Belvedere plans standalone fix for Hawthorne Lane stairs

A new wooden bench sits atop an existing concrete bench on Belvedere’s Park Lane, which connects Golden Gate and Belvedere avenues. City staff reported the bench finished the week of the Sept. 17 Parks, Open Spaces and Lanes Committee meeting. The lane’s handrails are still awaiting paint. The committee is weighing a similar landing with a bench to replace deteriorating stairs at the top of Hawthorne Lane. (Ted McDonnell / For The Ark)

The wooden stairs at the top of Belvedere’s Hawthorne Lane lead walkers straight into Bella Vista Avenue, and the city wants to rebuild them now rather than wait for a broader makeover of Centennial Park below.

Public Works Director Antony Boyd told the Parks, Open Spaces and Lanes Committee Sept. 17 that the city’s maintenance supervisor had raised concerns about the stairs’ condition. Boyd proposed refining an existing conceptual design, getting contractor quotes and handling the stairs as a standalone project.

Under that design people climbing the lane would step onto a wooden platform before reaching the street. The platform would have railings and room for a bench overlooking Centennial Park, and it would sit largely within the existing footprint, on a bare-earth landing.

Boyd said the change would improve pedestrian safety. Committee Vice Chair Nicholas Markman noted that the deck would also line up with stairs across the street, helping connect the two sections of the lane.

Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.