Planning Association for the Richmond, SF

Presidio News

Click here for Presidio e-news: 

---

	August 2011
Calendar	Summer Fun Day - Saturday, July 30 This weekend, Outdoor Nation is turning Crissy Field into the ultimate outdoor adventure playground for Summer Fun Day. Be at the grass airfield on Saturday, July 30, from Noon to 5 pm. The free family fun includes a climbing wall, local music, biking, and more. For details, visit their website.   Improvements Coming to the Coastal Trail and Bridge Toll Plaza Beginning in August, many improvements are coming to the western Presidio, notably projects to enhance the California Coastal Trail and the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, in anticipation of the bridge’s 75thbirthday next year. While these projects will bring big benefits for hikers, bikers, and visitors of all kinds, there will be some short-term disruptions as work is completed. A public walk to describe the Toll Plaza work is occuring on Saturday, July 30, at 9 am. Visit the Golden Gate Bridge website for details. Information about the Coastal Trail effort, including a temporary closure of the Battery to Bluffs Trail and short-term Lincoln Boulevard disruptions, will soon be posted on the web. Thanks for your patience as these efforts get underway.   Contemporary Historians Series: Images in WWII Films Next up in the Contemporary Historians at the Presidio series is: The Way We Thought We Were: Images in World War II Films Thursday, August 11 Book Signing 6:30; 7 pm Talk Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop Linda Harris Mehr, director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, looks at popular films made during the 1930s and 1940s to illustrate American perceptions, hopes, fantasies, and fears, as well as the changing role of women and ethnic minorities. Free. No reservations required. To learn more about other upcoming programs in this series, visit the website.   Presidio Habitats Exhibition in August The Presidio Habitats Exhibition is nearing the end of its run….so catch it while you can! Enjoy a self-guided visit or join us for Presidio Habitats Guided Walks: Saturday, August 13, at 11 am Saturday, August 27, at 11 am Sunday, August 28, 11 am (Birds of the Presidio) RSVP required to (415) 561-5418 or[email protected]. Have you taken a great Presidio Habitats photo? Enter the photo contest!   Concerts at the Presidio - August 25 and 26 Classical concerts and recitals highlighting young artists are offered free to the community throughConcerts at the Presidio. The next scheduled performances, entitled “Fantaisies Francaises,” areThursday and Friday, August 25 and 26. Highlighting their impressionist compositions, pianist Mariah Wilson performs works of Debussy, Ravel, Chopin and others in an inspiring franco-centric program that includes youth artists Rieko Tsuchida, Kenneth Renshaw and Mary Robbins. The performances begin at 7:30 pm at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop on the Main Post. Seats can be reserved by calling (415) 447-6274. $10 suggested donation; $5 seniors.   Main Parade Ground Lawn to be Planted in August The Greening of the Main Parade is in full swing! The new lawn will be planted beginning in mid-August. New sidewalks, curbs, and plantings are also coming to several of the nearby Montgomery Street Barracks. The Main Parade grass should be ready for frolicking in early fall as the young turf becomes fully established. Questions? Please contact Presidio Trust Public Affairs at (415) 561-5418.   Summer Tours of Arion Press Entertain your kids and summer visitors with a tour of the nation’s largest fine printing facility. Demonstrations of bookbinding, hot metal printing, and typecasting are every Thursday at 3 pm ($7 per person). The gallery display of prints and books by such artists as Kiki Smith, Wayne Thiebaud, and Raymond Pettibon is free Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Visit their website for directions and reservations. Group tours can be arranged. Arion Press is located at 1802 Hays Street. Phone (415) 668-2542.   Presidio Performing Arts Center Classes for All Ages Presidio Performing Arts Center opens in its new Presidio location at 386 Arguello (Main Post) in September. Classes are for all ages. New offerings include Fencing for the Stage with French master Yves Ghiai-Chamlou. Hui Tama Nui will bring Hula and Tahitian dance to the Presidio. Ballet, Charactere, International Dance, Music, Visual Arts, Theatre, Boomersize, Tai Chi Chong, and My Greek Feet classes are also on the roster. For more visit their website.   August Events and Specials at Presidio Social Club Visit the Presidio Social Club restaurant on Sunday, August 28 for live music and a themed party on the patio. Follow them onFacebook for more details. The summer weeknight suppers include: *Monday: House made sausages, summer Couscous, and Harrisa Yogurt *Tuesday: Salt crusted prime rib, twice baked potato, and creamed spinach *Wednesday: Clambake with lobster, clams, mussels, corn, potatoes, and andouille sausage *Thursday: Pig roast with corn on the cob and condiments Presidio Social Club is located at 563 Ruger, near the Lombard Gate.   First Wednesdays Free Shuttle Tour See the park like you’ve never seen it before! Register now for the free Presidio Shuttle Tour. A tour is held at Noon on the first Wednesday of each month. The one-hour guided journey introduces visitors to the park’s historic areas, wild open spaces, and hidden nooks, with an emphasis on projects that are shaping the park today. We’re now taking reservations for October and November. Space is limited. RSVP is required to (415) 561-5418.
You are subscribed to Presidio eNews as [email protected]. If you would like to unsubscribe, click here.

 

Presidio eNews

FYI

---

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 6/28/2011 7:48:20 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Presidio eNews - July 2011

 

	July 2011
Calendar	Ambassador Swanee Hunt, in Conversation with Belva Davis Swanee Hunt, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, will appear onWednesday, July 6, 7 pm, at the Presidio Interfaith Center. She will discuss her forthcoming book Worlds Apart: Bosnian Lessons for Global Security, with long-time television journalist and radio host Belva Davis. Ambassador Hunt, who was posted to Vienna during the Bosnian War, will explore the disconnect between policy-makers and grassroots actors who, Hunt believes, can be a powerful force in stabilizing their communities and their nations. This is the first in a series at the Interfaith Center on "Resetting Our Moral Compass." To reserve a space, contact Sandi Pilon at (415) 561-3930 or[email protected]. The event is at 130 Fisher Loop (map at www.interfaith-presidio.org).     Celebrating a Decade of Open Space Restoration - Wednesday, July 13 The theme of this year’s Presidio Open Space Update is “Celebrating the First Decade of Restoration.” Michael Boland, Chief of Planning, Projects, and Programs, will offer a summary of tri-agency landscape revitalization over the last 10 years. Then, park staff will briefly explain projects taking place through summer 2012. Join us on Wednesday, July 13, from 6 to 8 pm, at the Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop. No RSVP necessary. Questions? Please call Presidio Trust Public Affairs at (415) 561-5418.   Young Audiences Presents "Taiko" - Saturday, July 16 Young Audiences at the Presidio Presents “Taiko!” onSaturday, July 16. San Francisco’s dynamic Taiko Dojoensemble will perform a unique synthesis of rhythm, harmony and body movement beginning at Noon. At 1 pm, the performance will be followed by energetic drumming workshops for children aged 5-8 years and ages 9 and up. RSVP for the workshops only to [email protected]. Free. The event will be held at the Log Cabin, 1299 Storey Avenue, in the Fort Scott District.   Public Walk: Draft Mid-Crissy Design Guidelines The Presidio Trust is developing draft design guidelines for the Mid-Crissy area of Crissy Field in Area B of the Presidio of San Francisco. Mid-Crissy is east of Building 640 and west of Halleck, north of Doyle Drive and south of the Crissy Marsh. Read more. Join us for a public walk on Thursday, July 7, at 5 pm, to learn more about the guidelines and the process. Meet in front of the Sports Basement, 610 Mason Street. Comments on the Draft Mid-Crissy Design Guidelines are accepted through July 15, 2011.     Presidio Habitats Guided July Walks The Presidio Habitats Exhibition is a great summertime activity with the family. Enjoy a self-guided visit or join us for Presidio Habitats Guided Walks on Saturday, July 23 OR Saturday, August 13, at 11 am. RSVP required to (415) 561-5418 or[email protected]. Have you taken a great Presidio Habitats photo?Enter the photo contest!   ArtSeed's New Exhibit Opens at the Thoreau Center The Presidio’s ArtSeed invites you to the opening reception for their new show: Stocking the Pequod - Charting the Depths from the High Seas to the Mysterious Mind. The reception and exhibition will be held at the Thoreau Center for Sustainability Corridor Gallery (1016 Torney Avenue in the Presidio) on Tuesday, July 5, from 5 to 7 pm. ThePequod is the famed ship of Herman Melville's 1851 novelMoby Dick. ArtSeed artists, working with children Pre-K to teens, have used his story as a springboard for art explorations. The exhibit runs through July 31 and can be viewed Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, please visit www.artseed.org.   July at the Walt Disney Family Museum The film of the month at the Walt Disney Family Museum is Moon Pilot, part of a series of programs about Disney and outer space. The film plays daily at 1 pm and 4 pm, expect Tuesdays, and July 16, 17, and 23. For a complete listing of all the events and activities happening at the museum in July, visit their calendar. The museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street, on the Main Post, in the Presidio.   Junior Summer Camp at Presidio Golf Course Looking for summer activities for your kids? Consider the five-day Junior Camp at Presidio Golf Course. Your child will enjoy a developmental approach to golf led by PGA director of instruction, Morgan Wright. Camps are designed to develop full swing and short game fundamentals. These half day camps are open for students of all playing levels ages 7-14 years old, now through August. Call (415) 561-4661 x210 for more information or visit their website to view the entire schedule and sign up on line.   First Wednesdays Free Shuttle Tour See the park like you’ve never seen it before! Register now for the free Presidio Shuttle Tour. A tour is held at Noon on the first Wednesday of each month. The one-hour guided journey introduces visitors to the park’s historic areas, wild open spaces, and hidden nooks, with an emphasis on projects that are shaping the park today. We’re now taking reservations for October and November. Space is limited. RSVP is required to (415) 561-5418.
You are subscribed to Presidio eNews as [email protected]. If you would like to unsubscribe, click here.

 

Presidio Trails Projects

PRESIDIO COASTAL TRAIL

 

Within the next few weeks, the National Park Service, Presidio Trust and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy will begin improvements to the Presidio Coastal Trail and other projects in the corridor, such as the Batteries to Bluffs Trail repairs and installation of Lincoln Boulevard bike lanes south of Merchant Road.  Habitat restoration on the Presidio Coastal bluffs will also occur at the same time, from invasive plant and tree removal to re-vegetation and reforestation efforts next winter.  All of the project components are contained within the approved Presidio Trails and Bikeways Master Plan and Vegetation Master Plan.

 

You may have already noticed that the Langdon Court parking lot is closed to the public, as it will serve as the staging area through spring 2012.  This is the first of several temporary area trail and road closures and detours that will be necessary, along with those related to work along Doyle Drive and at the Golden Gate Bridge Plaza.   

 

The National Park Service, Presidio Trust and Parks Conservancy appreciate your patience and support through the project and look forward to celebrating the results with you when it’s complete.  In the meantime, we will keep you informed as the project schedule develops.  Feel free to contact me with any questions.  Please also share this with others you think will be interested.   

 

Jennifer Greene Ringgold

Project Manager, Community Engagement

Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Fort Mason, Building 201, 3rd Floor

San Francisco, CA  94123

 

phone:  (415) 561-3054

fax: (415) 561-3003

 

www.parksconservancy.org

 

 

 

Presidio Ramp Closure

FYI

---

Overnight Closure of Southbound Hwy 101/Doyle Drive to Southbound Hwy 1/Park Presidio Boulevard Friday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. – Saturday, June 25 at 11:00 a.m. Beginning Friday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. through Saturday, June 25 at 11:00 a.m. the ramp from southbound Highway 101/Doyle Drive to southbound Highway 1/Park Presidio Boulevard will be closed.  The exit from southbound Hwy 101 to southbound Hwy 1 will be moved to the north and will become a mandatory two lane exit that will temporarily merge to one lane. Vehicles traveling to southbound Hwy 1 will need to merge right earlier than the previous alignment. Drivers should be aware of the new roadway alignment and lane conditions. See the image below of the new traffic alignment. For detour routes, see the printable advisory. All dates are subject to change due to weather and unforeseen conditions. Please visitwww.PresidioParkway.org for the most up-to-date information.

Copyright 2010 PresidioParkway. All rights reserved. Learn more at www.presidioparkway.org  Unsubscribe

Presidio Parkway - San Francisco's Gateway
-----------------------------------------------------------------
www.presidioparkway.org

Presidio Visitor's Center/Heritage Center

Colleagues:

 

Displayed below are two messages concerning a Visitors Center (VC) (and perhaps a Heritage Center, HC) for the Presidio and two different meetings concerning that subject.

 

The first message dated May 24th is from Karen Braseth on behalf of Amy Meyer concerns the sixth of six "public workshops" that was scheduled a week later for May 31st and that was sponsored by the National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust and a meeting the very next morning of her "People for the Park/Presidio" group on that same approximate subject. 

 

The second message dated June 14th is from Sharon Gadberry and, in it, she reports on the next morning's meeting of the "People for the Park/Presidio"group and the reports it received from the previous night's public workshop. .

 

Participants in the six public workshops were informed that the three organizations sponsoring them would synthesize the recommendations from the workshops and then post them on the Presidio Trust's web site for public reviews, comments, questions and suggestions. 

 

Unless I have missed something, no specific dates have been announced for that posting or for the public review and comment period that will follow it. We will inform you of them when we know. Please direct any comments, questions or suggestions you may have sbout the substance or process to Sharon as she appears to be the only PAR director to have attended both meetings.

 

Ray 

 

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected]
Sent: 5/24/2011 1:42:26 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: A Message from Amy Meyer

If you would like to respond to this e-mail, please send a note to Amy at [email protected] or phone her at 221-8427. Please do not respond to this e-mail address. 

AGENDA, PEOPLE FOR THE PARKS/PRESIDIO. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2011   

8:30 - 10:00 AM

THE MARINA ROOM, THE CONFERENCE CENTER, BUILDING A, FORT MASON CENTER  

Before I get to the agenda, I want to share with you a reminder and invitation from Noreen Hughes, Project Manager for the Presidio Visitor Center. The last VC workshop, the summary workshop, will be on Tuesday evening May 31^st at the Log Cabin, from 6-8 pm. Several of our "People" have been attending regularly, and others have come to one or more meetings.

 

"We have been working with the exhibit design firm The GW Group for several weeks on the conceptual framework for the visitor experiences at the Presidio, with a particular focus on the content, programs and activities that will be offered at the Visitor Center and the Heritage Center.

 

We have shared with the GW Group the William Penn Mott, Jr. interpretive plan, the 2000 Presidio Stories Symposium materials, the PHA museum planning document, suggestions from previous workshops and much more. In addition they have met extensively with staff from all three agencies on an array of topics - including archaeology, history, NPS interpretative goals, historic preservation, volunteerism at the Stewardship Center, Crissy Field programs, communications, archival materials and artifacts, public programming. We recently held an all day workshop with 18-20 tri-agency staff and they will return on May 19^th to present ‘what they have seen and heard’ and their initial thoughts about how to create a dynamic and engaging collection of experiences for visitors to the Presidio.

 

We are inviting the public to hear the GW Group make a presentation at the May 31^st workshop . It is a ‘work in progress’ and the perfect time for review and comment. The format will be similar to the last three workshops – a presentation followed by breakout groups. Participants will be invited to share their thoughts and suggestions, answer questions posed by the exhibit design group and hear a summary of the discussion at each table at the end of the workshop.

  

I hope we will see a good turnout from the People for the Parks/Presidio."  

That evening's workshop will tie in directly with the first item at our meeting the next morning, but of necessity we will only get a summary of what happens the night before.

1) Michael Boland will lead the discussion with Noreen about the Heritage and Visitor Center projects. Michael says, "One of the core ideas we are interested in is creating a dispersed network of interpretive experiences in historic buildings around the Main Post and the broader park, so people can learn about the Post's history where it happened.  As you can imagine, this relates very directly to the scope and scale of the Visitor Center and Heritage Center, so I see these as all part of a continuum of interpretive experience."  (Because Steve Haller of GGNRA is away, the details of Building 640 and General de Witt's office, a major series of events relating to both the incarceration and the contributions of Japanese-Americans to the defense of the United States during WW II, as well as the Golden Gate Club as the site where the U.S. Japan Joint Security Pact was signed in 1951will be on the agenda next time–– that will continue from the site discussion here.) 

2) The Parks Conservancy showed us last time what they were planning on the bridge plaza to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the bridge. This time they will show us the major improvements that will be constructed and will lead up to the bridge along Lincoln Boulevard: the Golden Gate and Pacific Overlooks, as part of the Presidio Coastal Trail improvements project. 

3) Howard Levitt will present a number of smaller projects at Fort Mason, with the assistance of landscape architect Amy Hoke. They include the accessibility improvements/renewal of the paths in the great Meadow, the safety improvements at Bay/Franklin, and the upcoming hazard tree treatment and viewshed opening at the end of this coming summer. Howard will also give us a quick sketch of the "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" NPS initiation that was highlighted recently at a workshop at Cavallo Point, convened recently by NPS Director Jon Jarvis. 

4) Since our meeting is taking place two days after the comment deadline for the GGNRA Dog Management Plan, Howard Levitt will be able to give us some idea of what mail the park has received about the Plan. If you have not yet commented and wish to do so, you may send your letter in one of two ways by Monday, May 30. Yes, that is Memorial Day. It is the deadline! 

On-line: http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/dogplan

By mail: Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, Bldg 201, San Francisco, CA 94123

 

-- 
Karen J. Braseth
Managing People & Process to Drive Performance  

(415) 948-0010    
www.linkedin.com/in/karenbraseth

 

---

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 6/14/2011 8:51:48 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: People for the Presidio

 

Hi Ray,

This is a detailed summary of the last People for the Presidio meeting.  Hoping you will circulate it to PAR members:

DRAFT                                      People for the Parks-Presidio

        June 1, 2011

Heritage and Visitor Center:  Noreen Hughes/Michael  Boland

We are at the midpoint of conceptual design for the VC, following 6 workshops.  A temporary exhibit will  be installed at the temporary VC, Building 105, so visitors can comment on concepts for the VC.  130 responses have been received from the web site.  A pamphlet has been put together on learnings from the History symposium (How to Make History Come Alive at the Presidio).

The design group, GW Group, has been employed to generate ideas for both Centers.  Their strength is in work  which establishes emotional connections to places.  Their services may be augmented with services of others. 

 

Comments from today’s attendees on GW work and the Centers:  

Most important asset for Centers are people

GW did not sufficiently get the connection between nature and history

Concerns about scale of some of the ideas presented in sheer physical  size and potential housing for same (need for new building to house?)

Put docents on buses with people traveling to the Presidio to orient visitors before arrival.

Referencing the bubble chart, Arthur Feinstein said there needs to be much more emphasis on nature and climate change; that what is missing is the nature/history connection and an overview of their relationship. Barbara Corff spoke of sustainability and stewardship.The Sustainability/Stewardship Center should be a very high priority but it is not getting attention; it should be included in a phased development plan and included in philanthropic fund raising.  

Gary Widman spoke of need for history overview, broad concepts. Lesley Walsh urged use of existing buildings for experience, not just electronic models. David Anderson asked for building tours and tours with some of us "People", Peter Brastow asked for a vision for continuing experiences.

Other comments: one good technique of story-telling could make an outstanding VC, "don't limit dreams," want proposals worthy of a national park, need to get oral histories now.

Noreen said that next steps will be determining what belongs in the VC, the HC or other places.  She wants to develop all ideas, vet them and prioritize what will come first.  The VC is seen as the highest priority Center.  As there are many techniques for story telling; there is no need to decide what stories are told where but decisions need to be made to decide how effective “stories” will be over time and to front load them. 

Charlene Harvey, Trust Board Member liaison for the HC:  we need to dream about the Centers for a while and that the bigger we dream, the more  funds can be raised.   (John Reynolds  is Trust Board Member liaison for the VC).

Michael Boland:  many technological developments  can be used to help the VC deliver comprehensive information unobtrusively  (as opposed to signs and installations on the ground), enabling the user to get a broader  understanding of the place  in the continuum of experience. 

75^th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge: Jennifer Greene/ Doug Overman

The Park Service is committed to revitalizing how people get around the Park and with the birthday of the bridge coming up an opportunity arose to enable visitors to experience the iconic bridge structure as part of the National Park.  Part of the Coastal  Trail  improvements projects will occur  from North to South of the bridge. They will begin in July and go through November.   Some road closures will be needed.  A new stop by the PresidiGo Shuttle will be located at Langdon Court, south of the Bridge off Lincoln Blvd., and will provide some mass transit oriented visitor access to the Coastal Bluffs where a new overlook will be built.  The Merchants Road parking lot will get more capacity; coastal trails will be improved; new overlooks will be created; roadside parking areas will be improved;  trails to Rob Hill will be improved; Lincoln Blvd. will be improved for bikes in both directions.  Trails will be multi-use in several locations along the Coastal Bluffs area but the stunning Battery to Bluffs trail will remain pedestrian only.   

National Park Service report:   Howard Levitt

Interim Visitor Center (up to 3 years):  The relocation to Bldg. 105 generated an immediate spike in visitors since its relocation from the Officer’s Club. 

Fort Mason is undergoing a number of improvements:  

  - Great Meadow’s slopes and trails are being improved

  -The area around Bay and Franklin is undergoing walkway improvement to pedestrian safety especially from turning automobiles

  - Historic homes near the Hostel will be improved and rented at market rates. 

  - The Chapel will be upgraded and be made available for conference space.  

-Dog Management DRAFT Plan:  The comment period closed on 5/30/11.  GGNRA received about 3300 comments.  A Proposed Rule will be developed at end of year 2012 at which time more public comment will be taken. 

Healthy Parks, Healthy People:  A conference was held at Cavallo  Pt. to make the connection between healthy parks and healthy people more explicit, to discuss how parks can be a part of making people healthier in a more intentional way.  A healthy foods strategy was developed to make the concept a reality.  One example of the tools discussed included learning how many calories can be burned on a given trail, for example.  

Upcoming People for the Parks/Presidio meetings will include a review of the Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) (there have been many changes owing to the Doyle Drive construction), an Open Spaces update, and a review of the Wapamaand other matters pertaining to the SF Maritime NHP.