The Dolores Park rehabilitation plan, the results of a 5 month community design process, is here and ready for review by a gauntlet of city commissions and committees. On Monday, 11/21 Rec and Park will present our plan to the Arts Commission. “They mostly just concern themselves with building aesthetics.” Jake Gilchrist, RPD project manager told us. Last week the drawings went to City Planning. They review the project and make the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determination. Their review covers not only environmental issues but also takes into account a historic review. Jake says he hopes to have completed this series of reviews by January or February of next year.
Next steps will bring Rec and Park back to the Mission Dolores Rehabilitation Steering Committee to discuss any changes or revisions required. And the Department of Public Works will set to work on turning these plans in to a set of constructions blueprints with construction to scheduled to begin, in phases, Fall 20012. Dawn Kamalanathan, director of Planning and Capital Management for Rec and Park assured us that the construction will be done in phases so as not to close all of Dolores Park.
Dolores Park Schematic Drawings
The new plan shows open field where the clubhouse and the old road now stands. And where in one version we had a chain across the South Field to contain the dogs, we now have only the path and a few benches. Also look for the 20th and Church viewing plaza with more benches and a sidewalk along Church street. The slightly redesigned 19th Street promenade has been fully sketched in to show a nice mix of gardens and lawn, improving rather than trashing a prominent historical element of the old park.
Most importantly, we can see the new little road approved at the final workshop. Up in the west side just north of the Hidalgo statue (7c on the map). This road will allow park maintenance, safety and emergency vehicles access to the park, but we can keep the width of the path crossing the North field to 6 feet.
