Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like a group of Bernal Heights neighbors transforming their neglected block into a community space, carry garden trowels.
San Francisco is known for its hills and steep roads. It’s also home to ‘unaccepted streets,’ poorly-paved pathways that don’t meet municipal standards and are unmaintained by the city. Many of these streets — often littered with debris — have been abandoned for decades.
Among them is a rugged block of Ogden Avenue, which locals say has been a blight since the 1900s. The approximately 150-foot-long and 50-foot-wide space is roughly paved with a narrow strip of cracked asphalt. Both sides bleed into planted areas or weed-stricken vacant lots. Norfolk Island pine trees rise from the north end of the strip.
At the north and south corners are four houses that face onto cross streets. The only structure directly on the 400 block of Ogden is Ana Fernandez’s daycare center.
Fernandez, who has been in business for 24 years, said she’s tired of worrying about kids running into traffic and pushing a stroller half a mile to the nearest park. Now, she may get gardens in front of her center.
Seven residents are leading the charge to re-imagine Ogden Avenue’s future. In other words, one said with a laugh, they’re “turning the shit hole green.”
An ‘unaccepted’ street on Ogden Avenue will soon be replaced with a community garden.
BERNAL HEIGHTS
Gates St.
Folsom St.
Ogden Avenue Garden
Ogden Ave.
Alemany Boulevard
Gates St.
Folsom St.
Ogden Avenue Garden
Ogden Ave.
BERNAL HEIGHTS
Cortland Ave.
Map by Kelly Waldron. Basemap from Mapbox.
Ever since he moved to the neighborhood in 2000, Jorge Romero-Lozano has “hated” the neglected block. Inspired by his now 13-year-old daughter, Emilia, the engineer applied to build a community garden in its place in 2021. His idea quickly gained traction among neighbors, and the street’s closure was approved by the city. Oncoming traffic will be redirected at Gates Street and Folsom Street.
In 2022, Ogden Avenue Gardens received a Community Challenge Grant from the city for almost $150,000. At the beginning of 2023, their tentative plans were forwarded to the city’s planning department for review. Later that year, the group received a $150,000 Urban Watershed Stewardship Grant, awarded to sustainable community-based public improvement projects that help manage stormwater — Ogden Avenue’s steep incline often leads to pools of rainwater at the bottom of the hill.
The garden is in the design and fundraising phase. If final plans are approved, construction should begin in early 2025. The project is estimated to cost $465,000, so community members must fundraise at least $165,000.
To that end, volunteers Wendy Miller and Joy Morgenstern are organizing an online art auction through October. Miller, a member of the 1890 Bryant collective, said artists have been generous with their donations. There are currently 95 pieces available, which can be viewed in-person on Oct. 17 during a reception at Barebottle Brewing Co. at 1525 Cortland Ave.
Romero-Lozano has experience with sustainable design. While he first came to this project as a community member, he’s also a professional civil engineer. After submitting the proposal for Ogden Avenue Gardens, Romero-Lozano founded a non-profit to work on other greening projects throughout the city. His organization developed the garden’s preliminary design pro bono, and will oversee its construction by another landscaping service.
Ogden Avenue’s other core volunteers, meanwhile, are new to urban planning. “We’re just people caring about the community,” volunteer Ana Ligi said.
Like a local troop of Avengers answering the call, five members of the group met Mission Local to show off their plans for Ogden Avenue, each strolling out of houses on different corners. The type to kill with kindness rather than superpowers, they greeted each other with hugs and cooed when a ladybug landed on this reporter’s shirt.
Ideas for the future greenspace were rattled off with enthusiasm: Abandoned cars will be replaced with local art installations. Patches of dirt scattered with trash will be converted into beds of native plants. There could be a local tree lighting, outdoor movie nights, yoga, maybe even memorials to lost pets.
Already, the volunteers have raised about $33,000 dollars — about $20,000 in direct donations and the rest through volunteer hours reimbursed at $25 dollars per hour by the city. But they still have a long way to go. Still, they remain positive.
Miller giggled as they adopted superhero poses for a photo, her white hair windblown: “We’re brat, just so you know.”
Thank you for highlighting this great community project.
This is great but talk to neighbors to stop parking their large trucks in this area.
Thank you, Abigail! Hope we’ll see you at the art auction reception on 10/17, from 5-8pm, at the wonderful Barebottle Brewing Co on Cortland.
i am so excited to see this in my neighborhood!