REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
Proposed Accessibility Improvements at Golden Gate National Recreation Area:
Open Comment period from May 11th- May 29th 2009.
FORT MASON BUILDINGS AND GREAT MEADOW
Introduction
Fort Mason is managed to preserve the historic district and adaptively use the many historic military structures for a variety of park and park partner uses. A small information center for national parks in the Pacific West Region in Building 201, Park Headquarters, and a hostel are the primary public uses in historic structures. These lands of the Golden Gate National Recreation ring the northern and western shores of the City, providing a greenbelt adjacent to dense urban neighborhoods. They are central to the quality of life, offering City dwellers places to recreate, rejuvenate, and learn about the fascinating history of the region. For visitors, the park lands help define what makes San Francisco one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Current management focuses on preserving natural, cultural, and scenic resources and providing for a variety of recreational uses in facilities and destinations in the varied settings along the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Coast.
The “Great Meadow,” created in the 1980s, accommodates a range of informal uses and large special events. The San Francisco Bay Trail provides an important waterfront multi-use promenade that links to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and many park destinations along the City and Presidio waterfront. Planning is underway to extend San Francisco’s historic streetcar system through an existing tunnel to lower Fort Mason (the Fort Mason Center) and to bring water shuttle access to a pier at lower Fort Mason.
Key Experience
Visitors receive information on western national parks at the Pacific West Region Information Center in Building 201. Events and public meetings are held in the buildings 201 and the Officer’s Club. Primarily visitors travel through upper Fort Mason on foot, in wheelchairs, or on rented bicycles and locals on their own bikes – to destinations in the City, to the Golden Gate Bridge or to Marin County. Views from the Great Meadow are also part of the primary experience. Recreation includes exercise, dog exercising, sunbathing, viewing sculpture in the landscape and play. Visitors attend special paid events open to the public on the Great Meadow such as the Beer and Oyster Festival and the San Francisco Blues Festival. The east side of Fort Mason is used for regional trails, and historical information is interpreted on wayside panels. Trails and walks are often not accessible nor are they clearly marked. Secondary experiences at the site include staying at the Youth Hostel, SF Conservation Corps office, Park HQ and parking for Galileo High School and neighborhood residents.
Proposed Accessibility Improvements & Questions for Public Input
1. Headquarters Building: The proposed midterm solution for improved access to the HQ includes the development of a design to make the front main entrance to the building the accessible entrance in such a manner that it does not negatively impact the historic significance of the site. Design work would also address improvements to sidewalks, curb ramps and pedestrian crossings for the exterior routes on the Fort Mason property. The HQ Building has secured entrances. The proposed interim short term solution is to make improvements to the rear entrance ramp and door bell so that NPS staff can respond to visitors at the entrance. Other proposed short or midterm accessibility improvements to the building include widening doorways, installing accessible room signage, improvements to restrooms and drinking fountains.
Question: Please provide comment on the proposed use of the doorbell in order to maintain building security.
2. Officers Club: The Officers Club is available for special events. However, based on the time of construction, the building lacks an accessible main entrance. The interior contains several elements not in compliance with current accessibility standards, including a restroom on the lower level that lacks an accessible route. The proposed long term accessibility improvements to the Officers Club include designing a new grading and landscape plan to include an accessible route from parking, accessible drop off/loading zone, access to rear yard and entry ramp. The long term proposal also includes the design of a new restroom plan and an elevator for vertical access.
3. Project Office Building 101: The proposed midterm solution for this building is to design a new accessible entry to replace asphalt walkway, provide a 1:20 entry ramp without handrails, remove unnecessary portions of wood platform, and replace entry door. The corrective action will also include replacing the asphalt walkway as part of parking lot repair project and coordinating it with the entry rehabilitation project. Other proposed short term solutions include improvements to the restrooms, changing the swing of an interior door in a main corridor and the addition of new accessible door hardware.
4. Great Meadow Restroom Building: Proposed short term corrective actions for the restroom building at the Great Meadow include correcting a change in level at the entrance to the single user restroom, adjusting the operating controls for lavatory faucets and toilet flush operation, and lowering a urinal to an accessible height.
5. Great Meadow Paths: The proposed short term corrective action for the main path through the Great Meadow is to re-grade and resurface the main path to correct the issues of cross slope, slope and heaving. The accessible route to the main path will be determined and directional signage installed. The proposed midterm solution is to procure a survey and design contract to prepare contract drawings for improving access to auxiliary routes through the Great Meadow. Proposed short term solutions also include installation of accessible benches.
6. Other Buildings at Fort Mason: The remaining buildings at Fort Mason will continue to be assessed and put forward to the public for comment on proposed accessibility improvements in Phases 3-6 of the multi-phase accessibility assessments to GGNRA.
Additional Comments
Please provide comment on other areas of accessibility concerns that may not be presented in this summary document.
Fort Mason Public Comment Sheet (mail only)
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