Fairmount Park faces major cutbacks

Fairmount Park, widely viewed as already underfunded and understaffed, could lose more than 100 full-time and seasonal positions and close at least three heavily used facilities under the worst of a range of budget-cut scenarios Mayor Nutter has requested.

A sober Fairmount Park Commission, convened for its regular monthly meeting yesterday, listened as park director Mark Focht laid out what the park would face in the event of 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent reductions.

The park budget is about $13 million.

To effect a 10 percent reduction, the park would eliminate 16 full-time positions from its total of about 170. The number of portable toilets would decline by 25 percent, to 45. Mowing, trash pickup, and park-ranger operations all would be reduced.

Given a reduction of 20 percent, 20 full-time and 20 seasonal positions would go, no park fountains would be turned on, all historic mansions would be closed during summer and fall, environmental summer camps would be eliminated, maintenance and oversight of properties would be severely restricted, and portable toilets would be reduced further.

Should cuts of 30 percent be required, 31 full-time and 70 seasonal positions would be lost, the Horticulture Center, Lloyd Hall on Boathouse Row, and the park's Welcome Center on JFK Plaza would all close, annual flower planting on the Parkway and in neighborhood parks would cease, all street and park tree pruning would end, park-ranger funding would nosedive, and park personnel would be able to respond only to emergencies.

Nutter, who has asked all city agencies to present similar scenarios, is considering how to proceed in the face of falling tax revenues and fiscal uncertainty in Washington.

The park commission - which will cease to exist in July due to a voter-approved change in the city charter creating a new Department of Parks and Recreation - also gave a conceptual go-ahead to a plan for construction of a private facility on parkland.

The Wellness Community, a support organization for those affected by cancer that leases the historic Ridgeland Mansion off Chamounix Drive in west Fairmount Park, seeks to build a 7,000-square-foot research facility next to the mansion.

Debra Wolf Goldstein, who represents Nutter on the commission, argued in favor of the new construction. Of the seven votes favoring the proposal, five were from representatives of the Nutter administration. The four votes in opposition were cast by unaffiliated elected commissioners.

The approval, subject to legal review, follows a controversial plan to allow Fox Chase Cancer Center to build on 19 acres of Burholme Park. That plan was scuttled by Philadelphia Orphans Court, which ruled in December that the city and park did not have the authority to dispose of deeded parkland.

Fox Chase has appealed that ruling.