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Ancient streets, spectacular views, and too many signs
Like hundreds of Pacificans, I drive Sharp Park Road almost daily. It's two
miles of city street, passing through two different cities as it drops 700
feet or so westbound from Skyline Blvd. to Sharp Park Golf Course. It's one
of the oldest streets in either Pacifica or San Bruno, perhaps as much as
125 years old. In its early days it was known as Sneath Lane, after the
pioneer local family famed for both dairy products and ice in the 1800's.
The Sneath's 3000 acres are best known today for Golden Gate National
Cemetery and the Sweeney Ridge portion of GGNRA.
The old road still curves, though it was treated to a lot of care and
concern about 1990, when most of its time-honored twists were worked on by
the city of Pacifica. What I notice are the signs intended to control
speed. On average, there's one every 1200 feet. However, they're not evenly
spaced. Westbound a short distance from Skyline Blvd. the speed limit is
40. Within a short walk of that white sign a yellow sign limits drivers to
35. A short distance farther is another yellow warning 35 mile sign,
expressing concern about slippery roads. Then comes the stoplight at
Pacific Heights Blvd., and another at College drive. A short distance
further on there's a white sign for 35. At the Grace McCarthy Vista Point
the speed becomes 30. Four more signs remind us to go either 30 or 25 as we
continue to head west.
Nine signs in two miles is several too many. Perhaps one white 35 mile sign
at the North Coast County Water tanks would be appropriate. That would
eliminate the need for the two yellow warnings and the second 35 mile white
sign farther on. Then the 30 mph sign at the Vista Point would take care of
the rest of the trip. Two signs, or perhaps a total of three to slow folks
down for the curves would do the job, I judge.
Sharp Park Road traverses not one but two cities. It's the most southern
east-west egress and ingress to the coast north of Highway 92. It is, and
will remain, a vital link to and from the more urban side of the Peninsula.
Yet the city of San Bruno has only a minimal interest in improving the
efficiency of this thoroughfare. Those Pacificans who live just north and
just west of College Drive have a minimal connection to the rest of our
city. Unless they choose to go out of their way, they could go months, even
years, without ever setting foot in a Pacifica store, restaurant or other
local commercial establishment. The oil changing business at the northwest
corner of Skyline Blvd. and Sharp Park Road may be the only Pacifica
company they see for months on end. Even the employees who change the oil
may think they work in South San Francisco or San Bruno.
Until some trees grew up, one of the very best Pacifica views was from San
Bruno, at the western edge of the Skyline College campus. You wouldn't know
it now, but you used to be able to see both Mount Diablo and Point Reyes
from the vista point on the college grounds. Thirty miles east, and thirty
miles west, the views were magnificent. Even today, it's something to write
home about, and if those trees were topped at about five feet, it would
again be spectacular all around.
If you have any insights into the history of Sharp Park
Road, share them by e mail with Paul@thereactor.net.
Check The Reactor's website at www.thereactor.net.
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