The seasons first mega event in Dolores Park was last Sunday, and the Park was hit hard.

Mission Mission published a snap of some of the dozens of trash piles that dotted Hipster Hill on Monday and the comments section went off.  What Pigs! Something has to be done!  Are we in for another summer of back to back Mega events?  One park neighbor wrote

“…the sheer number of people at DP is out of hand. It is a NEIGHBORHOOD park people, not SHORELINE amphitheater, or the Polo fields at GGP. At some point the CITY needs to get some cojones and either manage the events at the park OR disallow events.”

Well Rec and Park, at the urging of the City, is quietly putting in place a plan to get the most over loved park in town under control. Permits for events at Dolores now are infinitely harder to obtain. All requests to hold an event at Dolores now have there own on-line reservation form, separate from other Rec and Park reservations.  Even if you want to reserve a picnic table you must now go through the new Dolores channel.

The Dolores Park reservation stress that alcohol and BBQ’s are not allowed.  A separate sound permit is required.

Last month, the Parks Department brought in a new manager  to oversee the booking of major events, Dana Ketcham.   Ketcham is in the process of bringing major reservations into the 21st Century. Her office is in Pioneer Cabin in the middle of Golden Gate Park, a rustic and quaint relic, tucked in the trees on the way to Stow Lake. It is the home to what was fast becoming and even more quaint reservation system.

We are half way through the process”, Ketcham explained. When it is complete she hopes to be able to have a real time record of all applications and  a list of approved and denied permits. An up to date calendar of Dolores Parks events will then be posted. (Dolores Park View has recently attempted our own version of a calendar)

Applications are being reviewed twice a month by Ketcham, and Park area supervisors, Bob Palacio and Adrian Field.

With this new order, the department hopes to be able to limit the number of major event in Dolores to no more then, “two a month, ideally. ” Ketcham explained. Right now there are many events that have already been booked and some that have a long standing tradition in Dolores Park, so this goal may not be reached this year.  “We are trying to deflect some of the big events out of Dolores Park and into other venues. We are trying for a balance between a neighborhood park and a special event park.” Ketcham  told  Dolores Park View, ” People have heard you guys.” But it is up to the community to decide where this balance should be she cautioned. I agree.