president buell: there are many people of good intentions that had strong feelings about this issue. i would like to as that everybody refrain from applause

or any sounds of this content when someone is speaking or finishes speaking. we will try to get through this as fast as we can. we believe you will have a valid point of view to a share. we're going to limit testimony to one minute because of the vast number or we will be here all night. think about what you want to say and be concise. we will listen to it. because we have yet another item to hear that has many people here as well. let's proceed with the agenda. >> we are here today to share proposal for an exciting new project in golden gate park. the recreation and parks department is proposing the creation of the golden gate gardens. this response to many well-

documented programming needs. it allows us to pursue multiple opportunities for community partnership with a broad set of stakeholders. the creation of the new community gardens -- it is one of the most needed facilities. it also states that the community gardens are one of the most important recreational facilities to households. this demonstrates the level of enthusiasm, and the project manager will describe in more detail. this is confirmed by our experience in managing the community garden program. the recreation and open space

element also clearly urges us to expand community garden opportunities throughout the city, noting that it is a valid use of open space, revitalizing neighborhoods. in july, 2009, the mayor issued an executive directive stating that food production and horticulture education will be encouraged in the city at to the extent feasible on city-own the land. -- city-owned land. we also comply with one of the most important mandates, the master plan. we had extensive community outreach process. there were literally dozens of meetings held between 1992 and

1998 with a broader array of stakeholders. over 50 of them participated. it was adopted by the recreation park commission and states that the center receives recyclables and is an nonconforming use of the golden gate park and that the non-parks serving activities should be phased out. this non-performing use has had impact on of the park and the neighborhoods. neighborhood groups have had concerns about the existence of the industrial use neighborhood for years. i now live like to ask howard director of operations to share some of their perspectives on this. >> we are responsible for the

day today that emissions -- day- to-saday admission.s s. these concerns fall into two categories. i would like to first ask our current curve manager to comment on the media to impact in the immediate visit the. -- the city. --a vicinity. >> the negative impact that the recycling center has had has been significant in throughout

deregulation -- throughout the facility. one of the things i have asked over the years to the users and the staff is that, it could be attributed to the smell or the odor that is created from the recyclable material. it tends to blow a rancid odor through the stadium. all of a sudden, this wall of stench hits you. it is enough to turn your stomach sometimes. the second thing i would like to go into is the noise generated from the facility itself. once or twice a day, we hear a larger booming noise. the crash of glass, the smashing of cans. the backing out of trucks, the use of vehicles in and out of

the city. and it just makes for a very noisy environment. i like to point out the use of illegal campers. for instance, on any given morning, you can turn the corner and there will be illegal campers out in front of the recycling center, sometimes up to five illegal campers the. you have to be aware as your driving in the roadway. what will happen is that the campers that are outside the gate directly will actually get up off the bench and they will come into the stadium. and it will proceed to the garbage cans, remove the garbage, collects the recyclables, and leave the trash there for others to pick up. it really has an impact on the gardening staff. we don't have the time and the

staffing to do the work twice what we can be dedicated does resources to other things. things that we picked up in addition to that is bringing dogs into the stadium. they defecate on the property, there is broken glass, there are steaks, garbage bags, everything left over as a result. thank you. >> to address the impact throughout the park, i would like to ask the supervisor of one of our job training cruise, they work seven days a week cleaning up encampment sites in doing general cleanup of debris and other things that they find. >> i have a park section

supervisor. the biggest problem that we have, especially for my job, is to remove illegal cans. remove an average of over 3 tons of wheat of debris out of golden gate park -- 3 tons a week of debris out of golden gate park. a lot of them are using the facility to bring recycleables. they bring other things to the facility and to bring to recycling. they are finished with those bags, they just leave them there. we have to come along, go around

the facility, clear up the area, so it is an ongoing process and just around the facility to keep that area clean. it is not just our one area, but it is a big area. it is a nuisance to bring that area under control. >> i would like to summarize what would be some of the public safety concerns. i have oversight and management of the park patrol unit that works very closely verysfpd. -- with sfpd. you heard us speak of illegal camping here, and we will update you on the efforts.

reducing the presence of golden gate park, we are at a point where we have the long-term and very persistent population that we estimate with our cleanup crew experience, the clean-up crew is 7 days a week. eight hours a day. through both of their collective experience, we estimate long- term population of 30-60 -- at least one half of this population is regular recyclers. we have documented it. we also factor in the cleanup crew that experiences the periodic influx of campers.

and with the large events throughout the year, we estimate is 50-75% that recycle. this is a significant concern to us, because recycling provides the economic means to continue illegal camping throughout the year in the park. among the reasons we remain so focused is because it is clearly not save -- safe, and it creates a public safety concern for the wider public. for the last 12 months, there have been a number of violent criminal events in which either the perpetrator or the victim was an illegal campers. it is our position that without this economic means to sustain illegal camping in the park, the illegal activity will

significantly decrease and increase the public safety packer -- factor. >> to address these consistent concerns, we have pursued an alternate use of the site. but as clear compatibility with the operation of this department. it is an ideal place to introduce this kind of garden and the sustainable practices it promotes. i would actually like to invite the national areas program director to talk about the synergy. >> my name is lisa, and i am the

director of the program. we are in charge of preserving san francisco's and native flora and fauna. that means of promoting the biological diversity in our spaces and promoting sustainable landscaping. i worked with the department for 13 years, and 13 years ago, few people really understood or appreciated urban gardening. in the last 13 years, the popularity has really grown. san franciscans understand the value of native plants, how they can provide wildlife habitat, that they require less pesticide use, etc.. awareness has grown over the years. the nursery has been there to meet some of those demands.

both in the public and private sector, over the years, i received many phone calls, people looking for plants. there were only a few places to really send people. obviously, there is a thriving nursery that is providing that to residents of san francisco. on the public land side of things, have also provided many native plants for park beautification and improvement projects. neighbors just recently bought a bunch of native plants for a billy goat trail improvement in dominated those to the department. in my opinion, the urban gardening and sustainable landscape movement is the future of this department. we are really pleased to be in a place to be a leader in this

city for both residences and public agencies partners. not a similar to where hank was 30 years ago in the recycling movement where it was really starting to catch on and we needed the infrastructure to support it. all throughout the city, it is being replaced with a native plant gardens and habitat and gardens. just out in front of us, the conservatory -- in front of the arboretum, they are converting someone there recently. like i said, the golden gate park community garden in the expanded native plant opportunities there will really put it at the forefront of this movement. for the department as well as

the program that provides opportunities for more collaboration, and provides opportunities for expanded operational programming. finally, something that has been talked about over the years among the environmental community is the movement that is referred to as a backyard habitat. this is something that numerous environmental groups have wanted to promote, that is really trying to get habitat plant growing in people's backyard and promoting wildlife in people's backyards that is an extension of what we are trying to do. there is more habitat for more species.

people's backyards are converted to wildlife habitats as well. >> commissioners, what will this transition of uses look like? the department renewed its lease in 1996, which expired in 2001. the department will issue a notice of termination of lease. in recognition, to provide time to figure out ways to figure out how they can be involved, they will receive a 90 day notice. the department would begin demolition and cleanup of the existing site into it initiates a community meetings to refine the design of the site and work with community partners have

identified desired features. we will also create an advisory board of neighbors, partners, and community gardeners to provide oversight. the community will be asked to refine our concept plan which i am not going to ask our project manager to describe in more detail. >> good afternoon, commissioners. first of all, i'd like to begin by describing, what is a community garden? according to the policy that was adopted by the recreation park commission in 1996, it is a site that is operated and maintained by the recreation and park staff as well as volunteers.

these volunteers are assigned plot allotment in which to grow, and they are not for commercial use. they will often have a self- imposed garden and do. the community gardens program consists of recreational park apartment properties. the management of the community gardens is guided by the policy. the 35 gardens offer almost 1000 plots. the map on the overhead shows

that there is a huge part in the center part of the city. despite offering close to 1000 garden plots, there are hundreds of people on the waiting list. the waiting list can be as long as seven years. indeed, in the past few years, the waiting list continues to grow. in our first inventory done, there are currently 700, an increase of 60%. i will go into that in my next slide. also on this list is a list of

nearby gardens and just to show you the amount of growth. a surface area is defined as the extent to which the user is willing to travel to use the facility. the national parks and recreation association does not have an area defined for community gardens, but it has a surface area of the fight for community parks. and so, on the overhead, i have shown these service areas of about half a mile. they range from 25 to -- .25 to .5 miles. in fact, the location would

help provide a community garden plots for those who are untested -- who are interested. along the transit route, the surface area will go well beyond half a mile because people will be able to travel along transit routes. now we will look at the site itself. the site is located about the corner of frederick. it is located in proximity to transit, about 2/3. it is largely unpaved and includes a couple of and to read -- or a couple of entrances. now i would like to speak about