What Would You Like To See At Piper Park?

Volleyball players vs. picnickers.

Bocce vs. horseshoes.

Dog walkers vs. geese.

A walk through the park can be so relaxing … except for the goose poop.

"People said they love the park's diversity, wildlife and views. They didn't like the geese, the drainage and the construction around the entry," said Courtney Hill of Royston Klimer Arnette, which recently conducted a field poll of Piper Park users.

Hill took the results of the poll to the Larkspur City Council and the Parks and Recreation Department to map out any future changes to the park.

"Field lighting was a controversial aspect of the report," Hill said. She explained several neighborhood residents were opposed to lighting the sports fields at night. Some other residents expressed concern the lights could disrupt the lives of owls and other wildlife.

A recent Sunday afternoon saw the synthetic field behind Hall Middle School busy with soccer games, while cricket players took their turn at bat in the grassy field of Piper Park. The two areas are separated by the Larkspur Community Garden, a dog and pedestrian path and fencing.

A pinata was taking a beating during a family party in the picnic area by the parking lot, while children and volleyball players got in some recreation. The tennis courts, as usual, were busy.

Hill's team came up with a number of suggestions, which met with general approval. Among the possible changes are: introducing a bocce court; letting the sandy volleyball area return to turf; eliminating the horseshoe pits; and expanding the picnic area.

Some of the ideas drew criticism from residents.

"There's no overall vision. With the changes in the past 10 years the park has gone from a passive area to being a very busy, noisy space," argued Lara Lovett. "What is the aim for 20 years from now? What is the right balance? Litter has increased four-fold, which blows into tidal marsh.
And there's nothing to address the growing needs of Hall Middle School."

Pam McClain said, "I'm a heavy user of the park for the community garden and the dog park. It's a really popular park with a lot of diverse uses. … It's very heavily used by sports teams. There's not enough passive (recreation) space. Keep in mind the age of the park users and the need for passive space."