Thank you for your continued interest in the Francisco Park project.
Since our last newsletter, we have made significant progress on the following fronts:
Design
The SF Planning Department responded to the Preliminary Assessment Application that Recreation & Park Department (RPD) submitted to them in March. There were no surprises in the response and we are now preparing to move forward with environmental studies and further public outreach in the coming months.
Following the response from Planning, the Board of Francisco Park Conservancy (FPC) is now prepared to contract with three firms with needed expertise:
- Architectural Resources Group, an historic consulting firm. Their findings will enable us to incorporate contributing historic features into the design of the park.
- Sherwood Design Engineers, a civil engineering firm. They will investigate and devise creative ways to make the park infrastructure as sustainable as possible.
- GLS & Lusko Associates, landscape architects. This partnership will design all elements of the living landscape including soil engineering and the plant palette in an artistic and functional setting.
Soil Testing
You may have seen a drill rig on site in the past two weeks. This drilling is to test the soil conditions below the surface to advise our engineers of the soil types, strengths, and compositions so they can engineer the correct way to implement the design. The entire geotechnical investigation and submittal of findings will take approximately two more months.
Agreement With RPD
The FPC Board and RPD senior staff continue to meet and discuss the agreement between them that will allow FPC to fund, design and construct the park. Details of the maintenance services – daily, weekly, and long-term projections – are being worked out. This agreement is a key step that needs to be approved by the PRD Commission so that FPC can actually start work on the property.
Monterey Pine Report
The RPD Director of Operations reported that his forestry crew identified six Monterey Pines on the site that are infected with Pitch Pine Canker. Two trees are beyond saving and will be removed. RPD will be monitoring the four additional trees for this disease that has negatively affected pines up and down the coast of California.
A Walk In The Park
A recent article in the NY Times discussed the benefits of a walk in the park saying in part: ”A walk in the park may soothe the mind and, in the process, change the workings of our brains in ways that improve our mental health…”. READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE.
To help us bring the healthy benefits of a beautiful public park to you, if you are able to support this aspirational community effort in any way, please do so by clicking on DONATE and make a tax deductible contribution at any level.