe room for a place where musicians have a small performance place. Regarding stone walls and even more concrete for additional paths, or three level Redwood Deck under the Redwoods please reconsider these plans. Honor the original design, dedicate staff for the parks annual upkeep, plant more trees in consistency with the original design that has been neglected and now on the verge of being dismissed and have a great 50th anniversary
celebration two summers from now.
(Guy Meyer is a San Anselmo resident.)
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