The Olympic Club withdrew its $10 million proposal to renovate Westlake Park in Daly City after residents raised concerns about the project’s impact on public use of the park.
The San Francisco-based athletic club sent a letter to the city on Friday that it was ending its proposal to renovate the park’s field, build a clubhouse and rebuild the Doelger Senior Center.
“We value our ongoing relationship with the city and will continue to support your efforts on the Vista Grande project and other initiatives where we can remain a good neighbor,” General Manager Tim Muessle said in the letter.
The Vista Grande is a project aimed at reducing flood risks and reroute runoff to Lake Merced.
The club had paused its plans and canceled a community outreach meeting scheduled for Aug. 13 to further “sharpen” the proposal proposal.
At a June council meeting, the club proposed replacing the field’s grass with artificial turf and adding lines for baseball, softball, rugby, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey — a renovation that would have limited residents’ access to the field during certain hours. The club was looking to use the field for up to 30 hours per week, according to Nick Lusson, the club’s athletic director.
The club also planned for repaving the tennis courts and converting two courts for both tennis and pickleball, along with removing several parking spaces. The proposed clubhouse would have included locker rooms, a social space, and offices. Access would have been limited to club members, according to Lusson.
Save Westlake Park, a group formed in response to the project, banded together and still showed up at the canceled meeting to voice their opposition.
“This is a bad deal for Daly City citizens. It’s a community resource that needs to stay for the community,” resident Tatum King said.
Andrew Sielen, who started Save Westlake Park, said Daly City lacks parks for its residents.
“We are at a massive deficit here,” Sielen previously said. “I’ve never seen such a low amount of parks for people.”
With the Olympic Club’s proposal now withdrawn, resident Burt Wilson suggested exploring a ballot measure or fundraising to rehabilitate Westlake Park.