City Hall: Supervisor Carmen Chu
Ocean Beach Master Plan
For Sunset District residents, Ocean Beach is our open space, our back yard and our recreation area, but did you know that more than two million people visit Ocean Beach every year? It is also where two of our City's major wastewater and stormwater infrastructure elements are located. Last year, erosion and storm damage south of the Sloat Boulevard parking lot threatened the wastewater pipe, requiring emergency action. This event, combined with ongoing community efforts, created unprecedented momentum for a sustainable long-range plan for Ocean Beach.
With funding from the State Coastal Conservancy, SF Public Utilities Commission and National Park Service, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) has spent the last year working with public agencies, community members, advocates and other stakeholders to develop recommendations for the Ocean Beach Master Plan. The Master Plan aims to address the complex web of issues at Ocean Beach, including infrastructure, recreation, open space, endangered plant and animal species, and sustainability for the years to come. Each of these areas of concern were presented and discussed at a series of public workshops.
At the most recent public workshop in October, SPUR presented an ambitious set of draft recommendations for the future of Ocean Beach. These recommendations include:
• Rerouting the Great Highway behind the SF Zoo via Sloat and Skyline boulevards;
• Removing the Sloat Boulevard parking lot and restroom facilities and replacing them with a multi-purpose coastal protection/restoration/trail system that would connect Ocean Beach to Fort Funston;
• Reducing the width of the Great Highway to provide amenities, including parking and recreation sites, and prepare for a managed retreat from the shorebreak;
• Restoring the native dunes;
• A better connection between Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach;
• Bicycle and pedestrian improvements north of Balboa Street.
The public was invited to comment on these draft recommendations online and at the public meetings. Currently, SPUR is reviewing those comments and will release the final Ocean Beach Master Plan recommendations in February 2012.
It is important to note that the recommendations in the plan are a long way from implementation. Each recommendation needs to be studied with the proper public and environmental review process. The other element is securing the funding to be able to move forward with the study and any implementation. To read more about SPUR's Ocean Beach Master Plan, visit www.spur.org/ocean-beach.
Upcoming Road Repaving and Street Safety Improvements
With the passage of Proposition B (Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond) in the November 2011 election, the City has the authority to issue up to $248 million in general obligation bonds to improve and repair streets, sidewalks and street structures. The initial $68.9 million bond sale will be used for street resurfacing, curb ramps, sidewalk repair, street structure repair, and streetscape improvements.
Proposed streets to be repaved are geographically spread around all neighborhoods in the City, including the Great Highway, Presidio Avenue and Fulton Street.
The Road Repaving and Street Safety Bond was recommended as part of the City's Ten-Year Capital Plan, and the measure was designed so the property tax levied by the City will not increase above 2006 levels since old debts are being paid down.
For more information about which streets are slated for road work, please visit the Department of Public Work's website at www.sfdpw.org.
Supervisor Carmen Chu represents District 4 on the SF Board of Supervisors, and can be reached at (415) 554-7460.