On August 7, SF Rec and Park Project Manager Marvin Yee (Marvin.Yee@sfgov.org) will present to the SF Rec and Park Commission a proposal for a new irrigation system at Alamo Square, which will also include a new water conservation landscaping plan.
Alamo Square Park is currently mostly covered with grass needing regular maintenance. Under the proposal, most of it will be replanted with similar grass (shown in light green on the map above). The entrances to the park will be be planted with flowering shrubs (in orange on the map) or cherry trees (at Steiner and Grove, and at Fulton and Pierce).
Steep slopes will be replanted either with grasses that require little or no mowing or with native shrubs and mulch (“Slope Planting” shown in dark purple on the map), mainly along the Fulton Street and Scott Street sides of the park. The options are presented below, with the ‘no-mow grass’ being Rec and Park staff’s preferred option.
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- No Mow Grass
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- Option 1
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- Option 2
ASNA Board members in attendance at community meetings have been advocating for less use of ‘no-mow grass’ and urge you to contact Marvin Yee at Marvin.Yee@sfgov.org or (415) 581-2541 to give your input on the proposal as well. Comments on the landscape concept plan are due by July 31, 2013.
Find the full plans here (PDF format, SF Rec and Park).
No Mow Grass – SF Rec and Park Preferred Option
Option 1
Option 2
Alamo Square Online 
Why does the Steiner/Fulton corner have to suffer with that hideous half-dead tree by the stairs? Cherries would be much prettier and on a friendlier scale. Also, could a compromise be reached on the no-mow grass? The verge closest to the sidewalk might well be no-mow; it will get abused anyway, while the are above the outer park walkway (where the benches are located) would be beautiful planted in either of the other choices. I think the ceanothus, a native, iirc, would be easier to maintain than the mixed grass and yarrow.
So many of the grand old trees in the park are ailing and dying that strong actions for replacing them are greatly needed. However, we shouldn’t replace our towering trees only with ornamentals. Scale is one thing in front of houses, but in our parks we need reminders that nature operates on a much larger scale and that give us perspective on our role in the creation. I agree that the ceanothus would be lovely and also like the salvia for the entries.