Committee advances Francisco Street vacation for new Francisco Park

Chair Aaron Peskin reopened the meeting and the committee considered Item 2, a conditional summary vacation of the 900 block of Francisco Street to support creation of a new Francisco Park on the former Francisco Reservoir site. Erica Major read the ordinance; public works representative (Mr. Banks) explained the vacated street segment runs between Larkin and Hyde streets and that the vacation is conditioned on transfer of adjacent Assessor’s Blocks 0046 and 0047 from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Recreation and Park Department.

Mr. Banks told the committee the vacation and a jurisdictional transfer are part of a multi-step process expected to be completed by 2026 if the abutting parcels are transferred. The vacation would allow Rec and Park to merge the parcels and the vacated right-of-way into a single parcel so the department could manage the park as a unified whole.

During public comment, a member of the public urged action on removing historical commemoration of former supervisor Phelan, noting city action had previously removed Phelan’s name from a street and park because of racist statements; that speaker asked why a statue remains inside City Hall. No committee members offered amendments; Supervisor Matt Haney moved to send the item to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation and the motion was taken without objection.

The conditional vacation proceeds to the board; its effect depends on the successful transfer of PUC parcels to the Recreation and Park Department as described in the ordinance.