Committee approves City Cemetery landmarking amendments and forwards nomination to full Board

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Land Use and Transportation Committee on Sept. 12 approved amendments and voted to forward an ordinance to designate City Cemetery in Lincoln Park as an archaeological landmark.

Supervisor Connie Chan, sponsor of the ordinance, said the proposal recognizes immigrant fraternal and religious burial plots and aims to make City Cemetery the city’s first archaeological landmark. "An estimated 10,000 bodies still rest beneath the turf," Chan said, describing the site’s nineteenth-century use by fraternal veteran and immigrant organizations. She emphasized the designation is not intended to obstruct or limit recreation or golf course operations and introduced clarifying amendments to ensure coordination with the Recreation and Parks Department and Fine Arts Museums when projects involve archaeological investigation or museum jurisdiction.

Keri Hervey Lentz of the Planning Department reviewed the history and the period of significance (beginning in 1868) and outlined character-defining features including the Kung Chow structure and the Siemens Obelisk. Planning staff said archaeological studies have shown the site could yield information about groups underrepresented in documentary records. The staff noted historic preservation commission support and 11 public letters in the file expressing support; they also reported that the San Francisco Golf Alliance raised questions about possible effects on golf operations and that Planning worked with Rec & Park to address those concerns.

Public testimony largely supported the designation. Andrew Sun of the Century Club asked for language explicitly preserving golf operations and for interpretive signage; Woody Labounty of San Francisco Heritage urged recognition of the working-class and immigrant contributions and suggested a higher burial estimate in his remarks. Rec & Park and Fine Arts Museum representatives both said they support the designation and that clarifying language can avoid conflicts with the museum charter and Rec & Park procedures.

The committee first voted to approve amendments as read into the record by Supervisor Chan; Chair Mirna Melgar moved that approval and the vote was recorded as 'aye' from Supervisors Peskin, Preston and Melgar. Supervisor Erin Peskin then moved to send the item, as amended and listing her as a cosponsor, to the full Board of Supervisors; that motion also passed unanimously on the committee.

What happens next: The ordinance, as amended, will be transmitted to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration. Planning and Rec & Park staff should coordinate on any interpretive materials and on language that clarifies operations such as golf maintenance and museum jurisdiction.

Provenance: The Planning Department presentation, public comments from community advocates and Rec & Park and Fine Arts Museum representatives, and committee motions and votes are recorded in the Sept. 12 meeting transcript.