Laguna Honda Reservoir:

Pristine Green Space Turns Industrial Lot

By Anthony Royreservoir gravel dump

Located at the corner of 7th Ave and Clarendon Ave, Laguna Honda Reservoir has long been one of the few remaining green spaces in The City. To the shock of area residents, the SF Public Utility Commission (PUC) has plans to permanently use this site for industrial purposes.

Just a few years ago, the area on the east end of the reservoir facing Clarendon was filled with flowering shrubs and blackberry bushes. When the PUC began the renovations of the neighborhood pump stations, they removed all of the plants in order to use the site as a staging area for equipment and supplies for the pump station renovations. The PUC has reneged on its assurances that this was temporary until the pump station construction projects were complete—it would return to its previous state, they said. close up gravel dump

Without public notice or input, the PUC has decided to use Laguna Honda Reservoir for industrial purposes, instead of returning it to the green, open space it once was. It’s now slated to be a distribution center for fill material used in construction projects. This means large piles of sand, dirt and gravel will be stored at Laguna Honda Reservoir along Clarendon Ave, even though the PUC’s Newscomb yard is currently providing this service.

To add insult to injury, the PUC has also decided to construct a building at the Reservoir which will contain office space and storage areas. The electrical service is installed and the building is scheduled to go up later this year.

Not only will these plans permanently destroy open, green space in a residential setting, but the PUC has existing facilities that can be used for these purposes. This is a waste of our tax dollars and completely contradictory to The City’s efforts to retain what little green space remains in San Francisco. While parking spaces and street corners are being turned into mini parks, the PUC is paving over green spaces. It’s not good for the environment. It’s not good for the budget. It’s not good for the neighborhoods.gravel

Let your voice be heard!

• Attend the next public hearing regarding Laguna Honda Reservoir on Tuesday June 8th at 6:00PM in the auditorium of Clarendon School, 500 Clarendon Ave (cross street Panorama). The PUC plans to present detailed plans for the site.

• Ask your Supervisor to preserve the Reservoir.

• Contact Ed Harrington, PUC’s General Manager at (415) 554-1600. Tell them what you think about these short sighted plans.

Join our Facebook group: “Preserve Laguna Honda Reservoir” and visit www.LagunaHondaReservoir.org for more information and updates.

Anthony Roy lives by his new neighbor, a new noisy dirt, sand and gravel dump.

June 2010