Washington Square Park
Water Conservation Project
July 14, 2018
TO: San Francisco Recreation & Parks Departmen, Supervisor Aaron Peskin
RE: Washington Square Water Conservation Project
North Beach Neighbors is a San Francisco non-profit organization comprised of North Beach
residents and businesses. Since 1981, we have advocated on behalf of neighbors to create a
vibrant, inclusive neighborhood.
With these goals in mind, we write to you today to express our support for the upcoming
Washington Square Water Conservation Project.
We first learned of the project in February 2018 from a Rec & Park presentation at our February
Community Meeting. The planning phase of the project was still very much in its infancy at that time, and we expressed concerns in a letter dated February 28, 2018 that can be viewed here. Since that time, we have been encouraged by the commitment that Rec & Park has showed to alleviate concerns, including:
● They have made themselves available in person, by phone, and over email to discuss the
project in a timely manner.
● They have adopted many of our concerns and placed them into a Survey distributed to the
neighborhood.
● They worked to expand the scope of the project to replacing pathways and meeting ADA
compliance.
● They have planned a Community Meeting on July 25th for further engagement.
● They have accelerated the project timeline to be complete in 6 months rather than 1 year.
● They have begun outreach to Department of Homelessness to approach those who shelter
in the park with compassion and support.
No matter how well planned or executed, we understand the park closure will bring significant
inconvenience to the neighborhood. Still, alternatives such as phased closures that appeared
attractive at first would only result in longer closures and increased costs.
Our organization commits to be a partner in the continued efforts to ensure this is a project that is carried out with care for those who rely on the park, meets environmental goals of water savings, and restores the open space at the center of our beloved neighborhood.
Danny Sauter
North Beach Neighbors
President