Dear members of City Council and Parks and Recreation Commissioners,
Bedwell Bayfront Park hosted a station for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15, 2018. A clean up station has been held here for
close to 10 years.
This year:
108 lbs. of trash and 50 lbs. of recycling were collected.
140 people participated – a new record. Many families with children came as well as Sacred Heart School and Girl Scouts.
Interesting things found or noted:
·Cigarette butts were the most prevalent item found, according to many participants. Caps from water bottles also were found in
high numbers.
·Two 5-foot long fluorescent light tubes.
·1 drone.
·2 tires. Girl Scouts rolled one over to the collection point.
·Blankets, underwear. We were told of sleeping bags and similar that were not picked up.
·Dog ▒▒▒▒ – both in and out of plastic bags.
Concerns
·Cigarette butts indicate a big fire hazard in this park of dry grassland.
·The human ▒▒▒▒, clothing, blankets are clearly from people living or sleeping in the park. The clumps of shrubs and trees, when
you go into the hollow area inside the foliage, have indications of use more often than not.
·We witnessed a drone being flown over the park, and over the parking lot. Menlo Park police were notified of the exact location
but did not come for an hour and then a patrol car was seen driving to the other parking lot. Despite the regulation being
implemented in November 2016 the only places it can be found is on the map pamphlet at the kiosk and on the very small icon at the
entrance gate. The city’s website about the park has regulations but they do not mention drones or radio-controlled planes.
·The big ‘storyboard’ with map and regulations was damaged in February and removed in May. There is no estimate of when even a
temporary kiosk might be put in with the current regulations.
We appreciate that you value the park, and look forward to a day when there may be better patrols and ranger coverage to help keep
the park clean and safe.
Thank you.
Chris MacIntosh and Davena Gentry
Friends of Bedwell Bayfront Park
Chris MacIntosh
