that did good work. over the years they've grown. at this time they have grown extremely large. i think i would like to see them move not because i'm against hanc but because i think that they really need a new location that is more compatible with the scope of what they are doing. i work as a volunteer at the legion of honor as a gardener volunteer. i'm very much in favor of community gardens and i am very much in favor of this one. but i think that the issue has been up a long time and i think it needs to be dealt with in an intelligent way, and i'm seeing an issue that is being railroaded through and it upsets me greatly. thank you. >> thank you.

>> hi. my name is michelle welsch, i'm a resident of the haight-ashbury neighborhood, a regular volunteer at the hanc native plant nursery and i oppose the closure of the hanc recycling center and plant nursery. the rec and park department did not hold public hearings on its proposed repurposing and violated its own stated policy on community input. there are ten jobs at stake here. not to mention the eviction of a highly used public service and your department staff has forged ahead with a divisive and ill-conceived replacement project. i urge the commission to urge its department to start the process of open community hearings on this issue. thank you. >> thank you.

>> about afternoon. my name is bruce will. i'm a member and board member of hanc. and first i want to -- we've heard a lot of things here today and a lot of things have been true. a lot of things are extremely specious. one of the things you haven't considered when it comes to the accusation and allegation around crime is that you have been offered absolutely no data at all. i don't see anybody here from the police department. i don't see a captain here from the park station. and i don't see any data and anything that was presented by your staff. so what i'm showing you here and as quickly as i can is this is from the city's new crime spotting website. and what this shows is live data that is presented every day, like it shows up and alongside over here is lacing -- it's hard to see with the reflection, but

it's a listing of all of the different times of crime. as you can see, this is from november 2009 -- and i would appreciate some additional tifmente you have had very serious accusations -- >> i will give you another minute. >> thank you. so here you see around this area, which is cesar stadium, you see a lot of crime since 2009. if we go to november 2010, this is for the entire month. you don't see anything in that area. if we now go one month earlier to october, 2009 -- oops, you have got a lot of crime in that area, ok. and then we go to 2010 and we see absolutely barely none, ok. this is live data from the police department. now, if we open it up wide to the entire city, what do you see here right smack in the middle?

that's the stadium. that's the panhandle. and there's no crime there reported. ok. i think you really need to research this -- if you're going to take crime as the issue to remove the recycling center, i think you need to take that issue very seriously based upon factual data reported. what's the difference between 2009 and 2010? a new captain. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. have your names been called? then come on up. i need to you speak into the mic. thank you. >> my name is kathy. given the city wide recycling program and blue bin pickups, i think the recycling center --

>> hold that mic up. >> should i start over? >> yes, start over. we'll give you a minute. >> given the city wide recycling program and weekly blue bin pickups, i think the recycling center should be moved to a more suitable and industrial location. the site on the east end of the golden gate park would be for vibrant community garden and contribute to the nearby neighborhoods. thank you. >> please come forward. i have called all of the names on all of the cards i have received. so if you would like to speak and your name has not been called, please come on up. thank you. >> david. have i not spoken on this item yet. i think it's appropriate that we're discussing c.r.v. and red herrings since it's hanukkah and time of redemption. but in addition to the previous comments that i made about environmental review, there again is nothing on your calendar item that speaks to the

environmental review on this decision. i hope your staff could suggest that. if that has not been properly conducted, i think you should put this over. i agree with the comments from the other speakers that this wie other speakers that this needs further dialogue. i think we have heard a lot of opinion, some of which is not necessarily factual. i think once people get off their radiological place, which can actually talk about -- the logical place -- ideological place, we can actually talk about crime, homelessness. but as engage in a meaningful dialogue. -- but let us engage in a meaningful dialogue. it is very difficult for people to do that in a minute. thank you for listening. >> my name is evan campbell. i am going to talk about still like, but i want to speak here. i am a big fan of recycling and community gardens. the city does a remarkable job

compared to other large cities in the recycling program. what the city could use more of its community gardens. there is a long wait list and not enough of them. parks are -- parks are for people and not industrial use. thank you. >> next speaker, please. if there is anyone in the north concourse who would like to speak, will you please come up? >> my name is mary sporer. after listening to everything, i think it is really clear that there is something very peculiar about this whole process. we have got here a chimera, a mythical beast made up of the body of one thing and the head of another. i am also reminded once again of lewis carroll, as you have heard your for in the past. it is through the looking glass.

sentence first, verdict afterward. this is like a trial of hank that is attached to the body of the community gardens. it needs more time. there is no way you can make a rational process out of this unless you deal with two completely separate issues. thank you. >> my name is peter zimpone. i volunteer with the nature group and several other neighborhood park groups to restore parks in san francisco. i am a big believer in recycling and the environment and community gardens, but i also believe in our parks and believe the park should be for

park activities. recycling is great, but i do not think it is an appropriate occasion for that activity. i think you need to look at where a suitable place for this activity is. i have listened to all these people talking and it does good work in the community, but i think there are better uses on park land and having a recycling center in golden gate park. >> my name is david marcus. i am a resident of the neighborhood and have been for the last 12 years. i have three kids. they enjoyed the part and what the part is doing. across the board right now, i think that excellence is being evidenced in this decision. parks are a place for gardens, not for industrial efforts like the one we are talking about here for recycling. i think there are sound ideas on the table as to how that effort could be relocated elsewhere, and strongly encourage you to vote in favor of the plans being

put forward. i think it is good for us all. thank you. >> my name is kathy bowen. i have lived in the haight ashbury for 10 years. i am also a public schoolteacher. i heard concern about the well- being of children. as a public schoolteacher, and a fierce advocate of our children. the recycling center an entity that is supporting making this planet a safer, cleaner place for our children. there is also educational programs. children have field trips there. i also support gardens. we have a garden program at my school. we are excited to have learned in the last couple of days that there are other sites that have been proposed for a community garden park that would be more appropriate in terms of sunshine and clean soil.

i fully support the hanc recycling center. i am extremely appalled and concerned about the community outreach, or should i said the lack of community a reach, that has taken place in this process, and i urge you to give more time so that everybody can look to the fact, and also to perhaps meant some of the divisions in our neighborhood that have occurred because of this process. thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. my name is richard ivanhoe. i am the current president of the haight ashbury neighborhood council. i was hoping i would be the last speaker said you could breathe a sigh of relief. i am sorry you have another item on your agenda. we support community gardens.

maybe i should borrow one of those tags. but the question is why here, why now. it is the wrong location. as others have said, there has been a community outreach. that has been a theme throughout this agenda item. we have possession through the end of june. there is time to do community outreach. we encourage you to do so. and maybe the discussion should be what our industrial uses in the park. is the parking lot and industrial use? is the proposed water treatment center and industrial use? -- an industrial use? i have got a letter. i do not know if you already have copies.

thank you. >> my name is michael barons. i live in the inner sunset. i would like to say please do not put recyclers and urban gardeners against each other. i think that is the major point i would like to make. there is space for both people. i was raised on a farm. i consider gardening and recycling both non-industrial uses of the park. some people look at farming and gardening as recreation. recycling is recreation. some people do not. san francisco deserves to be a city that has options. thank you very much. >> i am in favor of keeping the recycling center open, because it taught me how to get rid of vegetable oil. before, and was pouring into my kitchen drain and stuffing up my pipes. today, i take the cooking oil over to the recycling center,

and it is picked up. i am thankful to them for showing me how to do that. thank you. >> next speaker. is there anyone else who would like to make public comment on this item? please come forward. if there is anyone in the north light court that would like to speak on this item, please do come up. >> my name is rubin, and a volunteer with the coalition on homelessness. i have an outreach to homeless folks in golden gate park and have had the pleasure of conversing with some pretty sensitive, intelligent, and thoughtful beings. regarding the area in question. i have walked and jogged through the area many times and have never detected a foul odor or stench. thank you. >> is there anyone else who would like to comment on this item? seeing ninone, public, it is

closed. [applause] president buell: go ahead and clap. that is a good idea. and let me thank you for trying to keep your comments to one minute. i know that seems onerous at times, but it is 10 after seven now and we still have another item that should be a long public hearing. with that, it is in the hands of the commission. i am going to ask for comments and start with commissioner harrison. vice president harrison: i have been around the department for a lot of years. i started working as a gardener in 1964. over the years, i and my fellow gardeners have expressed concern over the hanc and the effects. the term homelessness is not a real term. what i feel is that the hanc center is a resource for these

addictive people. they go there and they collect -- and during my term on this commission, i have heard people from the neighborhood come in and complain about the hanc and the folks that go their raiding their recycle bins, leaving the dust behind and the papers and whatever. as far as my fellow gardeners were concerned, one in particular had such fear from these addictive people that he had to go to psychoanalysis. that may in part be being a gardener. be that as it may. i think that from listening to the folks over the years complain about this hanc thing -- not hanc in and of itself, but their customers rating the local garden cans, and pudding

burdens on our gardeners -- the safety of our folks in the park, not that they have anything to do with hanc. but it is an ancillary situation. i think hanc's time has run out and it is time for us to have community gardens. as was mentioned earlier, i sat on a committee to give up some of the community fund money. one of the things we saw on that committee was the need and the number of people that want to have these community gardens. i think it is a perfect situation for this. i am voting in favor of this program. president buell: commissioner lee? commissioner lee: i would like to propose an amendment, a friendly amendment to this resolution. what we are voting on is not the -- we are not voting on evicting hanc.

what we are voting on is a concept for the use of the space. what i would like to amend is for the resolution to read that hanc's be included in the concept design so that we can work out some kind of perhaps mutually agreeable concept for the use of the space. and what i would propose is that hanc be part of the process for reconditioning the use of the site, and that this does not mean it -- what we are voting on is how we as a community want to use the site. we are not voting on evicting hanc. president buell: if we go forward with this proposal, the staff is going to be in a position to send a notice of the termination of lease.

there are different positions about how long that is. the city attorney has weighed in that it is a 45-day notice. i have something here that recommends that. they may not say that is legal. but at any rate, that is for the staff to determine. i am sorry. 90-day, not 45-days. i just flunked math as -- i just want to map again. i think by adopting the resolution before us we are putting into motion termination of the recycling portion of hanc. we have heard a lot of testimony about trying to keep the plan. that is a laudable goal as well. but i think that if that were your intent, that hanc be participating in so far as the native plant component, i think that is more appropriate to give the staff the direction they need. commissioner lee: i would

suspect that -- my meaning was to have hanc as part of the conceptual design. president buell: to keep the recycling center in their bther? commissioner lee: in terms of the concept, and to have the staff began this dialogue process. president buell: that would be part of the use of the site in so far as the native plant component. a think that needs to be articulated in the resolution, so be it. i would discourage any resolution that would give any indication that the recycling component was not on the table here. >> [shouting from the audience, inaudible] commissioner bonilla: -- president buell: excuse me. commissioner levitan: what

efforts if any were made with hanc to relocate? a couple of speakers have raised that. president buell: could we ask you to leave the room if you want to yell in the chambers? thank you. >> commissioner sarah ballard, commissioner of public affairs with the department. since we began having conversations about this process, we have brought in the department of the environment, as well as the mayor's office, to look at the possibility. not only that, but the director of the department of the environment is here as well to answer that question. >> as sarah said, we did do some work working with san francisco real-estate department to see if there was any suitable city land within the convenience own

where hank -- hanc could be relocated. there is actually a limited area in which we can look to relocate hanc to meet the requirements of state law. following our inquiry, we were not successful in finding city land within that convenience zone that would keep compliance with state law. we have not pursued private options. president buell: i do not know that we are responding from the public to staff at this point. do you have other comments? seeing no other comments from commissioners, let me weigh in on this and tell you that i think that we only heard one testimony today that i heard

that said there were not against recycling and community gardens. i think that to put them against each other is not fair. but i am sensitive to the conversation that talks about the fact that the city has moved so far forward in recycling, and this is a part of it -- and this is a park. we do have a master plan. we do have an emerging trend in the city that speaks to community gardens. is it the perfect use? i am not at liberty to say that. i do not have enough information of perfect in any concept in san francisco when you get in front of the public. but it is a use that as a high priority and all of our polling and all of our park uses. there is no question that the recycling center served its purpose, but i think it is now an outdated purpose. i know that does not please everybody to hear it, but i

honestly believe that is the case. if we do not act today, this will continue to be a political football for a long time. there is no question that both sides can rally support. it tries to pit one side against homeless people and the other side against community gardens, and that is not a fair discussion to have. i plan to support the staff in this recommendation. commissioner bonilla: i would just like to go on record in supporting the native plants component along with the community garden. i think it is a great fit. to that degree, i think certainly in terms of stewardship i would see any of the individuals, a key stakeholders involved with that -- i see them continuing to be

invoked -- involved with the department, with respect to that particular component. i also want to say that i support recycling citywide. i run a senior center. and the idea of recycling within the senior center, a nonprofit center, was very foreign to our seniors. within -- i would say within two years -- it actually took us two years, but we managed to educate our seniors into what recycling is about, how to do recycling, why it is important.

and it took a while. but i have to say in has been a great experience -- it has been a great experience working with seniors, doing recycling. what i would say is that recycling should be brought close to home, close to the community, close to senior centers, close to businesses. recycling should be done everywhere in the city. it is something that should not be relegated -- that should not be relegated to one location. and especially allocation -- a location that is not really conducive to the purpose of our parks.

so, as a proponent of recycling, and as a proponent of a native plants, as a proponent of community gardens, i will support this measure for this proposal. president buell: seeing no other comments, is there a motion? it has been moved and seconded. all those in favor? opposed? it is unanimous. thank you very much. [shouting from the audience] we are going to take a 15 minute break and resume for the last >> we are on item number 11. approval of a leaf -- it lease

with ortega family enterprises, doing business as stow lake boathouse. >> good evening, commissioners. perhaps more appropriately, good night. the item before you is the stow lake boat house with ortega family enterprises, doing business as stow lake boathouse, llc. in 1991, the city entered into a 15-year lease agreement with the stow lake boathouse corporation. that expired in 2006. the incumbent has been operating the boat house on a month-to- month basis.

we twice issued an rfp. we also did that in 2008 and 2009. the department was not able to enter into a long-term lease with an operator for the operation of the stow lake boathouse. on december 17, 2009, the commission approved an rfq package soliciting an entity to operate and perform improvements to the stow lake boathouse. the commission directed staff to undertake a community outreach process and to incorporate certain amendments into the rfq. both of those actions staff undertook before publishing the rfq. on april 5 of 2010, the department received three timely responses to the rfq ha