Save the Spur Parks!
Help Save Millbrae's Parks and Maintain Your Home Town's Quality of Life (and Property Values)
Update: Park and Open Space Sales
Again Listed as Possible Revenue Generators
for Millbrae City Government
Posted June 25, 2008
After not mentioning the sale of park or open space land for three years, one of our active participants yesterday spotted that type of sale listed among possible revenue raising options for the city on a summary budget document. It mentioned selling off parts of the Spur property and part of the northeast corner of Mills Estate Park. Eight Millbrae Tomorrow participants showed up at last night’s city council meeting, and three of us spoke in opposition to selling irreplaceable park or open space land to meet city budget deficits.
In the remarks that city council and staff made before we got up to speak, we were pleased to hear that none of them mentioned selling city land as an option that they supported. In fact they did not even mention it at all. After we called their attention to the fact that it is listed as a possibility in the summary budget document, they all said that they are not seriously considering the selling of city land as an option for the budget, and most of them said that they would oppose such a sale.
One council member explained after the meeting that the council members had asked the staff to list every possible revenue raising method, and that is the only reason that the selling of land is listed at all in the summary budget document.
This is good news for Millbrae residents, but in politics things sometimes change as the discussion continues. Millbrae Tomorrow participants plan to continue monitoring the budget process, and will notify participants if city government starts talking again about selling park or open space land to meet the budget deficit.
If you would like to help protect Millbrae’s park and open space areas, please contact us by sending an email to MillbraeTomorrow@xemaps.com.
Please note: the rest of this Web site has not been updated recently. It will, however, give you and idea of what was proposed by city government staff back in 2004 and the steps that Millbrae Tomorrow took to efectively help the city government to find a better way of funding the budget deficit.
City Proposes Selling Parks to
Meet Short Term Financial ProblemsIn Workshops presented in January and February, 2004 the city government has listed sale of Millbrae park land as the number one alternative to raise money to pay for a shortfall in operating expenses. Many residents believe that it is unwise to permanently dispose of some of the city's prized open space and recreational land to solve a temporary problem. Instead they support other revenue raising measures, especially the Tax Increment Recapture option that was presented at the February 3, 2004 City Council meeting. A Fire Assessment District should also be considered. Those two sources of revenue would make any sales of irreplaceable park land unnecessary.
The city says that it is seeking feedback from citizens. Now is the time to let your voice be heard.Find out about what's new and the latest additions to this Web site on the Events/News page. Learn more about the parks by reading our Background page. Read about a creative alternative solution to Millbrae's budget crisis on our Solutions page. Then voice your opinion by printing out and signing the petition and attending the next meeting Council meeting listed on the Calendar page.
Work with others to maintain Millbrae's quality of life and property values by becoming a volunteer. Visit our Contact page to get in touch with other residents who share your desire to maintain the parks that make Millbrae such a desirable place for families to live.
Background of Spur Property
The Spur Property was originally intended to be used to extend Junipero Serra Boulevard. That was before Interstate 280 was built. Then the state deeded the property to the City of Millbrae solely for the purpose of recreation. It was not to be used for development.
The photo above shows the dedication of Josephine Waugh Park on the Spur Property in 1987. Josephine Waugh was a Millbrae resident who worked tirelessly along with Bernie Esser, Marjorie Wheeler and many others to assure that the Spur property would be available to residents as recreational parks. . . (more on the Background page).Who Provides this Web Site?
This Web site results from an informal coalition of Millbrae residents who share their their common concern about the future of our city's open space and recreational land. We put together this site with volunteer work and next to nothing in out of pocket costs.
If you share our interest in maintaining Millbrae's excellent quality of life, and would like to join in these efforts, please contact us using the e-mail link on our Contacts Page.
