Where have all the Bay Area fountains gone? Some cities have abandoned the once-prestigious community fixtures

"Frogard Schmidt could no longer stand looking at the dry, dilapidated water fountain along her daily walks near Concord's Todos Santos Plaza an eyesore that has bothered the owner of the aRt Cottage since at least 2024. I was tired of looking and picking up garbage around a fountain that's no longer working and being used, for all the wrong reasons, Schmidt said. Someone had to complain about it, so I did and got the ball rolling."

"After a months-long deep dive through property records, thanks to Schmidt's pressure, Concord city officials announced in August they were officially off the hook for overdue maintenance pushing responsibility for tens of thousands of dollars in repairs onto the managers of the senior living complex on the Concord Plaza Tower property to restore the water's flow. But after the property owners opted not to do so, the shabby water feature at 2020 Grant St. will instead be filled with soil and native California succulents"

"Local experts and public works officials say the trend is driven by neglect, which can quickly lead to vandalism, bacteria and other expensive challenges. Concord is far from alone. Major public fountains across the Bay Area have sat parched for years a symptom of the expense and time required to keep up with the complex mechanics and chemistry behind the public installations. Some were shut off to save money during the pandemic and never turned back on,"

Frogard Schmidt campaigned to address a dry, dilapidated water fountain near Concord's Todos Santos Plaza that had become an eyesore and magnet for garbage. After months of reviewing property records, Concord officials determined the city was not responsible for overdue maintenance and assigned repair costs to managers of the senior living complex on the Concord Plaza Tower property. The property owners declined to restore the fountain, so the basin at 2020 Grant St. will be filled with soil and native California succulents. Similar fountains across the Bay Area have been decommissioned due to neglect, vandalism, costly mechanical and chemical upkeep, and pandemic-era shutdowns.

Read at www.eastbaytimes.com