Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the costs of the Presidio of San Francisco transfer from the Army to the National Park Service (NPS), focusing on whether: (1) fiber optic cables were installed to every building on the Presidio; (2) NPS installed excess cable across the Golden Gate Bridge; (3) unnecessary emergency response equipment was purchased for the Presidio; (4) the capability of the NPS radio system on the Presidio was reduced; (5) the Tides Foundation lease was inappropriate; and (6) the NPS use agreement for the Presidio's Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Club was inappropriate.

GAO noted that: (1) in brief, the actions about which the concerns were raised appeared to be reasonable and consistent with the objectives of the Final General Management Plan (GMP) Amendment, issued in July 1994, which guides the overall management and development of the Presidio; (2) NPS did not install fiber optic cables to every Presidio building but instead used, where appropriate, a mix of copper and/or fiber optic cable for the Presidio telephone system, as suggested in the GMP; (3) NPS installed fiber optic cables across the Golden Gate Bridge in excess of immediate Army needs; (4) the excess cables were installed at minimal cost and may provide future revenue for the Presidio Trust; (5) NPS purchased emergency response equipment sufficient for, not in excess of, the Presidio's minimum needs for fire protection, emergency, and medical services; (6) NPS upgraded its Presidio radio system to meet Federal Communication Commission requirements and improve system capabilities; (7) the costs associated with the bed and breakfast renovation project appeared reasonable, based on the project's anticipated use and the competitive bids for the project renovation; (8) leasing arrangements with both the Thoreau Center partners (Tides Foundation-Letterman Properties) and the Golden Gate National Park Association (NCO Club) appeared appropriate; and (9) all participants in the transactions appeared to benefit.