By Glenn Rogers : westsideobserver – excerpt
The former Pacific Rod and Gun Club property at Lake Merced before remediation. Decades of skeet and trap shooting left the site contaminated with lead shot and debris from clay targets.
San Francisco is moving ahead with plans to transform the former Pacific Rod and Gun Club site at Lake Merced into a new recreational destination — and is looking for an outside organization to develop and operate it.
The Recreation and Park Department on Friday, August 21, issued a Request for Proposals seeking organizations to lease, develop and operate all or part of the Lake Merced West property for recreational use.
The approximately 9.5-acre property at 520 John Muir Drive could be leased for as long as 20 years, according to information provided by Neal Patel, manager of Rec and Park’s Property Management Division.
The solicitation marks a significant step toward determining the future of a large piece of publicly owned waterfront property — and is likely to intensify a debate already underway among Lake Merced residents.
At a July 29 community meeting at the Lake Merced Boathouse, nearly 50 residents gathered to discuss the site’s future. Some objected to putting public park property under long-term outside operation, while others questioned why San Francisco should develop another recreational complex when an existing city-owned boathouse sits about a mile away.
A 20-Year Lease on Public Land
According to Rec and Park, the City is seeking proposals that would provide opportunities for public recreation, take advantage of the lakeside setting, increase public enjoyment and appreciation of the Lake Merced watershed and maintain water quality.
The department is also inviting community nonprofit organizations interested in operating or programming the site — including organizations considering partnerships with other entities — to submit letters of interest by September 24.
A pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for September 3, followed by site visits September 9 and September 22. Questions about the RFP are due November 20, and final proposals are due December 17.
City Disputes ‘Public-Private Partnership’ Label
The role of private interests emerged as one of the most contentious issues at the July community meeting.
Residents warned that long-term private control of public park property can be difficult to reverse. One participant pointed to the controversial Ferris wheel in Golden Gate Park as a cautionary example of a private attraction remaining on public parkland longer than some residents expected.
Rec and Park, however, has pushed back against characterizing Lake Merced West as a finalized public-private partnership.
Sarah Madland of the Recreation and Park Department said in an August 18 email that the project has not been finalized into a specific legal structure.
The distinction may prove important as the City evaluates proposals. The RFP nevertheless contemplates an outside organization leasing, developing and operating publicly owned land for as long as two decades.
88,000 Tons of Contaminated Material Removed
The property comes with an unusual environmental history…
A New Complex — One Mile From the Old One
… (more)