Portion of Stow Lake Collapses

By Dmitry Kiper

Stow Lake Drive - the road that loops around Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park - is closed to vehicular traffic because a gully on the north side of the lake, which is 6 feet away from the road, eroded Sept. 2, creating a safety hazard.

"We don't want to take any risks with safety when it comes to our park patrons," said Gloria Koch-Gonzalez, area supervisor for Golden Gate Park.

The lakeside trail is still open to pedestrians, as is the boat house and its rental operations. City employees were cleaning up at the end of September, said Koch-Gonzalez. No construction had begun as of presstime.

Jeff Fones, manager of the concessions stand at the boat house, said the road closure has affected his business, and has led some customers to complain about how long it took them to find the place (because of a detour) and how long it took to find parking.

"The detour - it's a pain in the butt," Fones said. "It's a huge mess, on the weekends especially."

According to Rose Dennis, director of communications for the SF Recreation and Park Department, an emergency work order has been signed so the drive can be reopened as quickly as possible. She said the effort to shore up the eroded gully should be completed around Oct. 5.