San Francisco Parks To Get Major Overhaul From Bond Money
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – Last year, 72 percent of San Francisco voters approved a $195 million bond measure to improve city parks.
Now, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department is about to begin spending the money. The 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Bonds will fund improvements at 15 neighborhood parks, Golden Gate Park, McLaren Park and Lake Merced.
San Francisco Parks To Get Major Overhaul From Bond Money
Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg said improvements will be seen at the city's three public pools, playgrounds, waterfront parks and more.
"People are going to be able to enjoy seismically safe, updated parks and playgrounds and facilities that are responsive to changing park user needs," he said.
Ginsburg said many park users will be able to enjoy, touch and see the changes. But Matthew O'Grady with the San Francisco Parks Alliance said some projects are not going to be as obvious to the naked eye, things like new irrigation systems.
"Right now, about two-thirds of the acreage in the park system is actually watered manually," said O'Grady. "It's very labor intensive, not terribly efficient and obviously not the best way to go."
The city's 200+ parks need more than a billion dollars in work, so another bond measure is expected to be placed on the ballot in 2018.
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