January 2008

Starr King Open Space: A Hidden Neighborhood Resource

By Steven J. Moss

Ask a random Potrero Hill resident if they’ve ever been to Starr King Open Space – or even know where it is – and they’re likely to give you a blank stare.  The three and a half acres of open space, located on the Hill’s southeastern side, is, according to one neighborhood activist, who prefers to remain anonymous, “woefully underutilized, misunderstood, and mismanaged.”

The green space, which features stunning views of Bernal Heights, the Mission, and Twin Peaks, was set aside in the mid-1980s as a land trust by the company that built Parkview Heights, a nearby high-density housing development.  The property was originally owned by the federal government, which used it for housing during World War II.  Starr King Open space is managed by a board of directors, which diligently works to keep the land clean of debris and invasive plants, and encourages cultivation of native flora, such as purple needle grass and soap plant. Suzanne Shields, who serves as board secretary, says volunteers have removed thousands of invasive vegetation over the years.

According to its bylaws, the board is supposed to be elected by Hill residents.  However, elections tend to be tightly-controlled affairs, with little outreach or publicity.  Shields “has made it very difficult for groups to use the space, unless you just want to rake-up some grass occasionally,” according to the neighborhood activist.  The nonprofit’s most recent tax forms, as reported by Guidestar.org, date from 2000.  One of the board members listed in that filing, Dale Fetter, who was identified as “vice-president,” had a messy falling-out with the organization a few years ago amidst accusations of financial impropriety. Shields was unresponsive to repeated requests by the View to obtain a list of current board members.

While relatively unknown in the community, the space is actively used by students and teachers at Starr King Elementary School, which is located close-by.  It’s also frequented by the local dog population, though, according to one Yelp reviewer, “it’s not five stars because some careless dog owners don’t pick-up after their dogs.”

According to Shields, Starr King is “set-up to be open space; that’s the way the land was meant to be.  It’s not set-up to be developed into a playground, or ball field, or something like that.”  As a result, the area has no benches, picnic tables, or even identifying signs.  “San Francisco has lots and lots of hilltop open spaces.  But this is the only one not owned by the Parks and Recreation Department.”  

“We received a small amount of money that had to be given by the developer in order to maintain the land,” said Shields.  “The way it has always worked is that the money has stayed invested and we have used the interest from the money to pay for things like insurance and the firebreak, which has to be done every year.”  The organization listed total net assets of roughly $114,000 in its 2000 returns.

Shields points to the countless hours she and other board members have dedicated to the space.  However, while the group’s devotion to the land is unquestioned some residents wonder whether the area, one of the rare strips of open space in a portion of the City that notably lacks greenery, is as accessible to the neighborhood as it could be.  According to the activist, “Shields likes to hold her cards very close to her chest and control what happens there.  That has ultimately meant that not much has happened.  I’d like the open space to be improved to benefit everyone in the community.”

 

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