Holly Park was a seven and a half acre parcel on the Bernal Rancho in 1862 when San Francisco's colorful high roller/miner James Fair bought it and dedicated it to the city. It's price- $375,000- scarcely dented the $45,000,000 fortune Fair had made from his silver mines. The site lay unimproved until 1887 when development began in the Holly Park District. Roadways were graded, streets opened, sidewalks paved; and, by 1889, 200 houses and families had sprung up in the area. Under persistent pressure from the Holly Park Improvement Club, Holly Park Circle was built and opened in 1874. Now families could have an outing in their own neighborhood instead of making the long trek out to Golden Gate Park.
In 1929 the Playgrounds commission requested a playground and asked the Park Department to clear away shrubbery and put in basketball and tennis courts.
Maintenance and piecemeal improvements, which began in the 60's carried on into the late90's always leaving more to be done. The 70's saw grading, paving, irrigation repair and rehabilitation of the children's playground.
In 1991, the South Bernal Neighborhood Association submitted to San Francisco Beautiful and the Neighborhood Graffiti Clean-Up Fund a proposal for a Holly Park Sculpture Playground. They were turned down but resubmitted the idea a year later.
A year and a half ago in her early morning walks around the hill, Eugenie Marek noted the condition of the picnic tables and benches, barbecue pit, children's play structures, tennis and basketball courts and baseball field. She resolved to start up Friends of Holly Park. She sought the Neighborhood Park Council's advice and set up a meeting to inform the community and enlist their support. She joined two friends and they received a $2,000 Beginner's Grant from Friends of Rec and Park in order to set up a booth at the annual Fall Fiesta. They passed out a questionnaire on park priorities and preferences. The 200 plus responses formed the basis of the Holly Park Improvement Proposal which was submitted to the Recreation and Park Department in October.
They received $1.5 million for facility and short term projects. Their landscape architect, Susan Lucchi, is on the case and, after surveying the site and the Improvement Proposal, held her first community meeting in mid November.
"Short term projects can develop into long term plans when the park is looked at as a whole. And we're very hopeful" says Eugenie.
Taken from the Neighborhood Parks Council Newsletter #24.
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