Embarcadero Plaza and Vaillancourt Fountain:
Written Public Comment Template
Use this email template to submit public comment to San Francisco. By using this template, you will submit comment to the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC), the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission (SFRPC), and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (SFBOS).
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To: charles.collins1@sfgov.org, manraj.dhaliwal@sfgov.org, art-info@sfgov.org, sarah.madland@sfgov.org, phil.ginsburg@sfgov.org, recpark.commission@sfgov.org, sauterstaff@sfgov.org, bos@sfgov.org, eoanna.goodwin@sfgov.org, ashley.summers@sfgov.org, bos.legislation@sfgov.org
BCC: info@docomomo-noca.org
Subject: Public Comment for SFBOS, SFAC, SFRPD meetings + Immediate Disclosure Request
Body: (Add your own stories about why the fountain is important to you)
To SF Board of Supervisors, SF Arts Commission, SF Recreation & Parks,
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department's plan for this project feels like a step backward, reminiscent of the urban renewal era.
Embarcadero Plaza, designed by Lawrence Halprin, is a historic site that has been part of the Market Street Cultural Landscape District since 2016. It's a vital public space, symbolizing our city's history and serving as a crucial site for civic engagement and free expression for decades, including this year.
The Vaillancourt Fountain is an internationally recognized landmark, representing our diverse history, our connection with Canada and Quebec, and the location of countless community and activist gatherings. San Francisco Planning recognized it as a historic resource on October 29, 2025.
I oppose this plan for blank-slate urban redevelopment and the use of an artificial emergency to bypass public review. Instead, I urge you to:
• Be responsible with public money by right-sizing this project and finding a better approach for the $15–30+ million in public and private funds during this time of economic uncertainty.
• Explore real design alternatives that go beyond the 2024 proposal from private interests. This must include serious consideration of adaptive reuse and drawing inspiration from acclaimed international public spaces. An example alternative from an established architecture firm can be found at https://jrdv.com/embarcadero-reimagined/.
• Actively engage with relevant experts, including architects, artists, and recognized art and preservation organizations.
• Require full transparency from project sponsors, especially when requesting a behested payments waiver. They must publicly communicate the entire scope, including Embarcadero Plaza South, Sue Bierman Park West, Phase 2, and all planned features like bocce courts, padel courts, a beer garden, and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Monument.
Please include this as a public comment—either as general public comment or associated with a specific agenda item—for these meetings:
• SF Board of Supervisors - Vaillancourt Fountain Appeal Hearing - January 13, 2026 (File #251202)
• SF Board of Supervisors - Embarcadero Plaza Behested Payments Waiver - next instance
• SF Arts Commission - Civic Design Review Committee meeting - next instance
• SF Arts Commission - Full Commission meeting - next instance
• SF Recreation and Park Commission meeting - next instance
**Recreation & Parks**: Please complete an **Immediate Disclosure Request** by supplying to me via email the following simple and routine public records by the close of the next business day:
• 2025 Embarcadero Plaza HRR
• 2025 Sue Bierman Park HRR
• 2025 Vaillancourt Fountain HRR
• 2025 Vaillancourt Fountain Conditions Assessment
• 2024-05-10 BxP Presentation BXP version
• MAP Embarcadero Plaza Maintenance Responsibilities
• Justin Herman Embarcadero Plaza - Maintenance Agreement Docs, 1998-2000 (not in order)
• Embarcadero Donor Presentation
• Prospect List for Mayor and DDC
• 20250729 PDT Meeting slides.pdf
• The most recent Embarcadero Plaza Project Delivery meeting notes
• The most recent Embarcadero Plaza Fundraising Committee meeting notes
Thank you.