Supervisor introduces settlement to remove Pacific Rod and Gun Club from Lake Merced and require cleanup

Supervisor Ellsberg introduced a settlement Tuesday intended to remove the Pacific Rod and Gun Club from approximately 14 acres at Lake Merced and to require the club to participate in environmental cleanup costs, the supervisor said.

The sponsor said the agreement—negotiated by the city attorney and the Public Utilities Commission—would allow the city to begin a public process to determine the highest and best use of the land.

Why it matters: The property sits beside Lake Merced and has been a subject of long-running debate. The settlement would end a decades-long private-club presence and bring the club into the remediation process, according to the sponsor.

Sponsor’s description and figures

Supervisor Ellsberg said the city has been in a difficult situation with the Pacific Rod and Gun Club and that a settlement the club already agreed to will require the club to participate in remediation of environmental damage to Lake Merced. The supervisor cited an estimate of over $10,000,000 in environmental damage caused by past activities at the site and said the settlement is the next step toward enabling a public discussion of future uses for the land.

What was said and next steps

Ellsberg described the settlement as the start of a public process, not as a final disposition, and said the city attorney and the Public Utilities Commission reached terms that the club has agreed to in principle. The board did not vote on the settlement at Tuesday’s meeting; the item was introduced and advanced for subsequent action and public discussion.

Ending

The supervisor said the proposal would begin steps to remove the club’s longstanding activity and open the site to a public process to determine future uses for the lakeside property.