The laying of the courtyard pavers has begun. Several inches of crushed rock is being laid over the waterproofing membrane and under the pavers, to facilitate drainage. The last outdoor item which will be tended to is the Courtyard fountain.
The footings along Valencia Street are being laid. This will enable the fence to be pushed back and positioned behind the new sidewalk, which will be laid as this issue of the Herald is being delivered to you.
Walkways, roof, arches, now waiting for elevator clear path of travel Looking into the legal side of what it means to have been issued a conditional use permit for operation of the garage seems like we’ve been waiting forever. For the exterior of the church to be completed. For construction on the interior to begin. And, for parking, parking, parking! As we know, the rebuilding of the Cathedral includes one level of below-grade parking. (A second level was considered, but was eliminated, due both to the high costs of constructing a second level and, more importantly, because the second level would be entirely submerged in water—the Mission Creek runs under the property, at the southeastern corner.) As parking is of a premium in the Mission District, and because we are keen both on security (we want the parking structure to be staffed) and the best utilization possible (we want to make the parking component available for public use when not used by our own parishioners, when they come for worship), we sought to engage a third-party operator to run the lot. For this, we had to obtain a conditional use permit. After more than a year in the planning, the San Francisco Planning Commission considered our request at a hearing on January 11 and granted the Cathedral a conditional use permit. The decision was unanimous. This means we can now move full-steam ahead: to finish the exhaust, install the gates, get the elevator inspected, complete a clear path of travel, lay the pavers, etc., with a view to opening the lot within the next few weeks. The Parish Council is also meeting with prospective parking operators, with a view to engaging one to handle the various aspects of attended parking. As soon as our parking component is fully operational, we will terminate subsidizing parking in the 14th Street and Stevenson Street lot (the lot behind the new Cathedral).