San Anselmo is preparing for a potential fundraising effort to renovate Memorial Park.

The Town Council has approved a $50,000 contract with Lotus Consulting for a capital campaign feasibility analysis. The project is expected to cost $6 million. The town said it can only fund about half over the next three years.

“This park renovation and the capital campaign is sort of our next large project over the next few years, and I think this is a really important first step, and a professional step, towards making it a realization,” Councilmember Eileen Burke said at the June 27 meeting.

First built for baseball, Memorial Park turns 100 next year. While many of its aging components have been replaced, the town aims to upgrade four tennis courts, add a dropoff and pickup area, create picnic spots and build a concession stand and new restrooms.

The consultant’s plan would help determine if the funding gap can be closed with community support.

Other efforts to finance the project have failed.

A 30-year, $99 per year parcel tax on the November 2019 earned only 39% approval. The measure, which required a two-thirds majority, would have funded the entire renovation.

“Since that time, the town has been able to renovate several areas within the park, including the playground, skatepark, turf areas and main parking lot,” Town Manager Dave Donery said.

The Town Council asked staff to revisit the plans in 2023 as part of a master plan update. Specifically studied were the southwestern areas of the park from the snack shack to Sunny Hills Drive, which includes the skate park, tennis and basketball courts and a parking area, Donery said.

The council approved a final design in June 2024. While the original estimates were $4.3 million to $4.5 million, rising costs have increased the need to $6 million.

The town can fund about $3 million over the next three years using Measure J, Measure A and recreation fund reserves. The Memorial Park subcommittee determined another parcel tax effort wouldn’t be fruitful.

“To raise the remaining amount it was decided that a philanthropic capital campaign was the best, potentially only way the town could meet the funding goal,” Donery said.

The consultants will assess if the community has the capacity for such a philanthropic effort and if the goal is feasible. A final report would include how much money could be raised, list potential campaign leaders and promising donors and detail a timeline, Donery said.

“I was a capital campaign consultant for 15 years so I’m very familiar with this process and the needs assessment and feel that her price seems very reasonable and was impressed by the proposal,” Mayor Tarrell Kullaway said.

Local consultants that specialize in this type of campaign were limited, but Lotus Consulting was recommended, Donery said. The founder, Melissa Irish, is a San Anselmo resident and has other clients in the North Bay. While there was no request for proposals submitted, Donery said the assessment did not meet the requirements for one.

“I would agree that it makes a lot of sense to have someone who understands our community, and not just our community but what the fundraising landscape is here,” Councilmember Steve Burdo said. “We really need to do the feasibility study to understand what we’re working with.”

Funding sources include $15,000 from the recreation fund reserves and $35,000 from general fund reserves.