Montclair Park

• Pond issues: Overgrowth of weeds and shrubs; trash and litter that is difficult to remove.

• 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: Proposal was due July 2022 but work stalled in 2023 due to City of Oakland staff turnover. Staff unresponsive throughout Q3/Q4 2024. It seems to be an issue of unclear roles and ownership within the City.

• Trash in pond: Friends of Montclair Park has asked that pond trash removal be included in the contract. In the meantime, 311/see click fix is fairly effective.

• Aerator: fully functional!

• 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. The City worked hard to re-open these and having community support was instrumental.

• 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

• Overflowing trash cans: Mainly addressed; the trash cans sometimes overflow during the summer and on weekends with heavy park use. 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/See Click Fix

• Animal-proof garbage cans were added in 2023

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

• Beautiful and popular Montclair Pickleball Courts with lights; some courts are reserveable

• Tot lot resurfacing completed May, 2022. These look great and have easy upkeep. Thank you, City of Oakland!

• Issues: (1) Persistent mud and water fills the amphitheater after all rainfall events; (2) Stones are crumbling

 • Resolution Attempts: (1) Standing water: In March 2022, the Oakland Public Works (OPW) maintenance team removed a large chunk of reeds/weeds from the drain, however this did not fix the problem. The RFP to clean the pond stipulated the removal of all reeds from within 15 feet of the shore, which should mitigate the long-term flooding issue, but the RFP has not been implemented. Mosquito Abatement checks the standing water regularly for mosquito-carrying water-borne diseases. (2) Crumbling stones: reported ~2x/year to 311/See Click Fix

• Historic climbing structure with rotting wood and wobbly walls; fixing this does not seem to be a City of Oakland priority

• There had been several fiberglass horses at Western Town in front of the carriage, but these were vandalized and are now in storage at 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.

• Potential volunteer project for someone to restore these!

• Grassy field used for frisbee, picnics, soccer is often over-watered

• Large picnic areas, reservable through the City of Oakland

• Please clean up after your group using the dedicated trash cans. 

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

• Friends of Montclair Park will place a 311 request and for someone in Tree Services take a look to evaluate how to rehabilitate them 

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

• 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.

• This photo shows the graffiti on Feather Hill- the area above the Montclair Recreation Center

• There are both native and invasive species of bushes and trees at Montclair Park

• Friends of Montclair Park has requested 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 volunteer clean-up events 

• Fence posts are starting to fall over

• Goose dropping accumulate quickly and have become a hazard. Periodic 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. 

• 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