Buena Vista Park SE Slope Improvement Project Begins!

Monday, March 16 -  We are very pleased to announce that work will begin on the Buena Vista Park Southest Slope Improvement Project on or about Monday, March 16.  This $2.6 million S.F. Recreation & Park Dept.  Project is funded by Park Bonds allocated about 2 years ago.  The project will construct a new ADA-compliant, accessible mid-slope trail on the Hillside, from the Service Road at BVEast/West & Upper Terrace, to connect through to the Duboce Steps at BVEast/BVTerrace/Duboce Avenue.  It also will build a new through stairway in approximately the current stairs location across from BVManor House, running from the BVEast pedestrian sidewalk, all the way up to the Service Road.   Most of the new mid-slope trail will be a resin-based (NOT asphalt!) surface that is both firm and stable and more natural-looking than paving; some difficult areas of the trail will be wood boardwalk.  The Project also includes significant re-grading of several hillside areas, new retaining walls and barriers and other erosion control work to stabilize the sandy hillside soil, while blending as naturally as possible; renovation and expansion of the area's irrigation system; some necessary tree thinning and trimming; and other work to improve this area, while retaining its "wild and natural" appeal and beauty, and improving access to some panoramic views.  New plantings in the area will be California native and drought-resistant.  In addition to improving BVPark, the Project also will be a significant source of construction jobs for many months ahead, to help benefit our local economy in these tough times.  View the official closure notice here. .

Start of this Project is the culmination of YEARS of planning work (going back into the 1990's, and ongoing in its current form since fall 2001) by wonderful neighbors working through BVNA with Rec/Park (Capital Projects, Gardening, Natural Areas and other staffs) and SFDPW Landscaping staffs and consultants.  We didn't get everything on our original wish lists (thanks to inflation and tight budgets), but the Project as approved will go a long way toward returning BVPark's SE Slope to its full potential.
Special thanks to our District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty (whose District includes  BVPark), along with other Supervisors (including Sup. Ross Mirkarimi from the adjacent District 5) for their support, including finding creative-yet-fiscally-responsible sources of Project funding! During the ~~6 month construction period, this section of BVPark will be temporarily fenced off for safety and security.  We hope to host a brief, modest-but-festive Groundbreaking Ceremony on or about March 16 - watch for another BVNA Update Email about that.

We are so very thankful for the wonderful hard, professionally-expert work by staff of the S.F. Recreation & Park Department and S.F. Dept. of Public Works Landscape Architecture Group, to help plan this Project over the years, and for their careful, thorough planning as work is about to start. Our Neighborhood Liaison for the Project is Rec/Park's Meghan Tiernan.  If you have questions about the Project, or concerns during construction, contact her at Meghan.Tiernan@sfgov.org or 415/581-2557, or contact us at BVNA.

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Open Space Workshops

Wednesday, March 25, 6:00pm to 8:00pm,
at Park Branch Library, 1833 Page (between Cole & Shrader Streets)
 
Thursday, March 26, 6:00om to 8:00pm,
at CPMC/Davies Medical Center (Castro at Duboce)
in the Auditorium on Level B of the North Tower

Community workshops to help determine the vision and priorities for the future of OPEN SPACE in SAN FRANCISCO.  This broad topic will cover not only Park and other open areas, but also how Open Space can be achieved as part of commercial and residential developments in the future.  For more information, see www.OpenSpaceSF.org

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