SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - While a higher percentage of San Francisco playgrounds is getting top marks, according to a study done by local park advocates, one in five is in poor condition and could pose safety risks to the children playing there.

The nonprofit Neighborhood Parks Council sent volunteers to survey 118 playgrounds and, based on the findings, gave D or F marks to 25 of the children’s play areas. Some playgrounds received the same failing mark in a similar survey conducted in 2006.

Recreation and Park Department spokeswoman Rose Dennis said the grades are based on a “snapshot in time” and insisted the department was doing “a great job” taking care of The City’s playgrounds. Needed renovations were in the works, but take time, she said, noting that adequate resources are always in need.

Meredith Thomas, program manager for the Neighborhood Parks Council, said there were a variety of reasons why some playgrounds received failing grades. Some had old, unsafe play structures, issues related to cleanliness and safety, and/or maintenance problems.

One F-graded park, the Christopher Playground, has signs posted that children should not eat on the play equipment and should wash their hands afterwards, Thomas said, because the wood may contain arsenic.

The 2008 results are “both frustrating and expected,” Thomas said, acknowledging that The City does not currently have enough money invested to address all of the playground needs.

Nathan Ballard, a spokesman for Mayor Gavin Newsom, said a park bond recently passed by voters would provide funding for the playgrounds, in addition to financial support from The City’s general fund.

“Every one of these playgrounds is a priority to the mayor and he will fund the repair of many playgrounds in his budget,” Ballard said.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, whose district includes Youngblood Coleman Playground, which scored an F, said that while The City needs to do a better job overall with parks, she also suggested that parks in more affluent neighborhoods receive more attention.

“It’s just so unfair,” she said, noting that her district has the highest percentage of families and children.

Some playgrounds that scored poorly in 2006 saw improvements. Potrero Hill Playground went from an F grade in 2006 to an A grade in 2008 after undergoing an extensive renovation.

jsabatini@examiner.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

5:23 PM MST on Wed., May. 14, 2008 re: "Pet owners getting dogged looking for a place to park"

Examiner Reader said:
This is rich! Look at the link below the article. Dangers in Dog Parks The first one they mention is that your dog might get injured by an agressive dog, because you never know what kinds of dogs will be there. What about the kids? Kids and dogs are not a good mix. The nicest dog and the nicest kid can all of a sudden be the kid that just got bit because he or she did or did not do something that the dog reacted to. Dogs are animals! They always have the ability to suprise even their owners. Kids will do things that will cause a dog to respond. When I was a little boy (back in the 50's) I got a cowboy outfit for Christmas. I made the mistake of drawing on my Uncle and his beloved German Shepard lunged at me. Kids play - dogs react. Kids should be allowed to run free on ball fields with out having to worry about a dog chasing them down or if the one chasing them down means any harm. Playgrounds for kids!

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5:12 PM MST on Wed., May. 14, 2008 re: "Pet owners getting dogged looking for a place to park"

Examiner Reader said:
The fact that there are thousands more dogs than kids should not be a rational for giving the parks to the dogs. Miraloma was in terrible shape before it was redone. It was very uneven and you could easily twist your ankle if you were playing with your kids. The dog owners just stand and let thier dogs do their business and dig on the lawn. If I hear another dog owner say "they are responsible" I just might scream. The dogs in this neighborhood bark at anyone that walks by thet bark at people trying to enjoy their own back yards. I had one of these responsible dog owners let her dog bark for hours every afternoon and night while she worked a swing shift. I tried to work with her to no avail. She had no control over the animal. She didn't care about the human suffering she was allowing to happen. It was more important to her to let her dog have access to the back yard while she was gone. Stern Grove and Upper Noe are within minutes of the ball field. They have dog runs there go there!

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11:15 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008 re: "Pet owners getting dogged looking for a place to park"

Miraloma neighbor said:
Dog owners at Miraloma Playground do not follow the leash rules up there. The dogs crap and pee all over the field, on the tennis courts. They dig with their paws. The grass field will be wrecked before the summer is over. Dog owners rationalize having their dogs with stupid arguments. Let the kids have a nice field to play on, keep your Mutt on leash and walk it around the block!

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12:32 PM MST on Mon., May. 12, 2008 re: "Pet owners getting dogged looking for a place to park"

Examiner Reader said:
Yeah, hardly any dog owners ever pick up after their dogs ... it is disgusting. How is it any differnt from humans using the streets for toilets? It smells just as bad. Why don't those people have their dogs crap and urinate in front of their OWN HOUSES instead of in front of MY HOUSE? My favorite comment this week "get over it -- when it rains, it will wash it away" ...uh, it is the month of MAY, idiot.

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11:56 AM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "City rejects PGA Tour�s bid for fungicide use at Harding"

Examiner Reader said:
Rather than pressuring SF to use dangerous chemicals the PGA ought to be threatening to stop having tournaments at golf courses that don't use recycled water. Harding Park uses Hetch Hetchy water. What a terrible waste.

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9:20 AM MST on Sat., Apr. 26, 2008 re: "Neighborhood parks are making the grade"

Examiner Reader said:
I wish Supervisor Maxwell and others so inclined, would stop with the comments re: the more affluent neighborhoods receiving the bulk of park funding. As an employee of the Recreation and Park Dept. I can tell you that, through the years, a lot of tax dollars have been allocated to the southeast quadrant of the city, more often at the expense of other areas of the city to address such concerns as playground/field maintenance and recreation programming. This is an area of the city that appears to expect certain entitlements, yet cannot uphold their end of the bargain to respect and work with our department to help maintain our resources. It's tiring to constantly hear that this area is so underfunded and how it's the Recreation and Parks Dept's fault for not doing this, or not doing that. When their play structures, buildings and equipment are vandalized and program attendance is low, we still make the necessary repairs and do the community outreach. And this is still our fault? C'

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10:39 AM MST on Sun., Mar. 16, 2008 re: "New proposal for downtown space wins over hearts"

Justine said:
it looks weird that the building is on a high side n the surrounding is low.. why not make it same plane field so it won't look like theres a huge building out of no where???!?!? or face the other building towards ryans park n not block behind JCC...

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3:04 AM MST on Sun., Dec. 2, 2007 re: "Once empty lot, now part of community"

Examiner Reader said:
You should see the beautiful 20,000 Christmas lights on the garden of eden on 2600 block of Eager street. This is the twelve years of lifting the spirit of the children and residents. Another example of what to do with a vacant lot - save lives. The lights are on from 5p.m. to 1.33a.m.

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6:46 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007 re: "Future park among largest in county"

Examiner Reader said:
The traffic on woodbine road is bad enough as it is so lets build something to bring in more. The people that were born and raised in woodbine have moved away because of the over crowding and the outsiders coming in. We don't need another yuppie park where people can drive in with their lexus', what about a park were you can drive your tractor in,you know something for the farm people.Lets listen to the people OF WOODBINE not the people thats lived here for a few years.

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7:35 PM MST on Thu., May. 24, 2007 re: "Future of Rash Field�s volleyball park is uncertain"

Ryan said:
Its interesting that with such a large demand for the Volleyball courts, all of the proposals for the new park have less area for volleyball. There is nothing like city officals that don't listen to the people. You got to love it!

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