Master Plan Update

Discussions about the fate of the 701 Lombard triangle and Joe DiMaggio Playground have shifted out of the courtroom and chambers of City government and back into the heart of North Beach. Two significant developments in 2007 paved the way for the new phase: the official acquisition of the 701 Lombard triangle property by the City last summer and by voter approval in November of a library bond, a portion of which has been set aside to fund a new North Beach Branch Library. Now the Library and the Recreation and Parks Department have begun a joint master planning process to investigate possible locations and configurations for the expanded library and to consider options for assimilating the triangle property as part of the Joe DiMaggio open space.

Two community meetings designed to solicit neighborhood opinions and provide more in-depth explanations of the project’s opportunities and challenges were held on April 30 and May 28. A third community meeting, originally scheduled for June 25, has been postponed to August 18th at Sts. Peter & Paul’s Auditorium at 7:00. The study team decided to push the third meeting to a later point in the study in order to present a more comprehensive analysis of the short-listed options.

The first two community meetings on these topics have been a cause for pride in our neighborhood, in my opinion. The meetings have been well-attended and people have been thoughtful and articulate – and remarkably civil, even in cases where opinions were strong and divergent. So where are we so far?

Planning has to work around a few key, fixed elements. The new pool and clubhouse certainly aren’t going anywhere. And the large expanse of hardscape used for softball, roller hockey and the like will only fit in the Powell/Greenwich corner (though new, permeable and more attractive surfacing would be nice). There are very limited alternative options for locating the tennis courts.

But some pretty major shifts for other amenities have been discussed. Placing the children’s play area in the center of the park has been a very popular notion. This would make the play area easier to monitor, place kids farther away from the street and perhaps open up circulation through the center of the park now blocked by tennis. In this plan, the current children’s play would be partially or totally excavated and the tennis courts moved south towards Greenwich.

Working around the givens, the library’s studies of alternative locations, led by San Francisco architects Leddy Maytum Stacy, coalesced to 3 sites: the Greenwich/Mason corner (starting at the tot lot, shifted slightly south from the current location); an expanded triangle site (which includes a portion of Mason Street); and the Powell/Lombard corner. Both RecPark and the community gave thumbs down to the Powell/Lombard site, leading current studies to focus on Greenwich/Mason and the triangle.

By the second community meeting, attendees seemed to overwhelmingly favor the triangle as a potential library location. “Test fit” studies are being done prior to the next community meeting to see if that’s feasible, even with an encroachment onto Mason. The library believes the triangle’s limited size and configuration makes that solution unlikely, though, and the department favors the Greenwich/Mason site.

The other interesting outcome of the community meetings is what appears to be broad support for the Mason Street closure. Though some people do have strong concerns, in general attendees seemed ready to exchange the asphalt for more parkland. Recent traffic studies seem to support earlier assessments that closure would have no impact on emergency services and little impact on localized traffic. A full report on the methods and results of the traffic counts will be presented on August 18. But a lot more study, planning and legal steps remain before any decisions are made regarding closure.

And the rest of it? The studies are taking a hard look at how to make the park look welcoming and attractive from Columbus while still shielding the park from the traffic, soot and noise on its busy side. Alternative uses and arrangements are being considered for the triangle if it doesn’t house the library. And efforts are being made to accommodate all current uses and still find extra room for tai chi, shade and wind blocks, picnic tables, chess and trees, lots of trees, and greenery.

But all these hopes and visions depend on funding. And, while the library bond should cover reasonable costs for a new North Beach branch, RecPark has been frank from the beginning that, with another year of deep City budget cuts and with current parks bonds funds already committed, they can’t help with funding. The community has raised millions in private donations and governmental grants for neighborhood parks. Can we do it again – in this economy?

Neighbors interested in getting more involved with the Joe DiMaggio project are invited to join the volunteers of Friends of Joe DiMaggio Playground. Over the past 10 years the group has raised money, provided design services, organized community meetings and acquired grant funding for the pool and clubhouse renovation, the new bocce courts and for improvements to the children’s play area. This new phase is the biggest challenge yet and we’d love your help. To be notified of meetings and updates, email friends at DiMaggioPlayground dot org.