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Memorial Park study finds $4 million gap; council backs quick ‘visible wins’ and Friends board steps
Summary
A consultant found San Anselmo lacks capacity today to raise a $4 million funding gap for the full Memorial Park master-plan changes and recommended building donor pipelines, formalizing a Friends nonprofit and focusing on quick, visible projects such as tennis‑court resurfacing. Council asked staff to return with a prioritized project list.
Melissa Irish, a consultant with Lotus Consulting, told the San Anselmo Town Council the feasibility study found a $4,000,000 funding gap for the full Memorial Park master plan and that fewer than one‑quarter of interviewees viewed the full package as urgent. The town has committed $3,000,000 to the project in addition to roughly $2,000,000 already invested, leaving the remainder to be raised privately or through other sources.
Dave (Town staff) and Maddie (Parks & Recreation staff) summarized the study’s process: a 13‑person task force, 21 confidential interviews and benchmarking with similar Northern California communities. The consultants said interviewees valued the park as an intergenerational and sports‑oriented community asset but saw the town’s fundraising systems as underdeveloped.
The consultant recommended a phased approach: pursue quick, visible projects to build confidence and donor interest, formalize a Friends‑style 501(c)(3) to lead fundraising, develop a donor database and consider hiring a fractional development professional to jump‑start capacity. Specific near‑term priorities staff identified include resurfacing two tennis/pickleball courts, entryway improvements, shaded seating and parking repairs.
Council members pressed on governance and scope. Vice Mayor Walker asked whether the existing Friends of San Anselmo Parks should remain parks‑focused or be broadened to a community foundation that could support libraries and other town projects; staff said the friends group is independent and can be broadened or operated under a DBA if that attracts broader support.
Several council members urged that near‑term work not preclude a future comprehensive master‑plan amendment and recommended return of a short list of projects and cost estimates. The council did not adopt any binding financing commitments tonight but generally supported the report’s recommendations and asked staff to come back with prioritized quick‑win projects and options for standing up a nonprofit fundraising entity.
