CITY OF OAKLAND
MEMORANDUM
DATE: April 14, 2022TO: City Council and Members of the PublicFROM: Council President Nikki Fortunato BasSUBJECT: Resolution Renaming Madison Park to WilmaChan Park, In Honor OfHer Legacy And Dedication And Service To Chinatown, Asian AmericanPacific Islander, And Oakland Communities Dear City Council Colleagues and Members of the Public, It is my honor to respectfully request the Council adopt the following resolution: ResolutionRenaming Madison Park to Wilma Chan Park, In Honor Of Her Legacy And Dedication And ServiceTo Chinatown, Asian American Pacific Islander, And Oakland Communities. Thank you to ViceMayor Rebecca Kaplan and President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao for co-sponsoring this resolution.
The Honorable Supervisor Wilma Chan served Oakland and Alameda County residents for more thanthree decades, with an exceptional and impactful career in public service. Sup. Chan’s contributionssupporting the wellness of underserved and uninsured communities – especially championingchildren, families, seniors, immigrants, and AAPI neighbors – spanned her service on the OaklandUnified School District Board of Education, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, California StateAssembly, and Alameda County Children and Families Commission.
On November 3, 2021 in the City of Alameda, which Supervisor Chan called home, she tragicallypassed away in a pedestrian traffic collision. In the wake of her passing, community organizationsand leaders, public servants, and residents rallied around Chan’s legacy and her loved ones,celebrating and paying respect for her trailblazing advocacy in health care and health equity. Thisincluded Oakland Chinatown, where several anchor community organizations providing criticalwellness and cultural services, approached my office expressing with conviction the OaklandChinatown and broader Oakland community’s desire to honor Supervisor Chan by renamingMadison Park to Wilma Chan Park.
Madison Park, located in the heart of Oakland Chinatown and adjacent to Lake Merritt BARTstation, is materially and symbolically an embodiment of Supervisor Chan’s service and passion forunderserved communities, as the Park is a long-time cultural activity hub, activated nearly daily withvibrant, community-led programming such as:
● Tai-Chi exercise groups for elders,
● physical education classes and playtime for Oakland youth, ● COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics hosted by Asian Health Services,
● Regular community clean-ups of the Park and surrounding streets hosted by communityorganizations, ● Chinatown Community Ambassador programs which provide public safety support andconnection to stabilizing services for individuals in need at and in the areas surrounding thePark, and ● A community hub for grassroots organizers and coalitions to organize gatherings, rallies,vigils, and art installations at the Park.
In alignment with procedures for designating official names for park and recreation facilities outlinedin Resolution No. 56600 C.M.S. and Resolution No. 65024 C.M.S., our office submitted a renamingproposal to the Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC) at their March 9, 2022meeting; PRAC voted unanimously to recommend the renaming of Madison Park to Wilma ChanPark, and this recommendation was subsequently referred to the April 21, 2022 Rules andLegislation Committee for consideration of referral to the full Council.
Thank you to Asian Health Services staff and leadership for partnering with my office to spearheadthis effort to honor Wilma Chan’s legacy and organize community members to dedicate attention andresources to our precious Chinatown assets such as Madison Park.
There is widespread support among Oakland’s AAPI communities and the broader Oaklandcommunity for the renaming of Madison Park. Asian Health Services organized adigital petitionwhich has received more than 300 signatures from Oakland residents, leaders, and organizations,including:
● Individuals
○ Daren Chan and the Chan Family○ Dave Brown, Alameda County Supervisor○ Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland City Council President○ Abel Guillen, Former Oakland City Councilmember○ Jinhee Ha, Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commissioner○ Phong La, Alameda County Assessor○ Alice Lai-Bitker, Former Alameda County Supervisor○ Jim Oddie, Former Alameda City Councilmember ● Representatives of Community Organizations
○ ARTogether○ Asian Health Services○ Asian Pacific Environmental Network○ Black Arts Movement and Business District Community Development Corporation○ Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants○ Compassion in Oakland○ East Bay Asian Youth Center○ Family Bridges○ Mental Health Association for Chinese Communities ○ New Breath Foundation○ Oakland Asian Cultural Center○ Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce○ Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council○ Oakland Trybe○ OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates East Bay○ Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce○ Protect Oakland Chinatown○ Urban League of the Greater Bay Area○ Wa Sung Community Service Club For questions regarding this memo, please contact Tiffany Kang, Policy Analyst & CommunityPartnerships Manager, Office of Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, at [email protected].
Respectfully Submitted,
______________________________Nikki Fortunato BasCouncil President, District 2 Attachments:
● Memo to Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (March 9, 2022)
C I T Y O F O A K L A N DOakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development TO: Princess Allen, Chair, Parks and Recreation Advisory CommissionFROM: City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas,District 2DATE: Wednesday March 9, 2022SUBJECT: Request for the Parks and Recreation AdvisoryCommission Recommend theRenaming of Madison Square Park in Honor of Alameda County Supervisor WilmaChan’s Legacy, and Approve the Installation of a Bench or Plaque MemorializingThe Name Change.
SUMMARY
The Honorable Wilma Chan served Oakland and Alameda County for over 30 years with a distinguishedcareer in public service, first on the Oakland school board, then as the first Asian-American to be electedto the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, as well as representing District 16 on the State Assemblybefore returning to her role as an Alameda County Supervisor. Chan left a powerful legacy of prioritizingand serving our marginalized communities, championing youth, families, immigrants, health equity, AAPIcommunity members, and much more.
With her tragic death last year in a pedestrian traffic collision in the City of Alameda, many of myconstituents – including community organizations that anchor and provide life-giving services inChinatown, such as Asian Health Services, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, and OaklandChinatown Improvement District – have expressed with conviction to my office the community’s desireto honor Chan’s legacy with the renaming of Madison Park, a historic Oakland Chinatown park that Chandemonstrated strong support and advocacy for throughout her career in public service. Madison Park ispresently and historically a critical activity hub for the Chinatown and broader Oakland community,through robust programming and activation such as Tai-Chi exercise groups organized among our Asianelders, nearby public school physical education classes, and one of the city’s most active COVID-19testing and vaccination sites.
The Oakland Chinatown community considered Supervisor Chan to be a powerful champion for healthaccess, women’s empowerment, and immigrant rights. In honor of her legacy, my office respectfullyrequests the PRAC recommend renaming Madison Park to Wilma Chan Park.
Asian Health Services and OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates East Bay Chapter (OCA-East Bay)are members of Oakland’s Adopt-A-Spot clean-up program and for the past six years have takenresponsibility for organizing regular volunteer events to clear trash in and around the Park, make minorimprovements to the infrastructure, and water the newer batch of trees along the Park perimeter. There isimmense community support for this effort from community organizations, neighborhood leaders, andfamilies both in my district and citywide.
FISCAL IMPACT
There would be potential, minimal one-time costs associated with the renaming of the Park for OPRYDand other City public information / communications (e.g. maps and facilities lists) materials that could beabsorbed in existing operations. There would be potential one-time costs in installing new signage in oraround the Park by OPW. There currently are no signs at the park identifying the park as Madison Park;the last sign was destroyed during a traffic accident in 2019 and has yet to be replaced.
The Oakland Chinatown community would assume the costs of a COVID-safe re-naming event,including:
● Purchase of a plaque or bench honoring Chan somewhere prominently in the Park, which wouldbe installed by OPW.● Light refreshments● Entertainment
PROJECT / PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Renaming this park in honor of Wilma Chan has more than symbolic value. As major developments andthousands of new housing units are being built in and around Oakland Chinatown, it is crucial that publicopen space like Madison Park be updated and improved to meet our community’s needs. As the nearbyLake Merritt BART Transit-Oriented Development is planned to break ground on construction in one ortwo years, now is an important moment to invest City attention and resources in the Park.
While minor improvements have been possible through more recent city budget cycles, the renamingprovides momentum towards much-needed public support and private investment for deepenedstewardship, future planning, improvements, redesigns, and capital fundraising.
The signage could also recognize the histories of Madison Square, and before that Caroline Square, sothat important community and cultural history are not forgotten or erased.
BACKGROUND
Caroline Square was one of Oakland’s original public squares, until the 1960s when the Square wasrelocated to make space for the Lake Merritt BART Station. The Park was relocated one block over,where Madison Park is currently located.
RECOMMENDATION
Council President Fortunato Bas recommends the PRAC recommend renaming Madison Park as WilmaChan Park and approve the installation or a bench or plaque memorializing Chan’s contributions to theOakland and AAPI / Chinatown community.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________
Nikki Fortunato BasCouncil President, District 2
Prepared by:Tiffany KangPolicy Analyst and Community Partnerships ManagerCouncil President + District 2 Office