San Francisco starts $4M removal of controversial Vaillancourt Fountain

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Crews began work Monday to remove the controversial Vaillancourt Fountain in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza.

Tamara Barak Aparton, spokesperson for the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, said this week is focused on preparation, including removing grout between arm joints and labeling the fountain so it could potentially be reassembled later.

She said the fountain is being removed because of significant public safety risks caused by deterioration. It is structurally unstable and corroded.

“There’s also, like a lot of old structures, asbestos and lead, and it’s become kind of an attractive nuisance, so having it in storage will be significantly safer than having it out in a public square,” Barak Aparton said.

The fountain, created by sculptor Armand Vaillancourt, has been controversial, with a preservationist group suing to keep it in place.

The fountain, made up of 710 tons of material, was completed in 1971.

MORE: Removal of controversial Thomas Fallon statue in San Jose begins

In 1987, U2’s Bono spray-painted graffiti on the fountain during a free concert. He was cited for it.

The city said the entire removal process will take several months. The removal and storage of the fountain will cost $4 million.

San Francisco resident Alec Bash is happy to see the fountain go, saying it had become an eyesore.

“It had been a wonderful site-specific art installation,” Bash said. “Now it’s sort of out of place, out of context, out of time.”

Business owners Mike Stephens and Nigel Kennedy have mixed emotions about the removal.

“I remember skateboarding here in the ’90s, this whole plaza,” said Stephens, who owns Mike’s Barbershop in San Francisco. “To me, that fountain, it’s kind of a little ugly, but it has an iconic memory.”

MORE: After decades of public protest, SJ votes to remove controversial Thomas Fallon statue

“I’m a little sad to see it go,” said Kennedy, of Pro Style Barber Shop in San Francisco. “I think they are pushing some things through to make this all happen. But I’m also open to new opportunities. I’m a business owner here, so it might bring new business for me.”

ABC7 Eyewitness News reached out to the group advocating to keep the fountain, as well as the group’s attorney.

The attorney for keeping the historic fountain open sent a statement to ABC7 Eyewitness News’ Gloria Rodriguez writing:

“Friends of the Plaza filed an appeal last week of the preliminary injunction denial. Today Friends filed an appellate petition for a stay and writ of supersedeas to prevent physical disassembly, demolition, or removal of the historic Vaillancourt Fountain from Embarcadero Plaza while the legal case proceeds.

Emergency exemption from CEQA, including for a project to substantially alter a qualified historic resource, requires more than deteriorated condition. Exemption is restricted to a “sudden, unexpected occurrence” requiring “immediate action” with no time for CEQA review. ( 21060.3.) Those are not present here.

No substantial evidence supports a conclusion that retaining the fountain in place to protect the court’s jurisdiction during the adjudication of the mandamus petition-projected at four months under the current schedule-could or would cause any harm to the public.

The City now admits that it can protect the fountain and the public on the site at a cost of $ 890,000 (Declaration of Eoanna Goodwin): much less than its current plan to spend $4.4 million for fountain disassembly and relocation. There is no emergency.

A stay and supersedeas will give a unique, storied resource of undisputed local, state, and national historic significance the benefit of the public CEQA process required by law-its only chance for survival. The historic Vaillancourt Fountain should not be disassembled or relocated from Embarcadero Plaza while Friends prove that there is no emergency justifying exemption from CEQA. Imminent substantial damage or loss of a historic resource presents exceptionally clear basis for issuance of a stay.

An emergency stay-this week-and supersedeas are urgently requested to protect the status quo while the case proceeds.”

There will be a community meeting Tuesday at 5:30p to discuss the future of Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park. It is from 5:30p to 7p at Three Embarcadero Center.