Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTOM DOLLE - Sunrise Park-Council-Presentation-1023-TDD© Tom Dolle | 2023 | V1 Golden Sunrise An Initiative to Renew Sunrise Park and Celebrate 50 Years of 
 Palm Springs Public Recreation Sunrise Park: A Central Park in the heart of Palm Springs. Block bounded by Sunrise on the west, Baristo on the north, Ramon on the south, and the high school on the east. •Largest concentration of recreational facilities and largest historic campus of public buildings by prominent Palm Springs architects. •Has the most natural shade of any city park. •Only park with direct access to store, restaurants, coffee shops. 2 HISTORY It was the Polo Grounds before Sunrise Park. Built in 1950 with funds from a $400,000 bond issue, it included the following facilities: •Baseball stadium •Horse track and paddocks, 
 site of the Desert Circus and Rodeo •Pavilion Community Center, former 1941 roller rink by John Porter Clark S U N R I S E BARISTO RAMON 3 Proposition R Bond issue was passed by voters in Nov. 1972. $5 million of general obligation bonds for an ambitious plan to expand community recreation in response to a 1972 study: •Polo Grounds—build new Community Pavilion, 
 Public Library, Community Recreation Center, 
 Swim Complex, park landscaping •Frances Stevens School—
 purchase and create senior center and park •Demuth Park—enlarge by 40 acres, 
 new lighted Little League fields •Desert Highland Park—enlarge by 5 acres, 
 new Community Recreation Building •Bicycle trails throughout the city 4 High profile local architects created a Master Plan. Prominent architect William Cody, as City Architect, headed the Palm Springs Collaborative team of 9 local architects, including: •Donald Wexler •Richard Harrison •Hugh Kaptur •Michael Black Added to the team were 
 landscape architects: •David Hamilton •Michael Buccino 5 Everything opened in 1975 to great fanfare! Despite high inflation, cutbacks and delays, all facilities were delivered as promised, and opened with parties, community events, and celebrations. 6 SUNRISE RAMONBARISTOSunrise Park 1974 Boys Club (1958) Fire Station 
 (1950, Clark & Frey) Pavilion and Leisure Center (Donald Wexler) Stadium (1950) Swim Center 
 (Hugh Kaptur) Dr. Frey Jaycee Building (1966, W. C. Doty) Library (William Cody) Original Pavilion
 (1941, John Porter Clark) 7 This visionary expansion of public recreation throughout the City, designed by prominent local architects and centered in Sunrise Park, was supported and celebrated by the Palm Springs community. It helped secure our reputation as a premier resort city. 8 Capital Projects •The Pavilion and Leisure Center are shabby, showing their age, not upgraded, and underutilized. •The landscaping is tired, mostly turf, and non-sustainable. •There is inadequate identity signage, and non-existent directional signage. But years of neglect and deferred maintenance have taken their toll. 9 3 different monument signs, 
 3 different names for the Library Confusing and Inadequate Signage 10 Main Entrance 
 Is Unidentified Pavilion Way is hidden and unmarked, and is the only entrance to: •The Pavilion •Leisure Center •Swim Center •Skate Park •Stadium •Parking lot 11 No Visual Identity Vast expanses of empty lawn, bland tombstone-like signage, hard-to-find entrances, inadequate directional signage, and poorly placed public art don’t convey a welcoming space for public recreation. 12 HISTORICAL PROTECTION SUSTAINABILITY & SOLAR BETTER SIGNAGE & IDENTITY RESTORATION / RENOVATION / ADAPTIVE RE-USE 1 2 4 3 13 A Four-Part Vision to Renew Sunrise Park HISTORICAL PROTECTION Sunrise Park Historic District With a rich history in the city’s culture since the 1920s, and 9 significant structures by prominent local architects, Sunrise Park is the largest campus of its kind and a unique historical asset that should be celebrated and protected. Historic designation opens the door to state & federal grants, and foundation & private funding opportunities. 1 14 •Establish Sunrise Park as a leader in sustainability— strategic turf removal, desert landscaping, tree planting along the perimeter of the park, shade structures. •Extend the program to other city parks. Create a Modern Desert Landscape 15 SUSTAINABILITY & SOLAR2 Put the SUN in Sunrise Park •Create shade and generate power via solar roofs, parking lots, shade structures at pool. •There were 3 previous proposals in the 1970s to use solar installations for pool heating, and the technology has advanced considerably since then. 16 SUSTAINABILITY & SOLAR continued New Perimeter Landscaping Relandscaping the perimeter areas would identify and define the park, make it more appealing, create shade for the sidewalks and contribute to sustainability. BETTER SIGNAGE & IDENTITY3 17 Give the Park a Visual Identity Attractive identity and informational signage, in landscaped beds, would have a dramatic and immediate impact on the perception of the park. 18 BETTER SIGNAGE & IDENTITY continued Mark the Entrance New directional signage on Baristo will highlight the main entrance to Sunrise Park at Pavilion Way. 19 BETTER SIGNAGE & IDENTITY continued 20 Install new monument sign, add Swim Center wall mural, relandscape area in attractive desertscape. Create highly visible Ramon Road signage. BETTER SIGNAGE & IDENTITY continued •Transform the Pavilion into a first class, flexible, multi-use entertainment & community space with modern lighting, sound system, acoustics, flexible seating. •There are no large local venues with flexible, non-fixed seating. Rethink the Pavilion & Leisure Center RESTORATION / RENOVATION / ADAPTIVE RE-USE4 21 The Parks Master Plan process opens door to large-scale planning. •The community’s input will help create a vision for the future. •Issues such as climate change, water in the parks, needed renovations or new facilities, safety, and maintenance can be addressed. •The results should lead to a push for major reinvestment throughout the park system. •What future role will Sunrise Park play in the overall park system? 22 RESTORATION / RENOVATION / ADAPTIVE RE-USE continued Proposal: A 2025 Citywide Celebration Marking the Historic 1975 Contribution to Public Recreation 23 2025 is Sunrise Park’s 50th Anniversary. •A celebration can connect disparate park projects and events. •It’s a two-year opportunity to clean up the parks, increase visibility and awareness. •Reacquaints community to the importance of our public spaces. •Inclusive of the entire community—all age groups, all socio-economic groups, arts, architecture, sports, outdoor enthusiasts. •Catalyst to propel significant future investment throughout the park system, informed by results of the new Master Plan. 24 2025 CELEBRATION Create a branded citywide parks festival. •Diverse programming to engage the community. •Build on the larger theme of public recreation. •Pursue major sponsorship opportunities. A unique opportunity 
 to kick-off a vision for the future, while honoring the past. 25 City Departments 
 that have a Role: •City Council •City Manager •Department of Parks & Recreation/ Engineering/Planning •Office of Sustainability •Public Arts Commission •Planning Division •Public Works Department •Department of Maintenance & Facilities •Department of Communications 
 & Media Relations •Office of Neighborhoods 26 This has been presented to the following organizations, and met with enthusiastic support: •Palm Springs Architectural Alliance •Palm Springs Modern Committee •Palm Springs Preservation Foundation •Historic Site Preservation Board •Palm Springs Historical Society •Preservation Mirage •People for Parks Our predecessors had the vision to greatly expand and support public parks & recreation. Let’s celebrate that achievement, and continue the legacy for today’s community and future generations. © Tom Dolle 2023 | Thanks to: Palm Springs Historical Society; The Desert Sun Archives; Palm Springs Art Museum, Hugh Kaptur Archives27