Sunset Boulevard is getting a lot greener!

Together with community partners, Public Works is transforming the beloved 2-mile-long greenbelt that connects Golden Gate Park and Lake Merced. Follow our story here.

Hello District 4 residents, property owners, merchants and visitors!

We have some exciting updates about our maintenance improvements along the boulevard.

On July 29, State Sen. Scott Wiener, San Francisco Public Works and San Francisco Recreation and Parks leadership, Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio announced a $1.5 million state investment in Sunset Boulevard greenway improvements. The grant provides $1 million for irrigation upgrades that utilize recycled water and $500,000 for a workforce development partnership between the City and Laborers Local 261 that will provide more boots on the ground to care for the open space.

August 1, 2025

In the coming months, you will see dividends from this new partnership. Stay tuned.

You may have already noticed the results of our gardeners and plumbers’ hard work restoring the 80-year irrigation system. Sprinklers are flowing and grasses, plants and new trees are thriving.

We’ve been putting a lot of maintenance focus on growing the next generation of trees on Sunset Boulevard and maintaining the majestic trees that are such an iconic piece of this treasured corridor. With funding to bring recycled water to the boulevard, it will allow us to responsibly make the improvements to the understory and trees – creating a more thriving urban greenbelt.

In this issue, join me in recognizing the hard work that’s taken place over the past month along Sunset. Our cement masons have repaved key pathways, our gardeners and laborers are out pruning, mowing and weeding and our arborists are methodically maintaining trees for safety, aesthetics and habitat.

Thanks to the efforts of many, Sunset Boulevard is getting a lot greener and healthier.

In partnership,

Carla Short

Director, San Francisco Public Works

July 30 Tree Pruning Day

Our arborist crew was out in force July 30 pruning large Monterey cypress and pines at Sunset Boulevard and Irving Street on a misty summer morning.

Measuring over two miles, Sunset Boulevard is a 60-acre greenbelt linking Golden Gate Park and Lake Merced. A biodiversity hotspot, the corridor features 30 rain gardens, habitat for a variety of species, a multipurpose recreational trail, and exercise equipment.

Arborist supervisor Ricardo Lizarraga said the team was focused on tree limb safety, aesthetics and enhancing habitat for birds and other fauna that use the trees as their homes and as sources for food.

"We are cautious to not harm the trees," Lizarraga said, as 15 stories above, certified arborists in bucket trucks chain-sawed dead, damaged, or overgrown branches to improve the trees' structure, health, and appearance. "You remove one tree, or improperly prune certain limbs, and it has a domino effect we want to avoid. It can make the adjacent trees vulnerable to wind penetration, fog, storms and sea spray. Each of these trees depend on one another; they depend on us, and so our approach is deliberate and methodical."

Learn More About the Bureau of Urban Forestry

Public Works arborists donning safety gear and carrying tools of the trade during a July 30 tree pruning effort at Sunset Boulevard and Irving Street.

Above, Public Works landscape crews are pictured removing a downed tree limb; below, a gardener mows tall grasses along Sunset Boulevard.

Maintenance Manager Field Notes

It's been a busy month on Sunset Boulevard. Here, our gardeners – with the help of Public Works Bureau of Building and Street Repair general laborers – are shown removing a downed tree limb on the pathway at Pacheco Street and Sunset Boulevard.

We have more good news to share. The water is back up and running. Our plumbers installed the new backflow cage at this location and installed four sprinkler valves at Sunset Boulevard and Taraval Street.

The gardeners are mowing green weeds and grass, a sea change from the arid swaths that existed here before.

When I encountered it in January, the Irving Street block had not had functioning sprinklers in years, and nobody knew the location of the valves. Some were buried six inches down, covered in grass and tree roots. I'd like to report that we've found all but one valve. We will be looking for the last lost valve on Monday.

It's starting to look good out on Sunset.

Gilbert Fragoso Jr.,

Sunset Boulevard Maintenance Manager

Plumbers Repair Sprinkler Heads at Rivera and Quintara Streets

Mid-month, Public Works crews fixed broken sprinkler heads on a key block of the corridor. While on the job, plumbers tested the west side of Sunset Boulevard between Rivera and Quintara streets and discovered that one sprinkler head was not functioning properly. Crews dug the line up and found that someone removed the sprinkler all together. The plumbers applied a fix and continued their repairs where they left off on Santiago Street.

Cement Masons Make Extensive Repairs Along Sunset Boulevard Pathway

The Bureau of Urban Forestry cement shop team performed extensive sidewalk restoration along Sunset Boulevard, at 36th Avenue and Kirkham Street, as part of Public Works’ ongoing efforts to maintain and restore the popular Sunset Boulevard green space between Lake Merced and Golden Gate Park.

Thank you to Bureau of Urban Forestry Superintendent David Moore for documenting their efforts in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. “Looking pro! Love it!” Moore said, after observing the crews at work.

City Announces New Funding for Irrigation Upgrade Along Sunset Boulevard

Agreement Will Bring Recycled Water and Landscape Maintenance Support from San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department

City leaders announced on July 29 that $1 million will be dedicated to the Sunset Boulevard Recycled Water Project. The improvements, designed by Public Works, will replace potable water supplied for irrigation with highly treated recycled water that exceeds state standards.

State Sen. Scott Wiener successfully secured this funding in the state budget this fiscal year. The remaining $500,000 will launch a new maintenance and workforce training program, a partnership involving Public Works, Rec and Park and Laborers Local 261.

Above, from left to right, District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, Recreation and Parks General Manager Phil Ginsberg (speaking at the podium); Sen. Scott Wiener, Public Works Director Carla Short and Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Chief of Climate, Transportation & Mobility Alicia John-Baptiste speak at an event on July 29 celebrating the grant.

Above: A member of the landscape team removes litter from Sunset Boulevard gardens during a recent work day.

"The collaborative operation that brings together City departments, elected leaders, labor and the community demonstrates our joint resolve to create a more resilient and beautiful greenway."

– Public Works Director Carla Short

SAVE THE DATE

Greening Day at Sunset Boulevard Gardens

Hosted by the California Native Plant Society Yerba Buena Chapter

Aug. 17, 10 a.m., Sunset Boulevard/Santiago Street/37th Avenue

Bring your elbow grease and civic pride and join your neighbors and San Francisco Public Works in weeding and planting this very special Sunset Boulevard location.

To learn more about the workday, please click here.

mobilize.us/sanfrancisco/event/747607/

You can also visit sfpublicworks.org/volunteer to find out about all of our volunteer opportunities.

Do you have something Sunset Greenbelt Connection-worthy? Let our editors know what you'd like to see. If you're receiving this newsletter as a forward from one of your neighbors, we'd be delighted to add you to our subscriber list. Drop us a line at sunsetnewsletter@sfdpw.org.

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