Lake Merced Gun Club Advocates Pack SF Utilities Commission Meeting
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission was looking at the future of Lake Merced and gaining the public's input on everything from maintaining adequate water levels to the continued presence of the Pacific Rod and Gun Club.
At a Tuesday town-hall meeting with the PUC present, a plan was worked on for Lake Merced, which covers 650 acres at the southwest end of San Francisco.
The Gun Club was established at the lake 80 years ago. Many packed the hearing to say why it should remain.
Gun Club member Fred Tautenhahn said the opportunity to speak to the commissioners was a first.
"We have never had an audience in front of the five commissioners make all the major decisions and I could tell that there were a lot of the subjects brought up that the commissioners were unaware of," he said.
The gun club has gotten a bad rap because of toxic contamination in the soil.
But Tautenhahn said the club contributes to the community with annual Easter egg hunts and many charitable events.
SF PUC Holds Town Hall On Lake Merced's Future, Many Vouch For Gun Club
PUC spokesman Tyrone Jue said the gun club's future hasn't been decided.
"We plan on cleaning it up and issuing a request for proposals to see who else would be interested in occupying that land. It may be the Gun Club, it may be some other place," said Jue.
Other issues for Lake Merced included management of the land and how to improve Lake Merced for boating, rowing and fishing.
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