It's not just the free wifi that could be changing things at Alamo Square in the near future. The park is also slated to receive a slew of upgrades, including new irrigation and landscaping -- and the public is being given a chance to weigh in.
Basically, the park has a lot of issues. The irrigation system is leaking and corroded, the water pressure is too low, most of the lawn areas are underutilized, and the steep lawns on the Fulton and Scott street sides are difficult to maintain. To start addressing these issues, the Recreation and Parks Department hosted a community meeting a couple of weeks ago to outline their vision for improving the park. Planned upgrades include modernizing the irrigation system, installing a booster pump to improve the water pressure, and replacing unusable turf with plantings, where appropriate. That includes all of the entranceways to the park and along most of its borders, as depicted by the orange, purple, and pink sections here: New landscaping would both beautify the park and make maintenance easier; the lawns on the steepest slopes would be replaced with either "no-mow" grass, or native flowering shrubs that require little upkeep. Similar projects at Alta Plaza Park and Jefferson Square Park have resulted in 20% to 30% reductions in water usage, according to Rec and Parks. Next week, Project Manager Marvin Yee will go before the Rec and Parks Commission with the proposal for Alamo Square. To view possible landscape designs and planting options, check out this Rec and Parks presentation. Then send any feedback you might have to Marvin Yee -- Marvin.Yee [at] sfgov {{dot}} org -- by tomorrow, i.e. Wednesday July 31st. (Sorry for the short notice.) If the plans are approved, the project would go out for bids early next year, with construction slated for the second half of 2014. We'll keep you posted as it takes shape.
Basically, the park has a lot of issues. The irrigation system is leaking and corroded, the water pressure is too low, most of the lawn areas are underutilized, and the steep lawns on the Fulton and Scott street sides are difficult to maintain. To start addressing these issues, the Recreation and Parks Department hosted a community meeting a couple of weeks ago to outline their vision for improving the park. Planned upgrades include modernizing the irrigation system, installing a booster pump to improve the water pressure, and replacing unusable turf with plantings, where appropriate. That includes all of the entranceways to the park and along most of its borders, as depicted by the orange, purple, and pink sections here: New landscaping would both beautify the park and make maintenance easier; the lawns on the steepest slopes would be replaced with either "no-mow" grass, or native flowering shrubs that require little upkeep. Similar projects at Alta Plaza Park and Jefferson Square Park have resulted in 20% to 30% reductions in water usage, according to Rec and Parks. Next week, Project Manager Marvin Yee will go before the Rec and Parks Commission with the proposal for Alamo Square. To view possible landscape designs and planting options, check out this Rec and Parks presentation. Then send any feedback you might have to Marvin Yee -- Marvin.Yee [at] sfgov {{dot}} org -- by tomorrow, i.e. Wednesday July 31st. (Sorry for the short notice.) If the plans are approved, the project would go out for bids early next year, with construction slated for the second half of 2014. We'll keep you posted as it takes shape.
