Budget committee forwards in‑kind $580,000 grant for 20 Second Street stairs to full Board

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee on Oct. 1 recommended that the full Board approve a resolution authorizing the Recreation and Park Department to accept an in‑kind grant valued at about $580,000 from the Dogpatch and Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District to design and construct stairs on 20 Second Street.

The funding, which the committee was told is largely provided by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and supplemented by community donations and a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, would pay for design, permitting and construction of the steps connecting the Dogpatch commercial corridor and the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. If adopted by the full Board, Recreation and Park Department staff said they will accept the completed staircase and maintain it after construction.

Tamar Barlev, Partnerships Division staff for the Recreation and Park Department, told the committee the project will replicate RPD’s box‑step design on mostly Department of Public Works (DPW) accepted right‑of‑way immediately north of the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. Barlev summarized the $580,000 budget as including about $60,000 for design and project management, roughly $425,500 for construction, permit fees and a 10 percent contingency, and an administrative fee to cover Green Benefit District services.

Community members and neighborhood groups described the route as a long‑standing safety and access problem. Donovan Lacy, acting executive director of the Dogpatch and Northwest Potrero Hill Green Benefit District, said he had used the existing informal dirt path and urged approval: “Those stairs are dangerous and they’re tough,” Lacy said. J.R. Eppler, president of the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association, called the proposal “a nearly perfect project,” saying neighbors have trod the informal route for years and have stewarded the proposal through planning and fundraising.

Speakers at the committee included multiple nearby residents, parents and members of the Friends of Potrero Hill Rec Center, who said the steps will shorten walks to schools, recreation facilities and transit. One resident said muddy conditions currently force families to take a longer detour that adds about 20 minutes to trips to school.

Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey moved that the committee forward the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation. Dorsey said he appreciated the community’s persistence and the funders who filled the gap. “I’m happy to support this and I just wanted to express my gratitude to everybody,” Dorsey said. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan joined him in the vote. The roll call was recorded as Dorsey, aye; Chan, aye; the committee reported 2 ayes with Supervisor Joy Angardio excused.

If the Board of Supervisors approves the resolution, the Green Benefit District will grant the design and the completed steps to the Recreation and Park Department. The department said it will apply for required permits through DPW and anticipates permitting and contractor selection in 2025, with construction continuing into 2026 and final completion expected in 2026.

Project supporters listed in the committee presentation and public comments include UCSF, Potrero Boosters, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association, Friends of Jackson Park, Potrero Health, Dogpatch Merchants Association, Potrero Power Station, Pier 70 stakeholders, and individual donors Keith Goldstein and Donna Warrington.