According to the Department of Public Works (DPW), Potrero Gateway Park (PGP) could finally be completed this month after numerous delays. The community-initiated park will provide a green passageway under the freeway overpass along 17th Street from Vermont Street to San Bruno Avenue and along Vermont Street between 17th Street and Mariposa Street.
Construction began in 2022 and was supposed to be completed by May. However, that did not happen; some neighbors see the extended construction period as an example of poor contract management.
“My issue is the inability of the DPW or the contractor Bauman or other government agencies like the police department to work together to maintain the integrity of the project site,” said Northwest Potrero Hill resident Libby Dodd. “It hasn’t happened at all and everyone is pointing fingers at others and saying they aren’t responsible for the homeless encampments and they aren’t responsible for this, that and the other. It’s a lack of coordination.”
The area is home to illegal dumping, graffiti and homeless camps. Add to that the orange barrier and chain link fence that are meant to protect the passage and are constantly being torn down, blocking the sidewalk.
“Our inspectors visit the construction sites daily, even when work is not in progress, and send notifications to the contractor when issues are identified,” a DPW spokesperson said. “In addition, community members have notified us when there are issues with the barricades or fencing, and we work to resolve them quickly. The issues identified existed at the project site years before construction began. During construction, these issues persisted, and it remained a challenging construction site that required coordination with various city and state agencies from the beginning to make the site safe for the start of work and throughout the course of construction. Resolving stockpiling is a complex, service-led undertaking that requires coordination of multiple departments through the City’s Healthy Streets Operations Center.”
“Neighbors are trying to fill the gap by making standard 311 and Caltrans service requests, but responses are slow and erratic, leading to frustration and ill-advised interventions,” Dodd responded. “For example, Caltrans responds from time to time by sending a large crew and dump truck to remove debris from encampments in the project area, but the tents are rebuilt the next day and often house the same people…I contend that a social services team needs to be contractually responsible for the project to mitigate the impacts of the changes caused by construction.”
PGP has numerous institutional and social complexities. Maintained in part by the California Department of Transportation and DPW, as well as neighborhood groups, it is not a conventional park. About 10 years ago, Hill residents banded together to address the site’s ongoing neglect. They hired landscape architects to create a conceptual design and raised about $2 million to implement it. After proponents failed to gain municipal approval of the original design, DPW offered to work with them to develop an alternative, which became PGP.
In 2019, neighbors formed the Potrero Gateway Park Steering Committee, currently led by Utah Street resident Jean Bogiages, and continued to meet with DPW to complete a detailed design.
“DPW has worked with us, the steering committee,” Bogiages said. “DPW did not create the entire plan. DPW has a different role than Rec and Park. They are not trying to sell this project.”
When completed, PGP will feature corner bulges with retaining walls and native plants, a protected bike lane, a widened sidewalk, public art by Dogpatch-based FUTUREFORMS, and new pedestrian lighting. The most recent postponement was due to Pacific Gas and Electric Company having to remove a streetlight on 17th Street.
“Unfortunately, this prevented parts of the project from being completed, delaying the schedule,” the DPW spokesperson said. “This pole was removed the week of June 17 so the contractor could proceed and complete the work. The project is currently expected to be completed in early August.”
Bauman’s contract contains “liquidated damages” clauses, which are a penalty assessed on a daily basis if the contractor fails to complete the work on time due to the contractor’s fault.
“Because in this case the delay was beyond the control of the contractor, we have extended the project duration accordingly and there is no penalty associated with it,” DPW said.
“It would be much nicer if things could go faster, but that’s the way it is and we just need to figure out how to get there successfully,” Bogiages said. “We still have a little more to do on the project. We’re planning a mural to connect the project ideas. In addition, there needs to be a better connection between (the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing), Caltrans and SFPD in the neighborhood so that everyone has a home, but not in illegal places. The end result will be something wonderful that connects the whole neighborhood.”
Above: The crew works at Potrero Gateway Park. Photo: Rebekah Moan
