Montclair Park

• Overgrowth: The pond is overgrown with weeds and shrubs.

• Related issues: There is trash in the pond that is difficult to remove; the sprayer / aerator is no longer working

• Ownership: The Parks & Tree Services Division Bureau of Environment has taken accountability and is working on an RFP process in 2022. RFP will likely include: habitat requirements, discussions with East Bay Regional Park District, permitting, review with the Water Board, and a process for operating into the future.

• Process: Consulting bids due 4/23/22, in-depth proposals due July 2022. Work stalled in 2023 due to City of Oakland staff turnover, and waiting to hear on budget and implementation timeline as of Q1 2024.

• Trash in pond: Friends of Montclair Park has asked that pond trash removal be included in the contract

• Aerator: fully functional!

2. Reopen Bathrooms

• Update 4/22/22: Standalone bathrooms have reopened! The standalone bathrooms at the south end of Montclair Park were closed for nearly 10 years due to repeated firebombing and vandalism. As a result, people are urinating and defecating outdoors in the trees and on the hillsides.

• Bathrooms are being rebuilt: COMPLETE April 2022.

• There is a daily process to open and close bathroom, 7 days/week (per emails with the City 5/3/22).

• If the bathrooms are locked during daylight hours, any day of the week, please (1) ask the staff at the Rec Center for assistance and (2) post on 311/See Click Fix

3. Pick up trash / ensure consistent trash removal

• Overflowing trash cans: The trash cans have been overflowing at points during the summer and on weekends

• General litter scattered around the park: work together to add more trash cans: how many have you installed and where?

• No recycling bins: There are no recycling bins in Montclair Park, so all cans/bottles must be deposited in the trash cans

• Street litter: There is trash scattered along Moraga Ave.

• Overflowing trash cans & general litter around the park: Measure Q allowed Parks & Tree Services to hire more staff; they are now emptying trash all park trash cans on Mondays and Fridays, plus spot checks on Saturdays and Sundays. They also do a ‘full sweep’ of the park every Wednesday and pick up loose trash then. Anyone who sees any overflowing trash should report this (ideally with a photo) to 311. In 2023, animal-proof garbage cans were added.

• No recycling bins: There is no plan to add recycling bins in Montclair Park. If anyone would like to take this on as a volunteer project, please work with Friends of Montclair Park (park@montclairneighbors.org).

• Street litter: TBD (pending street sweeping update from District Council 4 office)

4. Fix playground surface and fix the stones around the play yards

• The Montclair Park playground surface for both the toddler and bigger kid tot lots is eroded and, even when fixed, quickly falls apart again. It is a nuisance and is a falling danger for adults and a choking danger for children, who often put the pellets in their mouths.

• Stones around the play yard are falling apart: The concrete blocks around the play yard are crumbling and in disrepair.

• Complete as of June 2022!

• Stones around the play yard: Friends of Montclair Park continues to submit 311 requests to Facilities/Maintenance but we have not heard back.

5. Amphitheater

• Persistent mud and standing water: The amphitheater seems to be consistently filled with mud and standing water.

• In March 2022, the maintenance team removed a large chunk of reeds/weeds in March 2022.

• Persistent mud and water continues to be an issue after all rainfall events.

• The pond RFP that removes all reeds from within 15 feet of the shore should mitigate the long-term flooding issue.

6. Fix Amphitheater

• Stones around the amphitheater are falling apart: The concrete blocks around the amphitheater are crumbling and in disrepair

TBD, Friends of Montclair Park has put in a request to Facilities/Maintenance but we have not heard back.

7. Fix Fence along Moraga Ave

• The fence along Moraga Ave and the railroad tie steps down to the park from Moraga Ave are both crumbling

• Facilities/Maintenance is aware of this issue but it is not a top priority

• Friends of Montclair Park volunteer opportunity- for project management, purchasing lumber and /or building (rebuilding)

8. Fix Western Town climbing structure

• 5/1/22 update: The wooden Western Town structure is dangerously close to falling over.

• This is not a City of Oakland priority

• Friends of Montclair Park has requested that the Western Town structure be removed and will lead the effort to rebuild this with volunteers and grant funding.

9. Fix and put back Western Town horses

• There had been two fiberglass horses at Western Town in front of the carriage, but these were vandalized and are now in the Montclair Rec Center. They need to be fixed and reinstalled.

• There is also a horse ‘trough’ adjacent to Western Town that needs to be rebuilt.

• FOMP is seeking volunteers or local artisans to either (a) repair the horses or (b) develop new ones.

10. Power wash surfaces regularly

• Goose poop: Goose dropping accumulate quickly and have become a hazard. Quarterly volunteer clean-ups are not regular enough to keep the surfaces clean.

• The Parks & Tree Services Division has been power washing this more consistently, and committed in April 2022 to power wash the goose droppings ‘several times per season’. Friends of Montclair Park and other volunteers will use 311 requests to continue to request additional clean-up efforts if this is not sufficient.

11. Maintain / Remove vegetation

• There are trees that appear to be diseased; there is vegetation that needs to be trimmed and maintained

• Friends of Montclair Park will request that the Level II gardeners hired with Measure Q funding review the diseased trees, hire arborists if needed, and clear out the dead trees • Friends of Montclair Park volunteers help to clear brush, trim bushes (ivy, french broom, etc.) at quarterly clean-up events

12. Remove graffiti

• There is graffiti on many signs and surfaces around Montclair Park

• Update 5/1/22: The City of Oakland is working with the original (~2017) mural artist for the duck mural on the standalone bathroom and seeking a quote to update it.

• Facilities/Maintenance responds to 311 requests for graffiti clean-up, and does spot fixing of graffiti, but it is not a top priority. Recommendation: place a 311 request and include a photo.

• Friends of Montclair Park has access to graffiti removal kits at the quarterly clean-up events, so volunteers can clean up the graffiti as well.

13. Sidewalk for the 6100 Block of Moraga Ave (just North of Montclair Park)

• There is a ~400 foot section of the 6100 block of Moraga Avenue with a pedestrian sidewalk area that needs to be graded and paved

• There are large roots, utility boxes and light posts along a dirt path. Some of the path is moderately walkable, some is treacherous.

• This is a commonly-used pedestrian pathway between Montclair Park, Montclair School and Montclair Library (all within about 1/4 mile). It would be impossible for someone with a visual or physical impairment to pass- a significant safety risk for pedestrians.

• Building out this segment of sidewalk would reduce the liability for the City of Oakland and would offer an opportunity to connect Montclair Park with the soon-to-be-complete sidewalk corridor along Thornhill that terminates at Moraga Avenue.

• Friends of Montclair Park is in ongoing discussions with the District Council 4 office to add funding and a business case to build this sidewalk.

• Any sidewalk development may coincide with a ‘Road Diet’ plan to slow down Moraga Ave

15. Tree Removal

• Bunya Pine trees by Montclair Rec Center appear to be sick or dying.

• FOMP will place a 311 request and for someone in Tree Services take a look to evaluate how to rehabilitate them (Nov, 2021)

16. Path around Montclair Pond

• Community members have requested a looping path around the pond to ride bikes, scooters and roller skates.

• This will involve grading and paving the back side of the pond, including through the waterfall and amphitheater

• No requests or action yet.