Upper Haight Public Realm Update: Surveys, Community Meetings, And A Tree Walk

Upper Haight Public Realm Update: Surveys, Community Meetings, And A Tree WalkImage: via SF Public Works
Amy Stephenson
Published on June 27, 2016

It's been a few months since we checked in on the Upper Haight's impending Public Realm and Muni Forward plans. Here's the latest.

To recap: back in March, we reported that the Public Realm Plan, a proposal on which the Haight Ashbury Merchants Association (HAMA) had been hard at work, had taken a backseat to the Muni Forward plan.

The plans overlap on some points, but diverge on others. After years of meetings and surveys, HAMA was pushing hard to have more of their ideas (pedestrian-scale lighting was a particularly sticky one) rolled into the Muni Forward plan. 

HAMA also requested to move the project's start date to 2018, after the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love. It's predicted that the anniversary will bring a huge influx of tourists to the neighborhood, and an ongoing streetscape project could not only turn them away, but disrupt business for merchants looking forward to the boost. That request was granted in May.

Now that there's a little more time until the project begins, the Planning Department, SF Public Works, and the SFMTA are looking for input from the community about the details. Since our last update, mockups have been created for landmarks and mosaic tiles at the Haight & Ashbury corner, new sidewalks, and, yes, pedestrian-scale lighting. The dozens of initial designs for the Haight & Ashbury corner have been narrowed down to three. Here's a sneak peek:  

Proposed streetscapes at the Haight & Ashbury intersection.

You can see all the proposed designs (and choose your favorite) at an SFMTA and SF Public Works community meeting, which will be held next Wednesday, July 6th at 6:30pm at the Park Branch Library. Attendees can share their feedback via surveys that will be available both at the meeting, and online afterwards. 

A few days after the community meeting, SF Public Works will be holding a community tree walk to discuss the proposed tree removals we reported back in MarchAt the time, SF Public Works estimated that about 35 trees would have to be removed, due to "reduced vigor," proximity to power lines and lights, and other sundry issues.

The walk will be held Saturday, July 9th, from 10am-noon; wear walking shoes, and meet at Haight & Stanyan, near the Whole Foods parking lot. From there, an urban forester will lead the group, discussing which trees must be removed, which will be replaced, and why. 

Materials and updated project information will be online after the July 6th community meeting, according to Project Manager Amy Lam. We'll make sure to get those to you next week.