Petrelis Files

Milk Plaza Pigeon Abatement Update

(DPW's Steve Shih, left, and Luis Agurto of Pestec.)

The Department of Public Works, the Department of Public Health and Muni, along with the transit system's contractor for anti-pigeon work Pestec, are all responding to my renewed complaints regarding the return of pigeons and their foul poop at Harvey Milk Plaza.

I am pleased to report they are all communicating and coordinating with each other, and working diligently to prevent the birds from roosting at Milk Plaza's streetlight, pictured, at the Castro and Market crosswalk.

On Wednesday afternoon, I met up with DPW's Steve Shih and Pestec's Luis Agurto and we inspected the Market and Castro intersection, to see which spots need to have spikes installed.

I thought it was just the cables and streetlight at Milk Plaza requiring spikes, but Steve and Luis noticed other spots where the birds roost and poop. They pointed out the streetlight near the Muni shelter, pictured, on Castro in front of the Twin Peaks bar.

On 17th Street, between Jane Warner Plaza and the other side of the Twin Peaks bar, Steve and Luis pointed out another streetlight and more cables, pictured, where the pigeons currently gather, with their excrement landing on the sidewalk and plaza.

Reports will be written up about the inspection and recommended courses of action will be proposed to all the city agencies involved in this matter. I'll keep tabs on suggested solutions and hope that our Castro neighborhood will be much improved by the end of the year with spikes in place to deter the pigeons and eradicate the health menace posed by their poop.

Big thanks to Steve and Luis for coordinating their site visit with me and for moving on my complaints. Sames goes for all the folks at DPW, DPH and Muni working toward an acceptable abatement of the pigeon problems.