Help Build the Mark West Area Community Park
The Park
With your donation (DONATE HERE), this one-acre empty lot in the heart of the Mark West Area, located at 4614 Old Redwood Highway, will once again welcome the laughter of children and gathering of family, friends and neighbors. Reborn as the new Mark West Area Community Park, this open space will become the heart and hub of our community.
Your ideas received!
Thank you to the kids of the Mark West Union School District and our community members for sharing their park design ideas! View a few of the design ideas we have received. Next step, we are working with Community Soil Foundation (a local nonprofit) to help finalize our park design so we can meet with Permit Sonoma to begin the permitting process.
Donate today
Donate now to receive recognition at a variety of donation levels. View these donation options here.
Thank you to our growing list of donors for helping build our Mark West Area community park!
April 2024 Update
View our brief video from Amy Ricard of the Ag+Open Space District on the progress of our park development!
Join us for a ribbon cutting celebration on Saturday, May 11. Learn more here.
Escrow closed!
On January 31, 2024, escrow closed on the park property located at 4614 Old Redwood Hwy. The Mark West Area Park is one step closer to opening up to our community! Thank you to Sonoma Land Trust, Supervisor Gore, County of Sonoma, Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, and all our donors for making this happen.
Park Planning Moves Ahead
The Mark West Area Community Fund Board of Directors has entered into a contract with Community Soil Foundation, a local non-profit organization that specializes in landscape design work for initial park design drawings. The initial park design drawings will be used for the permitting process at Sonoma Permit. The design concepts being used were received from our community during our many community engagement events and from students at the Mark West Union School District. You can see some of the design ideas we received on our website at www.markwestarea.org.
Construction Costs and Fundraising
We will be seeking funding to support the predevelopment and construction phases of our park. In January, we will provide a menu of options for sponsorships to construct amenities of the park. For example, the Saba Foundation has already generously donated through their grant program nearly $300,000 for the children’s playground and its development. The playground will be called the “Saba Foundation Playground” and a plaque at the park will be placed near the playground. Other opportunities like this will be available to choose from on our website.
A Message from the Board of Directors
The Mark West Area Community Fund Board of Directors wants to express our sincere appreciation for the donations and support received to date for the purchase and construction of our new community park. Please continue to support the park as part of your year-end giving. Check our website at www.markwestarea.org for more details. The outpouring of encouragement, involvement, and support has been inspirational – this is why we are volunteering our time to this non-profit and cause.
Thank you!
Amy Ricard with the Ag+Open Space provides an update
How can you help?
Donations will be used for park operational and construction costs.
Donate online or mail a check to:
Payable to:
Mark West Area Community Fund
Mailing address:
Mark West Area Community Fund
4787 Old Redwood Highway
Santa Rosa, CA
95403
Design work underway!
The Mark West Area Community Fund is working with Community Soil to design our new park! Community Soil is a comprehensive design, installation, and maintenance company that offers a range of services to assist landowners in maximizing the potential of their properties. The initial design work will be used for permitting and development purposes. Thank you to our community and kids from the Mark West Union School District for providing park design ideas! View the ideas we received here!
Raising funds to build our park!
Now that the purchase of the property for our new park is complete, fundraising for building the park starts! One such example of how you or your organization can help is by selecting a donation level on this page or see the list of amenities below to sponsor the construction of that item.
Playground - $250,000 (Sold! This item is being sponsored by the Saba Foundation)
Gazebo - A place for community to gather for musical presentations, plays, town hall meetings, movie nights and more!
Trees - Donations over $5,000 help for the planting of large trees with name plaques
Fitness stations (6) - Six fitness stations
Butterfly garden - A beautiful garden of native plants supporting the butterfly population
Donation levels & recognition
$100 - Contributor
Newsletter subscription
A beautiful Certificate of Appreciation, suitable for framing, that recognizes your participation as a Contributor
An exclusive Foundation t-shirt
$250 - Friend
All of the above, plus:
Two tickets to annual BBQ
$500 - Benefactor
All of the above, plus:
Name recognition on plaque at park
$1,000 - Director’s Circle
All of the above, plus:
Invitation to special VIP events
Special recognition in Annual Report
$5,000 - Champion’s Circle
All of the above, plus:
A tree planted with name plaque
$10,000 - Founder’s Circle
All of the above, plus:
Name recognition on t-shirts and marketing materials
$20,000 - Resilience Circle
All of the above, plus:
A bench in the park with your name on it
$100,000 + - Goats Circle
All of the above, plus:
Premium name recognition on main park signage
Your donation is tax deductible
The Mark West Area Community Fund is recognized as a non-profit cooperative association under section 501 (c) 3 of the United State Internal Revenue Service tax code. Our tax identification number is 92-2669449. We operate on a fiscal year from January 1 to December 31. Monetary and in-kind donations to the Mark West Area Community Fund are considered to be tax deductible, unless limited by law.
Our Vision
The Mark West Area Community Park will serve as a community “hub” or “plaza” that will include the following features:
Park benches and tables to enjoy lunch from a nearby business
Children play and youth/senior exercise structures/activities
Native plants and flower gardens featuring drought tolerant landscaping
Outdoor gazebo for community gatherings/meetings
Mark West Area Community Park Location:
4614 Old Redwood Highway, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Community testimonials on what a new park means for the Mark West Area!
Stephanie Bisordi
Cruz Jeffus
The Andreis family
Tracy Lavin-Kendall
Carol Eber
Watch this two-minute video of the property where the Mark West Area Community Park will rise.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Why is this property so expensive to purchase?
The owners of the preschool initially sought to sell the property to developers to build a 40-unit apartment complex. We believe that at least 2 developers offered $1.8 million for the property (advertised at $2M), but the owner agreed to sell the property to the community for a park, if we could meet the offer.
2) Will the County be the owners of the park and maintain it?
No, this park is not part of Sonoma County Regional Parks.
3) Who will be the owner of the park and who will pay to maintain it?
The MW Community Fund (a nonprofit) will own and maintain the park. It will be a “private” park for the use of the MW community.
4) How much parking will there be?
We hope to establish a few parking spaces for ADA accessibility and for public use. However, we encourage people to walk or ride bikes, scooters, skateboards, or strollers to the community park.
5) Will there be bathrooms? If not, will the restaurant let us use their bathroom?
We are looking into bathroom options based on County permitting requirements.
6) When do we get to start using the park?
Groundbreaking should occur in Summer 2024.
7) What are the next steps after acquisition?
Additional funds will need to be raised to develop the park. Donations and volunteer efforts will help with these efforts.
8) How do we get ongoing information about the park?
There is a way to sign up (subscribe) to a newsletter on the website. See bottom of this page.
9) What will be the park hours?
Sunrise to sunset.
10) Will the park be secured/locked at night?
The Mark West Area Community Fund is exploring options.
11) How do I sign up to get a community garden spot?
This still needs to be determined.
12) How can I help and is there a place to sign up?
Please go to the website and let us know how you would like to help.
13) How are you going to keep the homeless out?
While we can’t guarantee that unhoused individuals won’t seek shelter at the park, we will design it in such a way to discourage “camping.” Also, since the park is not a public park, we can post “no trespassing” and “no camping” signs, and then enforce these policies.
14) Will the park be ADA accessible?
Yes. We will seek public and expert input on the best way to accomplish accessibility for all.
15) Will there be access to the park from the back (MW Estates)?
No. Unfortunately, the property on the opposite side of the fence is all private property with no apparent easements.
16) Can the board purchase the building next door for a community center, since it appears that the restaurant is not moving in?
No, the restaurant owners have plans to open the site in 2024.
17) Is Carlton still planning to build an assisted living facility next to Molsberry’s? If not, can we purchase that property?
Many of us have heard rumors that Carlton will no longer be building on the site, but there is not confirmation of this. Frankly, that site is likely too large and too expensive for the community to purchase.
18) Is the tree in the park still alive?
Maybe, but it appears to have experienced a lot of damage during the Tubbs Fire and may need to come down, for safety reasons. We will contact an arborist for further clarification.
19) Will there be a fence between the restaurant parking lot and the park?
We have heard that the property owners of the restaurant are interested in a permanent fence between the two properties.
20) What donations levels exist to support the park?
View our donation page to see the many levels available to financially support the park.
