Pete - this is the field that I work in. A couple years ago, I worked with folks on the east coast to put together a proposal for mast up storage at Kelly Park. We put together a nice package that addressed all the concerns and answered all the questions that I would ask of a group coming to me with this type of request. Ultimately, they were denied.

You are facing a long and difficult uphill battle. The most important things you need to show in your request is that nothing you are requesting is going to place additional costs on the City/County or place additional burdons on their staff. If you want any types of amenities (fencing, trash cans, lights, water, etc.) that you have a plan to purchase, install, and maintain long term. If the City feels that they may get stuck with costs when yor promises fall short (in my experience this happens more often than not)they will turn you down. I could go on and on with how to put all this together, but that would take pages of typing, and right now I have to get back to work denying the request of some yaho,, boaters who wnat to keep their boats on our parklands.