over $2 million to address our most pressing irrigation system needs, and we are looking at where we will be spending that money. between the upcoming bond projects, we will be able to address irrigation with that. this last year we took care of the entire sale wall, and i have been out there the last couple months, and it has all been addressed. >> thank you. >> thank you.

any other questions? there was no public comment, as i recall. is there a motion? all those in favor? >> aye. >> opposed, nine. >> item 17 is the proposed recreation complex. >> i need to ask to be recused because my partner works for a the company. >> we need a motion to recuse commissioner sullivan. against all those in favor? >> aye. opposed, hearing none. >> i am a project manager. the project is a plan for the

recreation center. it is located in east san francisco. it sits on two entire blocks. the plan i am showing shows the recreation center, and it shows a couple courts. it has a play area along with a separate area with a large area to the northwest. to the east we have a couple of ball fields.

the photo on the overhead is the existing recreation center. the building has steps, so it is not wheelchair accessible. once you get inside, it is located on two levels. those levels are not wheelchair accessible. it needs seismic upgrade. the system and the center is deteriorated beyond useful life. here we have a photo of the basketball court similar to the recreation center. many of the centers are beyond

useful life. we see a photo here of the playground, which no longer meets the guidelines, and here we see a photo that is heavily used and the landscaping. the park and recreation center receive $41.1 million. the department held a meeting from january to may. as a result, a plan was generated. in addition to fulfilling the basic requirements, it will upgrade the existing system, to

make upgrades and also to make it compliant with the americans with disabilities act. we have been able to include more projects in this. in looking at the overall park site, we are making it more level. within the red box, i have a drawing here. one of the significant increases will be the entry into the recreation center more accessible.

rather than lead you to a 3000- square-foot recreation center to provide more at the recreation center. you will also notice that compared to the original layout, the basketball court and the playground are lost. this allows us to locate the play area next to the recreation center, where the monitoring of activity can be better done with the current configuration. here is the perspective. you have an aerial view of of the center.

first of all, this will be on the top of it. it is over 5000 square feet and will have to be energy efficient. it will be focused on water use, and we are focused on creating water retain men. the staff recommendation is to approve this, and that concludes my presentation. >> is there any public comment on this item? seeing none, public comment is closed.

>> i have one question. on the soccer field, is that natural turf for artificial turf? >> it would be natural turf. and at one time there was a study done to look at synthetic turf, and the cost was very prohibitive for this project. >> any other comments? >> how much did you say was available for the construction? >> the total project is $21.2 million, but construction is $13.2 million. also, i forgot to mention i do also have a letter of support from the leader of the local chapter, so i have copies of a letter here.

>> so there is no public comment. i entertain a motion. moved and seconded. all those in favor? >> aye. >> opposed, none. >> we are now on item 18, which is the crown heights trail restoration. >> we are getting there. >> good evening, commissioners. my name is meghan. i am a park manager. the item before you this evening is the crown heights trail restoration project plan for discussion and possible action to approve. this is funded by the 2008 neighborhood parks fund. a community meeting was held chu

lai 6, and they received support from those present -- was held june 23, and they received support from those present. it ifeatures are rocky outcrop,a forested area, relatively few trees to the higher elevation. panorama of views of the city beyond. the project is $100,000, and the limited budget will be used to target areas. the corona-restoration project will provide financing for public safety and protects sensitive habitat, restored native plants, and provide finance. -- signage.

the blue line is a new trial, desired by neighbors, which will connect the neighborhood below to the playground. the second plan shows the character, a fence to match the existing one recently provided by a community group and the habitat plan. it is anticipated some of the work will be performed by contractors and other community volunteers. in fact, volunteers will be sponsoring a community trail building even on the weekend of august 21 and august 22 to help build the trail. this will help gain more trail

improvements at the side. if the plan is approved, staff is prepared to move forward with the contract and be complete by the end of this year. the staff recommends the approval of the plan for restoration. that concludes this presentation. i am available for questions. >> i have public comment. are either of them here? would anyone else like to make public comments on this item? please come forward. >> i am president of the corona

heights neighborhood association, a local homeowner and a local realtor. at corona heights hill, it is unique and in desperate need of some repair. it is for safety reasons. we have been concerned for some time. the trail restoration project is described as something the neighbors support we urge the commission to support it. i know this is an action item on your agenda. >> thanks for your patience and sticking around to tell us that.

>> my name is damian, and we are speaking as a longtime san francisc andan/-- san franciscan. hello i am not breaking rules in supporting the next measure as well. this is for support across our urban landscape. i heard this recently on in pr. some of you heard regarding the renaissance and getting to know the places they live. so on returning to the home town of oakland to living in paris for several decades, she wrote, the trouble with oakland is that when you get there, there is not any there.

she is referring to parks that were sacred to her. not that long afterwards across the bay, josephine randall proposed the city buy 16 acres of rock hill for recreation, and it was 13 years later that happened. it was officially renamed corona highet's, so the fulfil the dream of buying a spot where people could spend all day in the country, and people were

spending for almost 70 years. my last one is from barack obama. >> let's hear it. >> too many are becoming fragmented. children especially are spending less time outside running and playing and connected to the out doris. across america, communities are uniting to protect the places they love and developing new approaches. i will wrap up with what this means. >> is there any other public

comment on this item? seeing none, public comment is closed. >> i lived between this project and the next one on our agenda, and i am happy we are able to spend money to improve the natural areas and help the native plants that are there. i am enthusiastically in favor. >> entertain a motion? all those in favor? >> aye. >> motion passes. >> item 19. >> i am now presenting the plan for discussion and possible

action. it is one of the side funded by the 2008 neighborhood parks fund. the budget is $300,000. a community meeting was held march 3 to discuss the improvement. 23 communique members were in support of the plan. the plan was also presented on july 6. it is a site located at 15th access 5 two staircases. it has a few trees and plants and the butterfly habitat. there are panoramic views of the city and beyond. it will improved trail safety,

provide trail edging, decommissioning un safe routes, protect sensitive habitat, replacing retaining walls, provide erosion control of the top of the hill, and further securing it and providing more sign it. reaching more signs. -- providing more signs. staff is prepared to begin construction and august and be complete by the end of this year. staff recommends awarding the plan for the program. thank you. >> can we have public comments?

>> i changed my greeting. good evening, commissioners. good evening. in 2007, i began an exhausting review of the county. the utter these immortal words theory dead -- these immortal words. i had no idea how much these words would in fact my life. -- would impact my life. i did see a butterfly that day, and as i looked at the summit, i thought how possible could this person is when it lives three- quarters of its live below the

remaining native habitat? it used to fire all over san francisco, but now it is limited to the bluffs and the outcrops. let me make this perfectly clear. this is not a butterfly that will wander into your pretty garden of flowers. we only have 35 breeding species left, and a great majority have finally moved over and have adapted to the radical alteration of the landscape. the restoration project will help keep people on the trail,

reroute and remove trails, and augment the existing habitat for the butterfly, who has lived here a lot longer than any of us. >> is there any public comment on this item? please come forward. >> good evening, commissioners. i am representing nature and the city. this is part of the original san francisco landscape that needs to be maintained by specialists such as people working in the program. many san francisco plants and other wildlife are bound on this space.

it is an important connection for the butterfly corridor project. maintaining the main trails and restoring the habitat disrupted will help restore the preservation of this treasured natural area. thank you. >> thank you. >> please come forward. >> i am a board member of the neighborhood association, and this is a letter submitted by our organization. we have serious reservations about the project of trail restoration. we were told they met with stakeholders while deciding what to do. we were never consulted.

we learned that staff considered it a great turnout, and they did not feel a second meeting was necessary. we were not asked what should be done. we heard on june 15 that he would be meeting to days later. that is not enough public notice. it was hard to know if we should oppose the plan or not. we have expressed concerns about the plan. we would like them to guarantee that when they tear down retaining walls, the replacement will hold it as well. we want them to guarantee the primary consideration will be what will hold them in place

best, and we love the trees and want them protected. there is talk about living trees, but we have not been told how much pruning will be done. the devil is in the details, but there is no way to find out the details before it is approved. we want them to tell us in advance what pruning will be done and give us a chance to comment on it. there's never any feedback to neighborhood groups about what they are doing or not doing in response to our concerns. we want them to open a dialogue with us and other neighborhood groups throughout the process, include neighborhood groups while trying to figure out what to do, not just stakeholders who do not even live in the neighborhood. after plans are finalized, they should do another round. thank you very much, and i will send this letter. >> thank you very much.

>> my name is jake, and i have lived in this neighborhood since 1967. i have a lot of equity in the place. every wednesday they worked alongside the program, and we'll log well over 1000 hours every year. we set a record last year. we are ahead of that this year. it is windblown sand that covers a big rock outcrop, and the entire sunset rage, --

ridge. because of past trails, it is very steep. they have come up with the huge truck and hauled it away, and it is a one-way street, because it is not being renewed. once it is gone, we will have bare rocks. the stairway on the east side was on the verge of collapse. the remedy that, and that has really cut down on the erosion.

it does need further attention. i think the program is doing a wonderful job. >> is there any other public comment? being none, public comment is closed. >> commissioners? there has been a motion to approve. >> there is a second. any discussion? hearing none, all in favor? >> aye. >> we are now on item 20, which is the recreation and park department urban forestry. >> good evening, commissioners. although it appears i am your last item, there are other items, so i will try to be as quick as i can. i am going to call of the officer to present the file.

i have come to you a few times, and we have done a significant amount of out reached. i will not read it to you. i will get a lot of his feedback, and i just want to introduce jim clark. we will make a brief presentation, and we will discuss the findings of the report. >> i will try to be as brief as i can. it is a pleasure to really bring to an end what has been a