Sunset Spotlight

Lake Merced Boat House Reopens
The SF Recreation and Park Department (RPD), in partnership with the SF Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), recently renovated the Lake Merced boat house; a $3.2 million renovation project jointly funded by both agencies. There were changes throughout the entire building.

On July 8, the agencies co-hosted an opening celebration by providing a series of aquatic activities.

Though the park at Lake Merced was established in the '50s, the lake has supplied water to the City since the late 1860s. Currently, the lake is owned by the SFPUC (which manages the city's water supply) and operated by the RPD.

The park is bounded by John Muir Drive, Skyline Boulevard and Lake Merced Boulevard.

"The opening of this state-of–the art boat house in District 7 is a key community asset and I look forward to seeing children and families from all across our City spend recreation time here," said District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee.

Lake Merced, a large freshwater lake in San Francisco's southwestern corner, is the heart of a 614-acre park that is popular with boaters, hikers, bicyclists and bird watchers.

Sunset 'Ship' Casts Anchor at Outer Judah Street Port
A new parklet in the Outer Sunset is a test case for San Francisco as it is the first parklet built in the City designed to meet the new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Its construction involved a three-year process. The Sea Breeze Cafe and Other Avenues market decided it would be a good idea to open up some space in the neighborhood where people could gather. Also, by incorporating a bicycle corral in the parklet's design - another first of its kind in the City - they want to encourage bicycling.

Built on a slightly sloping section of Judah Street, the parklet is deliberately designed to suggest a ship; playing with a nautical idea as the Pacific Ocean is close by. Its slanted and step-like architectural details are meant to reinforce this idea by suggesting waves. (It's also supposed to suggest the hills of the City). Plus, the parklet is designed with the idea of making it inviting for children to play on.

The architects decided on cedar wood for various reasons: it's attractive, economical, bug resistant and stands up to the natural elements. It is also sustainable and grows quickly, locally. Though a soft wood, it's quite durable, the parklet's designers said.

Golden Gate Park Band Plays On
The Golden Gate Park Band offers free public concerts on Sundays. Unless otherwise noted, all concerts begin at 1 p.m. The season's schedule for August is: Aug 3 - Concert band music; Aug 10 - Golden Age of concert bands; Aug 17 -St. Stephens Day; Aug 24 - Ukrainian music; Aug. 31 - Musical souvenirs; Sept 1 - Labor Day celebration of American music.

For more information, visit the website at www.goldengateparkband.org.

Tree Plantings Coming to Sunset
This fall, Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) will plant more street trees in the Sunset.

Residents with eligible sites in front of their homes and businesses can save approximately 75 percent of the total tree planting costs by participating in FUF's neighborhood tree planting program; most costs are covered by grants, government funding and private donations.

To participate, residents of the Inner Sunset District have until Sept. 3 to sign up to receive a tree that will be planted on Oct. 11. To register, visit the website at www.fuf.net/innersunset.

Those in the central Sunset have until Sept. 17 to sign up to receive a tree that will be planted on Oct. 25; visit the website at www.fuf.net/centralsunset. Registration for the Outer Sunset ended July 30, with FUF planting in the area on Sept. 6.

Workers at FUF plant trees in neighborhoods in which at least 30 trees have been requested. The co-payment for a "tree package" is $135, and includes the tree, permit processing, site preparation including concrete removal, and three post-planting tree care visits.

Certified arborists make recommendations regarding tree species, but the property owner makes a final selection.

For more information, contact Caitlin at [email protected] or (415) 268-0772.