The Fairmount Park frontage must be returned to the Parks Department

By Mike Gardner

The 17.59 acre Market Street frontage of Fairmount Park should be transferred back to the Park and placed under the control of the Parks Department where it belongs.

If park friendly uses are appropriate for some of the land let the Parks Department lease the property and control the activity. Any such lease would be examined by both the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission and the City Council. If the use turns out not to be beneficial the land would revert to park use.

In the longer term, we should seriously consider a ballot measure to define Fairmount Park and place it in the City Charter, which would prevent a future Council from taking Park property for other uses.