City Mulls Building New Southern Entrance to Golden Gate Park

By Carol Dimmick

A controversial plan to build an 800-space parking garage underneath the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park took a step forward in October when 10 options for a new southern entrance to the garage were unveiled.

The new designs were the result of Superior Court Judge James Warren's Aug. 10 ruling that validated the city's right to go ahead with the project with one exception - it must redesign a dedicated southern route to the underground facility that begins outside the park.

Three of the 10 designs presented at two recent meetings of the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority caught the attention of board members.

The three options selected for further discussion include: Dedicated inbound and outbound lanes to and from the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way; a dedicated inbound lane from the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Crossover Drive, with a dedicated outbound lane to the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way; and, no garage entrance from the south.

Chris Duderstadt, a member of the Alliance to Save Golden Gate Park, an organization formed to fight the garage, told board members at a special October meeting to discuss the new entrance that the options were flawed.

"All traffic will be able to use these lanes, whether or not they are going to the garage. The designs are for 'dedicated' lanes in name only," he said.

Others opposed to the project requested that board members consider a loop road that would eliminate commuter traffic.

"I would suggest a loop road so that traffic would go in and out in one direction. This eliminates commuter traffic from the concourse," said Marianne Miller, a long-time opponent of the garage project.

Some Richmond neighbors expressed concerns about the effect of traffic on the neighborhoods.

"I would urge you to reject any options that push traffic to the north side of the park," said Michelle Straton, a Richmond resident.

Surface and Landscape Improvements to Concourse Bowl
The Music Concourse is undergoing a series of improvements mandated by the voters in 1998 when they passed Proposition J. Included in the measure was building a parking garage underneath the Music Concourse and turning the concourse bowl into a pedestrian oasis.

At the meeting, the public learned that some items previously included in the renovations, such as park benches, drinking fountains and bicycle parking, were dropped because of budget constraints.

Michael Ellzey, the chief executive officer of the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority, said he is looking into other sources of funding to pay for the items.

Concerns were also raised about plans to remove some of the trees in the concourse bowl that are in the sight lines of viewers of events planned for the outdoor stage. Other questions were raised about possible damage to trees during construction and a discussion was held about whether or not to hire a tree preservationist.

Several Sunset District residents expressed concern about the impact of the project on neighborhood traffic, particularly at Ninth Avenue and Irving Street where traffic is already a problem.

"We are really concerned about the traffic damage to our neighborhood. We feel we were not listened to," said Jim Iverson, a member of the Inner Sunset Merchants Association.