fields. i'm p a soccer you really want to exercise and i see people of all ages played this wonderful game. this is an amazing game to play. i would encourage you to vote for something that gives us more active recreation space. it is a great idea and it is not publicly funded. president fong: have your names been called? >> i represent the san francisco soccer referees association. i want to emphasize its safety because safety is the most important thing. we have to close the fields, we have to put cones around the things that happen at beach chalet. we have a tournament this weekend.

one field is unsafe and we cannot use it. we're talking about public safety. safety is the most important thing. as a referee, and we want to make sure that it is safe, fair, and fun. when i am at crocker, i see people running around the field because they do not have to worry about gopher holes. look for the gopher holes because i do not want you to turn an ankle. we will have a potential lawsuit. i want to voice my support and hopefully, you'll approve these very safe -- we're going to have a great time out there when this project goes through. >> good easing -- good evening.

i am a fifth generation san franciscans. this joint commission needs to send a message to the board of supervisors for the stamp of approval for the recreation needs of san franciscans. there will be an appeal, a lawsuit. what i am asking you to do is take a look at what is in front of you tonight, which is the site -- which is the eir that you are certifying. the study in the eir does not to seek -- and that does not seem to be an unmitigated olfactory. -- factor. there is a lot of things that we have to put up with, being more environmentally responsible. one of those is that we will be using or recycled material, less water. why don't people like it?

it will bring more people. i have heard we need natural grass. let me tell you what happened. bailout. siebel it looks like today. we're talking about -- go out there and see what that looks like today. we can spend this money. otherwise, you want to put grass out there. i guess we will have to allocate more money. we're firing teachers, firefighters. we will tell everybody, we have a gopher-free field out there. i find it the height of hypocrisy for people to stand up here and say that this is going to be something that will negatively impact us. we have a lot more important things to do. please send a message to the board that this project has your approval. the kids of san francisco it needed. thank you for your time.

president fong: i am going to call some more names. [reading names] >> i am a 25-year resident of san francisco. i have a soccer aged son. you are seeing a lot of organization here. the soccer players are

organizing, but don't assumnori. there are a lot of independent viewpoints. people that do oppose this project. the eir report does not adequately discussed the recreation and space element of the general plan. a lot of things have been mentioned. the general plan, that part of it, it emphasizes the natural character. everything else should be subordinate. all activities should be subordinate to that general plan and design. people are opposed to those lights. that is a big part of this project, a big part of the eir. this is all i have to say. it has been a long night. that is it. my wife and i feel very strongly

about this project. we would consider leaving that neighborhood after 25 years if this project is approved. >> next speaker, please. >> i have been associated with the golden gate women's soccer league since 1985. i have played out all the fields we have spoken about. and the fields where we do have artificial turf. the number of people, both men and women, i would like to talk about adults. adults use those places after hours. we are limited on the space that we play. we can not hold tournaments before outside states to come

to visit san francisco. san francisco and ultimate spot for visitors. we do not have good fields. we do not have sufficient fields close by so that people can enjoy the city. i understand all of the arguments that have been said about the environment, but we do need fields in the city. it is proved with the places like crocker that they are great. more and more people are planning a clunker. people are getting fed. art -- are planning longer. people are getting fit. i am excited by this proposal. it will give opportunities for children. nobody has mentioned obesity yet. i do hope your excitement is shared with me and that you

approve this plan. thank you for your time. >> good evening. i am a san francisco resident. in december of 2011, i commented on inadequate eir. i oppose the project as it is currently planned. i made a number of comments about a compromise alternative. none of the comments i made at that time have been properly addressed in the 700-page response document. i have written objections to that. i would like to enter them into the record. i specifically objected to the fact that there is this false dichotomy between field at the beach chalet or an alternative. the response documents proposed

to say that has already been addressed as part of the offsite alternative. that is absolutely not true. the compromise alternative that i have proposed talks about specific renovations to be beach chalet field to include a good soil structure, effective drainage, state of the arent irrigation -- state of the art irrigation. the offside alternative, as drafted by d.r. office, does not include that appeared to claim that one is the other is completely inadequate. this eir is completely inadequate. you should not certify it as this time. we can have great feelings for children in this city and also a great resource in -- we can have great field for children and the city and also a great resource in golden gate park. if you proceed, you were not

fulfilling our responsibility as members of either commission. thank you for your time. it has been a long night, and we do appreciate your work. >> i am having a difficult time understanding how the planning commission can consider certifying the eir for the renovation of the beach chalet athletic fields. the eir is a blatantly biased. it's even includes basic errors of math. the current field covered 9.4 acres, but the total size would cover 11.2. in numerous places, the eir calls this an increase of 6%. it's it's actually 19%. -- it is actually 19%. what else have been missed? i fell the planning department's response to most of my comments to be inadequate.

i am submitting additional comments today and they are all my own work. i also want to deviate from my written comments and say despite what many of the children told you, the evidence on injuries is clear. there is no difference in the number of injuries that kids sustained on artificial turf versus grass. there are different types of injuries. what is unknown is what the long-term injury rates is for kids who play on artificial turf. there have not been enough studies. i would ask you to take that into consideration despite everything you have heard. artificial turf and does require maintenance. it does require water. it requires water to cool it down. it requires chemicals to clean it. this is the truth of the matter and i hope you do your research.

>> i am the executive vice president of the california soccer association. i am in favor of getting the artificial turf. i would like to commend the commission on your patience today. i would like to recruit each and every one of you to become the members of the california soccer association. you are the kind of people we need that have the right this position to be great coaches and leaders in our association.

everybody is talking about artificial turf. a lot of people are talking. if we could get the three field out there, it would support rec and park. this is the best commission i have ever seen. i am a newcomer here. without any doubts, the best commission i have ever seen. you are so progressive and forward-looking and it is something that we really need. we have registered in san francisco for different adult leagues.

these are all adults we're talking about. these are all the people but want to play after hours, when the lights should be there, ok? >> good evening. i am the conservation director with the golden gate audubon society. i am asking you to refuse to certify the eir. we believe the eir is very inadequate and represents another -- is very inadequate. we are losing -- because of ongoing conflicts with human activity in natural areas. i was going to talk about the specific plan. one of the things that has gone

over tonight, is that we need more playing fields. there is a great demand for it. that is completely understandable. if you look at the history of golden gate park, there are always good reasons to develop the park. good reasons to do more and more there. that is why the general plan recognizes the value of golden gate park cost the western end. that is why the golden gate park master plan specifically says that the park -- it is expected that the plan will retain the integrity of the original design. the plan says all activities and features and facilities should respect the unique design and character of the park. the irs acknowledges the significance impact -- the eir acknowledges the significant impact on the part.

this project removes it. it is not just the turf. it is the lights that fundamentally change the naturalistic character of the park. there is no way that the department or the commission can find that this maintains the naturalistic character of the park. please look for an alternative. there are good alternatives before you. president fong: thank you. [reading names]

>> good evening, commissioners. we are the largest parks serving organization and the city with 55 years of experience. the parks alliance strongly supports this proposed project. we encourage the commission to approve the eir. the parks alliance believes this project will be -- will do significant public good. the project represents an uncommon opportunity to ameliorate the city's document a shortfall of available playing field recreational hours. the city has adopted synthetic turf standards that requiring recycle turf materials. with the implementation of storm water collection and testing requirements, the field would

not contribute to degradation of ground water quality. the are also fines proposed lighting is unlikely to spillover the boundaries substantially enough to impact the surrounding neighborhoods. because weather conditions create on known variables, the alliance proposes that the city monetarist one state are installed. -- monetarist once they are installed. the parks alliance is aware of other recreation agencies that have addressed this question with creative funding mechanisms that pay for that sort of replacement. we encourage you to examine these funding models and if applicable, to adopt them. the beach chalet will provide a healthy recreation to thousands of children and adults for years to come.

the parks alliant lent its strong support and urges you to approve this eir. in short, let's play some soccer. >> i am a former u.s. olympic coach. i am a soccer parent. i would like to echo the comments of many of the others about the social and health benefits of soccer. i have seen it over the years and it is astonishing. i would also like to reiterate the transformation that has occurred at crocker from a long series of grassy ruts to what has become a people's park in terms of its constant and positive views. i would like to say that the

park itself is an artificial construct in its natural state, it is sand dunes. we made the park to serve the needs of the city. as i think the speakers have shown tonight, the needs of the city are for soccer fields. finally, i am a city kid myself and my daughter is a city kid. she wanted to go to practice and i told her, the boss is right -- the bus is down there. beach chalet is one of the easiest places to get to. it is a part of our overall -- i think that is a significant factor. i think the commissioners for their amazing patience and i support the project. president fong: thank you.

>> i am a 33-year resident of the city and a father of three. this controversy is not about a dangerous chemicals and turf. if it were, i trust the opponents of this project would be supporting and protecting the health of thousands of players on the other fields. this is about money. this is about the city of san francisco, which is facing deficits, providing the most hours of recreational play with in its financial means. with that consideration, there is no alternative to approving this eir and going ahead with this project. grass fields are wonderful. there is a reason why all the pro teams use them. they have.

maintenance budgets for them. municipalities and school districts all over the country are going to church because it provides the most hours of recreates -- going to turf because it provides the most hours of recreation for the lowest dollar. grass fields, if you had the money to maintain them, but not necessarily be closed and the rain. they would necessarily be closed for maintenance because you cannot use grass every day to the extent that the residents of the city will use it. it is impossible. please approve the eir. >> i am a project manager that works with and nonprofit agencies like the trust for public land, the neighborhood parks council. i hope strategic planning -- i

helped strategic planning. i recently finished a playground in the mission. i have a letter from -- the authors of the master plan. douglas nelson wrote this letter. the rehabilitation of the soccer field with synthetic turf and lighting for extended use. because synthetic turf was not contemplated, there are no direct recommendations are policies that address synthetic turf. there are no specific conflicts between the master plan and the use of synthetic turf. lighting was not considered at the time because the grass fields cannot tolerate any additional use. potential future lighting was considered at the tennis courts.

the synthetic turf was considered at the time of the master plan development, it is likely that soccer fields would have been included as a potential night use area. i would like to submit this. thank you very much. i am in support of this project. president fong: ok. [reading names]

>> good afternoon or good evening. i am a high school athletic director. i spent five years running san francisco delete here in the city. i am very much -- san francisco little league here in this city. i am very much in favor of this project. as a high school athletic director, we struggled with the condition of the grass fields in the city. we have parents that that does not to send our teams to play at feels that have become degraded and dangerous. we send our kids there and a kid gets injured, we felt horrible. the synthetic turf fields are the safest fields in the city. from an athletic director perspective, this is a fantastic project. as a former president of the youth sports organization,

speaking on behalf of the people the care about their kids, i want to say how when pour into this project is. these people give us so much of their free time to the kids of the city and to be supported by the city is a fantastic thing. this eir process -- we understand the process needs to happen. please accept the eir. do not accept reasons that we do not believe are justified for additional delays. led the project moves forward and support the volunteers of this city. >> good evening, commissioners. i want to thank you for your eternal patients. i was here dating back to 1992,

20 years. we all -- we did almost all of our soccer field and all of them deteriorated immediately. i wish we could maintain regular field, but we cannot. i know you have reviewed the thousand pages of the responses. i reviewed all of them and made less. one thing became very clear. those people that use beach chalet support the project. those people that don't use beach chalet don't. what i seek is an age-old contradiction between parks and recreation. i do not know how many of you remember when there was a parks department and there was the recreation department. now we have a planning and parks and recreation department. it would seem this would be -- in 1928, john mclaren and the

park department said this shall be an active recreational space. why don't we make it the best space weekend? if any of us will go down to the area, you do not even know there is a soccer complex. you have to be 50 feet from it. if i would happen to be down there on a foggy evening, my heart would be happy. that my fellow citizens were out there running up and down. active recreation is a good thing. thank you very much. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak. i am representing lacrosse. i am in support of the plan for beach chalet. when i first moved to san

francisco, the program was actually canceled. we practice once a week for one hour. due to field conditions, we have had to cancel over half of the practices, deal with minor injuries, compete with adult themes for field space. this project would increase playing time, allow been the kids to further develop individual teams -- a lot and the kids to fellow -- for develop individual teams and life skills. i would like to request approval and may for beach chalet to move forward. thank you. president fong: ok. [