Where have all the Bay Area fountains gone? Some cities have abandoned the once

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. But nothing happens fast.”

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 p