Would you like to make your ugly concrete sidewalk a little less ugly and concretey? Friends of the Urban Forest and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission are here to help.
After a successful first attempt outside the Page Street Zen Center in May (pictured above), they're now bringing their Sidewalk Garden Project to our neighborhood, focusing on the Wiggle. You see, before all these pesky roads were laid down, the Wiggle was the site of an ancient creek bed. Now the area is known as the Channel Watershed, one of eight watersheds in San Francisco. During storms, rainwater from around the region collects here, often overwhelming the sewer system and causing flooding. That's where this sidewalk garden project comes in. "A key benefit of sidewalk gardens is that they replace impermeable surfaces (such as concrete) with permeable surfaces that let rainwater flow into the ground rather than into the storm-sewer system," notes Ben Carlson of Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF). Also, they just look better. If you're a property owner in the vicinity of the Wiggle, and would like a sidewalk garden, FUF wants to hear from you. All it costs is $160 for a permit -- FUF and SFPUC will cover the concrete removal, materials, and plants, which would usually cost around $900. So, it's a pretty good deal. First, check to make sure your block is eligible by perusing the map below. The green areas are eligible, the red blocks are ineligible, and the purple area may be eligible in the future. (The pushpins are sites of current FUF sidewalk gardens.)
Then, if you think you qualify, contact FUF's Karla Nagy at karla [at] fuf {{dot}} net.
Oh, and if you'd like to see sidewalk gardens taking shape, they'll be installing them today through Saturday on Page between Laguna and Buchanan, and Buchanan between Page and Grove. Contact Sally Bentz -- sally [at] fuf {{dot}} net -- if you'd like to volunteer to help.
After a successful first attempt outside the Page Street Zen Center in May (pictured above), they're now bringing their Sidewalk Garden Project to our neighborhood, focusing on the Wiggle. You see, before all these pesky roads were laid down, the Wiggle was the site of an ancient creek bed. Now the area is known as the Channel Watershed, one of eight watersheds in San Francisco. During storms, rainwater from around the region collects here, often overwhelming the sewer system and causing flooding. That's where this sidewalk garden project comes in. "A key benefit of sidewalk gardens is that they replace impermeable surfaces (such as concrete) with permeable surfaces that let rainwater flow into the ground rather than into the storm-sewer system," notes Ben Carlson of Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF). Also, they just look better. If you're a property owner in the vicinity of the Wiggle, and would like a sidewalk garden, FUF wants to hear from you. All it costs is $160 for a permit -- FUF and SFPUC will cover the concrete removal, materials, and plants, which would usually cost around $900. So, it's a pretty good deal. First, check to make sure your block is eligible by perusing the map below. The green areas are eligible, the red blocks are ineligible, and the purple area may be eligible in the future. (The pushpins are sites of current FUF sidewalk gardens.)
