Sutro Tower at Mount Sutro  
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This page was updated on 06 June 2009, 1800 EDT.
Mount Sutro and sutrotower.org are not affiliated with Sutro Tower, Inc.

THE TOWER  

Sutro Tower is a 977 foot (298 metre) self-supporting steel structure in San Francisco, California built to provide radio, television and high-definition television broadcasts as well as additional communication services despite the hilly topography of the bay area.

Sutro Tower is owned and operated by Sutro Tower, Inc., an independent corporation founded in 1968 by the owners of bay area stations KTVU 2 (Cox Enterprises), KRON 4 (then Chronicle Publishing now Young Broadcasting), KPIX 5 (then Westinghouse Broadcasting now CBS Corporation) and KGO-TV 7 (then American Broadcasting Company now Disney/ABC). Each owner holds an equal share in Sutro Tower, Inc. The corporation owns the tower and service building while leasing space to broadcasters. Pricing is reportedly adjusted for certain community stations such as KQED 9 (Northern California Public Broadcasting) and KMTP 32 (Minority Television Project). The FCC Registration Number for Sutro Tower, Inc. is 0006161137 and their FCC License ID is L00232792.

The physical address of the tower is 1 La Avanzada Street, San Francisco, California 94131-1124. The former address 250 Palo Alto Avenue, San Francisco, California 94114-2123 is still occasionally listed on official city and county documents. Sutro Tower stands at about 37°45′19.0″ North latitude and -122°27′10.0″ West longitude (view map) placing it just southeast of the Mount Sutro peak on an adjacent and connected hill that may be considered Clarendon Heights. The 5.6-acre fenced private property (Assessors Block 2724, Lot 3) includes the tower, 31,000 square-foot (2,880 square metre) transmission building, garage and storage building, guard station, diesel-powered emergency generators, two underground diesel storage tanks in concrete vaults for leak containment, ancillary antennas, assorted equipment and a paved, striped parking lot for twenty-three (23) automobiles.

Breaking ground in 1971 and completed in 1972, Sutro Tower was designed by Albert C. Martin & Associates of Los Angeles, California and fabricated/erected by Kline Towers, a subsidiary of Kline Iron and Steel of Columbia, South Carolina. The conditional use permit granted for the tower’s construction occurred in San Francisco Planning Commission Resolution 5967. The first transmissions from the tower commenced 04 July 1973. Sutro Tower’s base is 834 feet (254 metres) above mean sea level and the total height of the tower above mean sea level is 1,811 feet (552 metres). The three-pronged tower is the tallest structure in the bay area.

The Sutro Tower site is the original location of the Sutro Mansion built in the 1930’s by aviator and adventurer Adolph Gilbert Sutro (1891–1981), grandson of the former Mayor. The three-story La Avanzada villa would serve as home to Sutro and his mother until their relocation to land near Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. In 1948, he sold the house and surrounding land for $125,000 USD to the American Broadcasting Company for use as their new television station transmitter site.

On 05 May 1949, fifty employees at the Sutro Mansion studios produced the first show premiering KGO-TV via the new 580 foot (177 metre) broadcast tower. About two years later, KPIX and several FM radio stations began renting space on the tower starting a trend that would shape the future of the site through the present. Although KGO-TV moved into new studios at 277 Golden Gate Avenue in 1953, the mansion continued to serve as the equipment and tower facility. By 1956, the broadcasters decided in order to cover more of the area terrain a new, taller antenna tower was required. After the candidate site on Mount San Bruno was determined to be too close to the airport to support a tall tower, the Sutro Mansion site was selected. After years of hearings and litigation, Sutro Tower, Inc. was incorporated on 03 May 1968 and the $4 million Sutro Tower project got underway. Citing tresspassing vandals and fire hazards as cause, the city included a directive in the final agreement that the mansion be removed during the project. In 1978–1979, a foundation outline was still visible from the tower above, but the parking lot may completely obscure it today.

The tower was designed to withstand seismic activity. Part of that design includes the foundation, made with about 15 million pounds (6.8 million kilograms) of concrete. The tower itself weighs about 3.7 million pounds (1.7 million kilograms). This engineering combination places the tower’s center of gravity below ground. In 1997, the City of San Francisco designated Sutro Tower an “essential facility,” recognizing it as a key component of the city’s emergency response plans to ensure the continuous availability of transmission services. In order to comply with new standards required by this designation, Kline Towers with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger installed additional seismic upgrades designed to protect the tower from earthquakes in excess of 8.0 on the Richter scale in September 2003.

Measurements to ascertain the RF exposure levels at Sutro Tower are within the guidelines set forth by the FCC in Docket 93-62 (adopted 22 October 1997) are conducted every three years or when any DTV antenna is activated or increased in power. The last exposure study (STI) conducted on 30 June 2006 by Hammett and Edison, Inc. of Sonoma, California found the tower in compliance with the “requirements for limiting public exposure to radio frequency energy.”

During the 06 December 2006 special holiday episode of the popular Discovery Channel series MythBusters, co-hosts Tory Belleci, Grant Imahara and Kari Byron pay a visit to Sutro Tower general manager Eugene S. Zastrow to test a theory about RF. The basic premise of the myth they are investigating is that since microwave ovens use energy similar to that of broadcast towers, you should be able to cook food by placing it at or near such a facility. After declining the team’s request to attach a turkey to Sutro Tower to see what happens, Zastrow says he doubts the experiment would work. “Microwave transmitters that the stations use are very low power. They’re in the neighborhood of a couple of watts, as opposed to a microwave oven which is, you know, seven, eight-hundred, even up to twelve-hundred watts of power, plus it’s very confined.” The team eventually tries a portable microwave transmitter atop a KRON TV news van and the large radar aboard the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien, but all tests fail to heat the turkey rendering the myth “busted.” You can download and watch the Sutro Tower segment from the episode or read a transcript.

The tower also receives an annual structural inspection conducted by an independent engineering firm, the last of which was performed on Leg C and the south face of the tower on 08–09 October 2008 by CEL Consulting of Oakland, California. According to the inspection report (STI) , the engineer found minor corrosion on some fasteners (requiring cleaning and repainting, or replacement) and diagonal strands (to be “addressed during the next scheduled construction at the site”). Overall, the structural members, skin and the three leg bases showed no signs of distortion, distress or overload.

Sutro Tower’s FAA Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) number is 1001289, File Number A0122425. Pursuant to USDOT/FAA Advisory Circular 70/7460-1K , Sutro Tower is equipped with FAA-approved lighting. Lamp replacements are installed about every two months according to Sutro Tower maintenance supervisor David Grimes. The lighting compliment includes twelve (12) high-intensity white flashing obstruction beacons, nine (9) medium intensity flashing red beacons, eighteen (18) steady-burning obstruction lights and three (3) red/white antenna beacons. The tower body is painted in alternating bands of Federal Standard 595 Color 12197 “aviation orange” and Federal Standard 595 Color 17875 “aviation white” by D. Zelinsky & Sons, of Brisbane, California. Access to the various levels is provided by a small two-person elevator embedded in the western leg of the tower.

Pacific Gas and Electric supplies the substantial power needs of Sutro Tower. To meet the one to two million watt requirements of the tower, PG&E provides two separate 12.5-kilovolt feeds, while on-site emergency diesel generators provide backup redundancy. On an typical day, there are an average of seven (between 4–10) employees on-site with four working for Sutro Tower, Inc. and the others their respective broadcasters. Staff for each station take their programming signals, received by microwave or fiber optic cable, and process/amplify them for public broadcast.

In October 2007, Sutro Tower began participation in the California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Project run by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Monitoring equipment was installed in September 2007 just above Level Three at 400 feet (122 metres) and on Level Six at 760 feet (232 metres). Twice daily, the equipment takes in air and transports it to the ground level for on-site carbon dioxide and methane analysis. Fluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and other greenhouse gases are analyzed at the NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, Boulder, Colorado, on a weekly basis.

On 12 December 2007, it was announced Sutro Tower, Inc. signed a deal with Dielectric Communications of Raymond, Maine (who acquired Kline Towers in 2004) to complete a series of upgrades and enhancements over the next three years. Scheduled work includes the transition to digital broadcasting, an increase in the tower’s coverage area and new features to allow broadcasters maximized DTV service. The announcement also quotes Gene Zastrow as being pleased to have Dielectric as a partner through this important project, as well as with the work they did in the past.

As part of the San Francisco Planning Department review of the Sutro Tower Digital Television Project (2007.0206E), a Draft Environmental Impact Report (sfgov) was published on 17 May 2008 in advance of the 26 June 2008 public hearing. The report contains proposed changes and upgrades to the tower, an environmental impact survey and analysis, a review of mitigation measures and potential project alternatives. The Comments and Responses (sfgov) document released 01 October 2008 contains summaries of oral comments made during public hearings and those received in writing during the 17 May 2008–01 July 2008 public comment period.

The Planning Commission certified the EIR and approved the project on 23 October 2008. This approval included an additional condition where Sutro Tower, Inc. must submit the final terms of their agreement with several neighborhood associations prior to the expiration of the EIR appeal period. The Final Terms of the Agreement to Provide Information and Extend Certain Services to Sutro Tower Area Residents (STI) were entered into on 07 November 2008.

During the early morning of Sunday, 08 February 2009, a television station’s transformer at Sutro Tower overheated causing a great deal of smoke and subsequently triggering the fire alarm. The San Francisco Fire Department responded to the site and investigated the matter as discussed in the official Incident Report (STI) . No flames were produced during the incident and the smoke diminished once the equipment was powered down. Gene Zastrow observes, “It’s very unusual for a transformer to overheat but occasionally a small manufacturing defect can, over time, cause overheating. This is the first time in the 17 years of my tenure this or any other situation has caused a fire department response.”

ANTENNA AND TOWER DIAGRAMS  

Sutro Tower, Inc. maintains the official Sutro Tower Antenna Status page displaying which transmitters are in operation. Standalone and historical diagrams are available for download below. If you want to link to these diagrams, add a hyperlink to http://www.sutrotower.org/#diagrams.

2009-01-31	2009-01-31 Current and Future
2008-05-17	2008-05-17 Upgrade Proposal
2003-06-14	1998-02-05

As of 31 January 2009, there are ten (10) analog television, eleven (11) digital television and four (4) FM radio stations broadcasting from the tower. In addition, there are fourteen (14) auxiliary analog antennas to provide backup capabilities. The latest DTV conversion phase began in mid-January 2009 and is projected to take 8–10 months.

Approximately 184 other small and ancillary antennas exist for backup and other communications services including those of the California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspector.

Supporting masts including those on the stacked VHF antennas are made from A53 of A106 Grade B certified pipe fabricated by Lingo, Inc., of Camden, New Jersey. The 2007 Dielectric contract is slated to add, in part for two high-speed wireless data services, TFU-WB UHF slot cavity antennas, TFU-JSC/VP high-power pylon antennas, TUC and TUA wideband UHF panel antennas, combiners, transmission lines and additional components. This project will take 12 to 16 months to complete at an estimated cost of $1.75 million.

RECEIVING THE BROADCASTS  

There are many resources available to help you receive broadcasts from Sutro Tower and other bay area transmitters. The San Francisco Chronicle maintains a list of area television, FM radio and AM radio station websites, which provide answers to questions about receiving their programming. You can also use the AntennaWeb Lookup Tool to learn the distance and compass heading from any address to your favorite station’s transmitter (session cookies required). For a comprehensive listing of bay area and general HDTV tips and tools, including how-to guides on antenna setup and configuration, visit Bill & Larry’s Broadcasting Page.

On 05 February 2009, representatives of the stations that broadcast from Sutro Tower met to discuss how they would proceed in light of The DTV Delay Act of 2009, legislation pushing the digital television transition deadline from 17 February to 12 June 2009. The delay could benefit broadcasters since backup digital transmitters are not yet installed, but continuing to operate in analog and digital simultaneously will keep the cost of electricity high for the stations. Since the legislation does not prohibit broadcasters from sticking to the original date or transitioning in the subsequent months before 12 June, two bay area stations are allegedly considering this option to cease analog operations. Valari Staab, current president of Sutro Tower, Inc. and KGO-TV, provided an unconfirmed list to the San Francisco Chronicle indicating KICU 36 has selected 17 February and KOFY 20 might transition 21 February.

MOUNT SUTRO  

At 908 feet (277 metres), Mount Sutro is part of the Franciscan Assemblage, the unique geological formations found on and near the San Francisco Peninsula. The topography is mostly made of pillow basalt and chert—micro and cryptocrystalline sedimentary rocks—from the early Cretaceous and/or late Jurassic periods. The hill is “capped by a highly fractured and weathered chert formation which tilts steeply downward in a westerly direction,” according to the 21 January 1966 Dames & Moore tower site soil and foundation survey report.

Originally designated Mount Parnassus, Mount Sutro is named for Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro (1830–1898), a successful engineer, businessman, real estate investor and 24th Mayor of San Francisco from 1895 to 1897.

Sutro lived in his birthplace Prussia until 1850 when he moved to the United States. Over the next ten years, he built a relationship with Bank of California founder William Ralston and eventually designed, promoted and built (1860–1878) what would be known as the Sutro Tunnel. The tunnel was designed to drain water from the Comstock Lode silver ore mine under present-day Virginia City, Nevada approximately 3.84 miles (6.18 metres) as the bird flies to an exit point in Sutro, Nevada, near Dayton.

Moving back to San Francisco in 1879, Sutro began making large real estate investments in locations like Mount Parnassus, Land’s End and Blue Mountain, today’s Mount Davidson. In the continuing years, Sutro headed projects he is probably best remembered for today. Among these are the Sutro Baths, opening on 14 March 1896 as the largest indoor bathing facility ever constructed, the November 1886 Arbor Day planting of the Sutro Forest on his land spanning from Mount Parnassus to Blue Mountain and south to Ocean Avenue and the wildlife preserve designation bestowed upon Seal Rocks in 1887 at Sutro’s urging to protect the sea lion colony living there.

The surface is currently undergoing a botanical restoration led by the University of California, San Francisco, owners and custodians of the 61-acre Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. UCSF, whose Medical Center is located to the north of the reserve, has the support of several volunteer groups including the Mt. Sutro Stewards, Nature in the City and the California Native Plant Society.

This partnership has worked to remove non-native species, repopulate indigenous plants and restore public trails — download trail map — even unearthing a trail hidden for years by the brambles, flora and fauna. Believed to date to 1906 or earlier, this western ridge trail was restored for public use. Great accomplishments have made this project a success, however much work is still to be done. In 2003, UCSF received a $100,000 grant from the Rotary Club of San Francisco to develop the native plant demonstration area located on the summit of Mount Sutro.

Volunteers meet on the first Saturday of every month to maintain and improve the existing trail network; remove and prune invasive blackberry, ivy and weeds; and help sustain native plants in the summit garden and demonstration area. Those interested in volunteering should check the Nature in the City Volunteer Workday Calendar.

Near the demonstration area is the former location of Nike Missile site SF-89C, part of the Project Nike US Army anti-aircraft missile defense system. The Mount Sutro control area worked in concert with Battery Caufield SF-89L, missile launch site and headquarters for the 740th AAA Battalion at Fort Winfield Scott. Starting development in 1945 and going operational in 1953, Project Nike would operate up to 280 batteries nationwide until 1979. SF-88 at Fort Barry, Marin County, was decommissioned in 1974 and transformed into a public museum operated by the National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area).

Located in the heart of the city, Mount Sutro is surrounded by several residential neighborhoods. The southeast corner not far from the summit is home to the UCSF Aldea San Miguel housing complex along Behr Avenue and Johnstone Drive. Occupying the southern and southwestern sides of Mount Sutro, the Forest Knolls community exists east and north of Warren Drive, south and west of the Mount Sutro summit and west of Sutro Tower. South of the tower is Clarendon Heights and the community of Midtown Terrace, established in 1957 and consisting of 817 residential homes. Mount Sutro is bounded on the west by Clarendon Avenue south of the Twin Peaks Boulevard intersection. Winding counter-clockwise along Laguna Honda Boulevard, Woodside Avenue and Portola Drive, the southern border meets Twin Peaks Boulevard in the southeast and follows the Boulevard north to Clarendon. Bordering the southeast corner of the UCSF campus lays the Interior Green Belt, an urban forest featuring various bird and sensitive plant species. Just north of the forest exists the small and scenic community of Parnassus Heights.

Some of the best views of Sutro Tower are available from Twin Peaks, a popular panoramic overlook of the bay area on Christmas Tree Point Road accessible via Twin Peaks Boulevard. One-fourth mile (402 metres) east of Sutro Tower, Twin Peaks is also home to the City and County of San Francisco’s Central Radio Station. This facility has two 180 foot (55 metre) and one 40 foot (12 metre) transmission towers providing communications support for the City Police and Fire Departments, 911 dispatch system, Sheriff, District Attorney, Office of Emergency Management, Public Utilities Commission and the Unified School District (operating radio station KALW). Those wishing to walk around the tower on public land may find an available parking spot close to the Sutro Tower gate on La Avanzada Street.

Immediately northeast of the Sutro Tower complex is the Summit Reservoir, a 14 million gallon drinking water and fire protection resource built in 1954. In March 2004, the Summit Reservoir was targeted for a comprehensive rehabilitation and seismic upgrade, the first of such projects scheduled per the Public Utilities Commission Water System Improvement Program. Although the Summit project was delayed by one year, the refurbished reservoir was returned to service in August 2006 complete with a repaved public exercise path around the perimeter.

To the south of Sutro Tower and west of Twin Peaks is the Sutro Reservoir 10-024, completed in 1952 and containing 32 million gallons of potable water. The tank is built into the side of Mount Sutro with a topographically sloped concrete liner and walls 40 feet (12 metres) high. In 2003, Lotus General Contractors repaired the 300,000 square-foot (27,871 square metre) concrete lid and resurfaced it for use as tennis courts (not yet implemented). In 2006, Sutro Reservoir was refurbished and seismically stabilized as part of the Water System Improvement Program. The Midtown Terrace Playground and Sutro Recreation Center, 280 Olympia Way, is open to the public at the southwest corner of the reservoir.

INTERNET CAMERAS  

Over the years, many webcams have come and gone offering views of and from Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks. There does not appear to be a camera publishing online at present. If you find one, please post it. The original Sutro Cam that was installed on a leg of the tower itself permanently blue screened on 06 May 2004, 0941. The Powazek SutroCam froze on 05 December 2000, 1035. A permanent foggy vista captured 28 July 2005, 0940 is all that is left of the Twin Peaks Cam. Finally, my long-time favorite City Birds Cam disappeared on 27 March 1999. Not to be confused with the Twin Peaks in San Francisco, Mike Richmond maintains a comprehensive weather station (providing data to the National Weather Service) and webcam from Twin Peaks, California within the San Bernardino National Forest.

THE AUTHOR’S PERSPECTIVE  

My personal fascination with Mount Sutro and the Sutro Tower is inexplicable, although I have always held an interest in technology including those employed at the tower.

It all began during my first visit to San Francisco in 1989. I remember first seeing Sutro Tower while traveling around the city and thinking it was cool. The beautiful vista at the summit of Twin Peaks was doubly exciting for me because of the up close and personal view of the tower there.

Another memory from that trip is my visit to the Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts (check out the interactive Roof Cam). An exhibit there at the time, Golden Gate Bridge Video featuring the Golden Gate Fly-Over (1987) directed by Michael Naimark, allowed the visitor to “fly” over the city using a trackball. This aerial moviemap was filmed from a helicopter flying 1,000 feet (305 metres) above sea level using a gyro-stabilized camera. I used the trackball to fly toward Twin Peaks and there it was on the screen, Sutro Tower. This was a pretty remarkable experience from the perspective of an eight-year-old in 1989, well before present-day resources like Google Earth. I have since enjoyed towers and skyscrapers with flashing lights of different varieties, but none as unique and striking at Sutro Tower. I am envious of those who have had the opportunity to tour the facility.

Beyond my memories and websites, there are two daily reminders of the city by the bay in my life. Strategically hung on a small wall in my living room is a Twin Peaks street sign that once stood in the shadow of Sutro Tower. It was purchased from the defunct (as of 2004) San Francisco City Store in 1996. Additionally, on the back of my car you will find my State of Florida license plate: MT SUTRO.

RELATED ARTICLES  

NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHS AND LINKS

News
www.sutrotower.com (2009-01-31)
Sutro Tower, Inc. has a new official site for Sutro Tower including an overview, DTV project information, reports, notices and the current antenna layout.

Forbes MetaData: Digital Switch Quandary (2009-01-27)
Gene Zastrow of Sutro Tower, Inc. comments on the possible benefit to broadcasters in the proposed delay of the transition to digital television. Unfortunately, they misspelled Gene’s last name as “Kastrow” and the editors let “Quandry” slip by in the title instead of “Quandary,” as corrected here.

Who Changes The Lights On Sutro Tower? (2007-01-09)
KPIX 5 interview with maintenance supervisor David Grimes

Tours Sutro Tower Tour A Sutro Tower Tour C Sutro Tower Tour E

Sutro Tower Tour B Sutro Tower Tour D Sutro Tower Tour F

Clothing and Accessories
Amos Goldbaum’s Sutro Tower Silk-Screened Shirt
Halloween Costume I
Halloween Costume II
Halloween Costume III
“I Love Adolph Sutro” T-Shirt
Samantha Stollenwerck’s “Cali-Soul” T-Shirt
Sutro Tower Belt Buckle
Sutro Tower “Local” T-Shirt

Art
Glenn Budak
Lance Rivers
Pete Scully
François Vigneault
Jason Waskey
Charlene Wright

Sites of Interest
Antenna Art at Home By Six
AntennaWeb
The Bandit Notes
Bay Nature: Mount Sutro’s Untold Understory
Bill & Larry’s Broadcasting Page
Fybush Tower Site of the Week
Google Maps Street View
Google Sightseeing
HDTV in the San Francisco/Bay Area
Healing the Mount Sutro Forest
Larry Kenney
Old Mt. Sutro, Reborn!
Mount Sutro Stewards at Work
Jim Price
SF Natural Areas: Mt Sutro
SFZero
Sutro Inferno
Sutro Tower Community Perspectives (anti-tower)
Sutro Tower Under Construction
Twin Peaks Area Historical Images

Photography
Big Friend: Sutro Tower in San Francisco
Jeremy Fitzhardinge
Fog Shadow by Mila Zinkova
My Big Friend ~ Sutro Tower
Photography, It’s All About The Light by Jim M. Goldstein
Shine on Sutro Moon
Sutro Tower Moon Lapse
Sutro Tower Time Lapse

Flickr
karma sutro, mountsutro, sutro, sutrotower, sutro tower, sutro tower pool, t-shirt, twinpeaks

29 Comments on “sutrotower.org”

1. Steve
   

   See this page for an interesting perspective on your tower. The location is given there as -122.45255 longitude by 37.75524 latitude.

   
   Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 1914   Hyperlink
2. kvn
   

   well gosh darn it, someone likes that magical trident as much as me. Any other Sutro junkies have any more diagrams of that happy tri-ped? If so, I’d love to see them.

   Thanks!

   
   Monday, 04 April 2005, 2142   Hyperlink
3. Peter
   

   Thought you tower junkies might like this T-Shirt available from Upper Playground

   
   Monday, 11 July 2005, 2223   Hyperlink
4. J. Iorns
   

   Is there a place near/around the tower where you can get a really nice view of the city? I think I was taken there years ago on a date and we had a picnic on a cement structure/wall. Does that sound right?

   
   Monday, 19 September 2005, 1446   Hyperlink
5. David July
   

   The spot you are looking for is Twin Peaks. Located next to Mount Sutro and Sutro Tower, Twin Peaks offers the finest panoramic view of the Bay Area.

   
   Wednesday, 21 September 2005, 1551   Hyperlink
6. Jas
   

   I’ve been obsessed with Sutro Tower forever! It’s SO San Francisco and wherever I am in the city I find myself looking for it…it’s the coolest and I don’t even know why…

   
   Wednesday, 19 October 2005, 1247   Hyperlink
7. Mike Gilbert
   

   Thank you for the great info on the tower. It is truly a beautiful structure…and to think the people (wearing tin foil hats so the man can’t read their thoughts) at sutro.org want it torn down. How could you tear down something so iconic at this? A tower in rural England was put on an historic register because like the trident- It’s a piece of history- truly a Space Needle of the Bay Area

   
   Monday, 24 October 2005, 0001   Hyperlink
8. Mike Gilbert
   

   Also, I’d check out http://www.structurae.de for some great photos of similar structures from around the world- I know I can’t get enough

   
   Monday, 24 October 2005, 0014   Hyperlink
9. Lenza McElrath
   

   Last week I lost all the digital PBS channels (9.1-5). I called PBS and they said that work is currently being done and it should be completed next week. Does anyone know what is going on?

   
   Friday, 28 October 2005, 1620   Hyperlink
10. Giles Hall
    

    Can someone tell me something about the maintenance of this tower? For example, how often is it painted and with what sort of paint?

    
    Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 1850   Hyperlink
11. dave
    

    Looking for pixs of the tower being built, any clues? Great site BTW

    
    Saturday, 11 March 2006, 2236   Hyperlink
12. troymccluresf
    

    Sweet, I’m linked!

    Now if I could only find a good Sutro Tower t-shirt. I think I’m just going to have to make one.

    
    Wednesday, 02 May 2007, 1324   Hyperlink
13. David July
    

    You know I have e-mailed some of the artists that create and stores that sell Sutro Tower shirts. Of those stores and people, only one artist replied and it was to say she was sold out.

    Considering the number of people arriving here looking for information on Sutro Tower t-shirts, I would think someone would jump at the chance to target our little niche market.

    
    Wednesday, 02 May 2007, 1652   Hyperlink
14. Lesli
    

    My daughter has a t-shirt with Sutro tower on it and under it says, “Local”. Someone got it for her at a gift shop on Irving near 9th Ave. Not sure if they still sell them…

    
    Friday, 02 November 2007, 1647   Hyperlink
15. troymccluresf
    

    I was in the Haight the other day, in front of TRUE, and they had a really cool, detailed women’s t-shirt with the Tower emblazoned on the front. I didn’t have time to check it out (or see if there was a men’s) but it was pretty nifty.

    
    Wednesday, 06 February 2008, 1529   Hyperlink
16. Phil
    

    This site has some Sutro Tower construction photographs.

    
    Tuesday, 12 February 2008, 1111   Hyperlink
17. David July
    

    This link and one to Sutro Tower construction photographs at the San Francisco Public Library (found on your site) have been added to the hyperlinks section above.

    Thank you for the contribution, Phil!

    
    Tuesday, 12 February 2008, 1736   Hyperlink
18. Hugo
    

    Can the tower be used for 3G Cell Phone Networks; eventually operating at near DSL speeds? I am sympathetic to the impact of all frequencies on residents, animals and the environment. Hopefully signals can be broadcast at lower strengths and given the height of the tower will be broadcasts from a greater height.

    
    Monday, 26 May 2008, 1844   Hyperlink
19. Craig Dawson
    

    ---

    Editor’s Note: I have posted this letter by Craig Dawson, founder of the Mt. Sutro Stewards, because I found it relevant and interesting news albeit belated. It was originally published 09 April 2008 on sfnaturalareas.org.

    ---

    Mt. Sutro: April 5th Volunteer Day Recap

    Last Saturday’s Mt. Sutro volunteers were treated to sunshine and fine weather as they turned out to perform habitat and trail work at the Rotary Meadow on top of Mt. Sutro. The large group of 38 volunteers accompanied the Mt. Sutro Stewards on a hike to the summit where the party split into two groups to focus on habitat work or trail construction.

    Habitat Work: The Mt. Sutro Stewards Habitat Crew led by Jake Sigg (CA Native Plant Society), Peter Brastow (Nature In The City), Rob Bakewell (GG Park Oak Woodlands) and Aaron Thies worked with volunteers to remove invasive weeds from the swale in the lower section of Rotary Meadow. In all, enough weeds were removed to fill several pickup trucks providing another boost to the native plants in that area. The volunteers discovered that this is the best time of the year to spend a morning on the summit of Mt. Sutro as the plants bloom and the insects and birds return.

    Trail Work: The Mt. Sutro Stewards Trail Crew led by Dan Schneider, Bob Siegel, Chris Brownfield and myself, begin work on a new upper North Ridge trail connector to the Summit. We accomplished the first phase of the rerouting around the previously steep sections to improve safety during wet conditions. This short but ambitious section of trail improvement will continue on May 3rd where we will finish the upper half that was roughed in and proceed into the lower section.

    After a morning of hard work the volunteers were treated to food provided by UCSF and homemade beverages donated by Stewards Dan Schneider and Craig Dawson.

    See more photos from Saturday (courtesy Charlotte Evans of One Brick).

    Come out and join us on Saturday May 3rd!

    Craig Dawson
    Mt. Sutro Stewards

    (415) 665-1077
    http://www.natureinthecity.org/mtsutro.php

    
    Sunday, 22 June 2008, 1332   Hyperlink
20. Thomas Inman, PhD
    

    The value of your research is immeasurably helpful. As a writer and former R&D environmental scientist, I am curious about Edgewood Avenue, a dead end brick street that “lacerates” Sutro Forest. I am told it was once destined to support a cable car run to Sutro’s other mansion. As I was raised on Edgewood, I was also told the brickwork, evident in other SF areas, was constructed by a particular group of masons (union). My research has led me to question the Arbor Day planting of Australian & Blue Gum Eucalyptus, although the initialization was indeed started as your article suggests. Do you know how the seedlings were acquired?
    More simply, in your explorations, did you encounter any information regarding Edgewood Avenue? Again, you are to be commended for your work. Thanks!

    
    Thursday, 10 July 2008, 1437   Hyperlink
21. amos goldbaum
    

    If anyone is still looking for sweet sutro tower shirts I have been making and selling them for a few months now. check out my design here or go to amosgoldbaum.com and click on “store.” I have men’s and women’s sizes and you can buy online or at my locations in downtown sf.
    thanks,
    amos

    
    Saturday, 30 August 2008, 0304   Hyperlink
22. Coley Wopperer
    

    Hi David,

    I have a webcam to offer up that I found after seeing all the ones you mentioned, here, disabled.

    http://twinpeaksweather.com/live%20image.htm
    Since moving from the Inner Sunset to Potrero, I have been looking for a camera I can watch to remind myself of the foggy area I used to inhabit! Joy to find one!

    Hope this helps =) Cheers

    
    Monday, 20 October 2008, 0446   Hyperlink
23. Terry Nitzel
    

    I lived at 660 Clipper Street in “The City” in what was then known as the “diamond hights” neighborhood of SF. I wonder if any “ham” radio operator has ever tried to “load up” Sutro Tower on the 160 meter ham band?? For those readers who may be familier with ham radio, that is the “band” from 1800 to 2000KHZ. Really old old timers will remember 160 meters, as the old am “police band”. The oldest “broadcasting” station of ANY type was KQW now using the call-letters KCBS, KQW was originally licensed to San Jose. KPH for Palace Hotel was the first Marine radio-Telegraph station. It should be remembered by history-buffs that the value of radio was first realized as an aid to helping ships in “distress” The original “distress” signal was CQD, (come quick distress) The signal was later changed to SOS, (save our souls) or(save our ship) by the Berlin Radio Conferance of 1912. The Radio Historical Society, located at the old KRE radio station, operates KPH on an ocasional basis from it’s newer transmitter site in Marin County.

    
    Wednesday, 29 October 2008, 1740   Hyperlink
24. Jesse
    

    On a clear day in northern ca a person can see sutro tower with the naked eye from the top os the siberia express chairlift at squaw valley ski resort.

    
    Saturday, 10 January 2009, 2019   Hyperlink
25. William A. Siewert
    

    I can remember as a youth when us kids from Noe Courts park would drink beers at Twin Peaks and one night some guy had climbed up to the top of the Sutro Tower and threatened to jump! It was quite a spectacle with the police helicopter flying around the tower broadcasting advice for the man to climb down to his safety, while people on Twin Peaks were yelling for him to jump! (The Stoney Years)

    
    Monday, 16 February 2009, 0155   Hyperlink
26. Gerard Livernois
    

    hey hey,
    I’m looking for a drawing of the original design of 1968 online. It was a duodecagon with more space needley

    
    Monday, 23 February 2009, 0038   Hyperlink
27. Diana Matson Smith
    

    I have memories of my parents driving up Mount Sutro in the 1950s and seeing a house at the top. And almost falling off the edge of hill in our 1950 Plymouth! I still call “Clarendon Heights” Mt. Sutro. Newcomers don’t know what I am talking about! I accumulate SF history stuff from all kinds of sources and was happy to find your thoroughly put together article.

    
    Tuesday, 24 February 2009, 2348   Hyperlink
28. Peter Dal Poggetto
    

    The Sutro Tower is and will always be a blight on the San Francisco skyline. Those who think the tower to be “cool” or “iconic” have no idea what Twin Peaks and Mt Sutro looked like before the tower was constructed. The peaks were clean, natural and uncluttered. Sometimes when the fog pattern is just right over the peaks, you can see how much better the peaks and city looks when the tower is obscured.

    I suspect if one is a transplant from some other part of the country, like so many residents currently are, it looks cool compared to the flatlands and dullness of their states of origin.

    Being a native San Franciscan, I saw the demolition of the Sutro mansion, clearing of the forest, and the construction of the blight tower. I know what the Twin Peaks and Sutro skyline looked like before it was destroyed by a tower and some San Francisco politicos.

    Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing it torn down and replaced by a more efficient safe high tech means of transmission.
    Don’t worry you’ll still be able to watch your Jerry Springer and Dr. Phil.

    Congrats to the devoted folks who are doing their best to restore
    the native lands around the tower.

    Peter Dal Poggetto

    
    Wednesday, 08 April 2009, 1006   Hyperlink
29. Roger Alvarado
    

    I have worked in the City since 1998. I have visited the city since 1989. I have always been awed by the engineering feat of the tower’s construction. I know that some people will claim that the tower is an eyesore, however, the tower has granted me some of the greatest memories of this Beautiful city. I had my mother visit me in San Francisco some years ago. My mother lives in Ottawa and is very proud of Ottawa’s history and its semi-colonial landmarks. Well I took her around the city’s hills. While sitting at a Park on Potrero Hill. We witnessed a phenomenon that without the tower would otherwise be impossible to see. The hill was fully covered in fog, only the 2/3 top of Sutro Tower was visible. The view was breathtaking until the tower started plumming fog, much like puffs of white fog, up throught the center of the tripod, then at that very moment the view became astonishing. It was amazing! The best part of the moment was that not 2 minutes before my mother had been wondering why on such a nice day in Potrero Hill we could not get a better view. I did not know anything about Sutro Tower then. I will send her this link Today, Maybe she will remember that morning sitting at a bench on Potrero hill Looking out to the fog and Sutro Tower. If she reads this she will know for sure how much I miss her and how much I remember the moments that we spend together. Love you Mami.

    
    Friday, 12 June 2009, 1302   Hyperlink

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