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To the President of the Friends of Clark Park, Erin Engelstad
Dear President Erin Engelstad,
I am writing to you today concerning the new permit requirements planned for Clark Park and all Philadelphia parks. After the discussion at the Activity Location Committee of FOCP on Thursday, I believe you can see how this planned radical transformation of our parks seriously concerns members of this community. When the people of Philadelphia discover the planned rental fees for parks and the implications of these new permit requirements, I believe the overwhelming majority of the Clark Park community and all Philadelphians will organize against these, as well as the violations of the US Constitution these guarantee.
As a former member and board member of FOCP, I am requesting that you use your authority as president to call a special meeting of the Friends of Clark Park, announcing it to the entire community, for the purpose of discussing this immediate crisis. FOCP members and all local residents need a report from FOCP leaders about everything you have discovered about these rental fees and permits, and most importantly, residents need an open ended community forum to discuss and plan responses. Facilitating such neighborhood discussion forums is thought to be the primary purpose around which civic associations were originally organized. I offer you my personal assistance in the work to facilitate and announce a special meeting.
At the special meeting, I would also like to submit a letter for the consideration of the FOCP membership, for the purpose of forwarding it to the city on behalf of the Friends of Clark Park. I formerly request an opportunity to be given a few minutes of the meeting agenda to introduce it to the members. (I believe that FOCP members will insist upon universal waivers of all fees for all Clark Park groups, until the proper public hearings take place. This will keep the FOCP organization from being divided against any park groups, and from transferring governmental authority to FOCP.)
The first time I experienced a call for these radical new permit requirements was in 2001-2002 at the Friends of Clark Park, University City District, Quality of Life Task Force. These demands represent a complete misapplication of an ordinance by city council, creating a special events review committee in the old Fairmount Park Commission. That law was never intended to be applied to park groups, but was created to reimburse the city for major events requiring street closures, and was passed in response to serious problems at a South St. pub crawl called, the South St. Mardi Gras.
Contrary to the initial literature from the new Parks and Recreation Department, applying these requirements to virtually all park activities, is not a simple extension of existing city policy. It is a radical leap that was clearly not intended in the law. Before such a policy subjects taxpayers to lawsuits based on the Due Process Clause of the 14th amendment, city council needs to hold hearings and formerly pass or reject authorization of these outrageous requirements. This represents several serious oversteps of the responsiblity of the Parks and Recreation Department to keep its policies within the laws.
Our parks are the foundation for healthy neighborhoods and the vibrant culture that makes Philadelphia communities great places to live and visit. There is no better example than Clark Park, which has always been the dynamic center of this West Philly neighborhood. These new and extreme rental fees and permit requirements promise to turn our parks into gated country clubs, where the permits function as the gates. These promise to make parks only available for corporate sponsored events and wealthy exclusive clubs, while preventing the free and open use of parks to all. The plans to give full waivers of the rental fees to powerful special interest groups, while imposing extreme and impossible fees and burdens on neighborhood activities, is a clear violation of the rights of park users based on the 1st and 14th amendments to the US Constitution.
I wish to thank you in advance for your consideration and eagerly await your decision on this request for a special meeting. As you know, some local residents are already mobilizing to fight this injustice. I and others have a great hope that you can bring a new direction and leadership to the Friends of Clark Park and gain respect and admiration in the community for FOCP, as well asfor your leadership. You will find many local people willing to help you. I personally will do everything I can to assist you in these goals.
Note: I have forwarded this official letter to the public listserv serving the local community, known as the purple list.
Sincerely,
Glenn Moyer
Founder of Clark Park Volleyball, 1982, 1996
Founder of the Clark Park Music and Arts Community, 1998 (festivals 1999-2004)
Clark Park Farmers Market Proposal, 1996-97
Friends of Clark Park Board Member, resigned
Friends of Clark Park, University City District, Quality of Life Task Force, 2001-02
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