enough. they just leave the city. it would be easiest thing in the world for me to move to menlo park, but i want to live in the city. that is why we are fighting. that is why we're willing to fund a playground in this location. keep flexibility open. there has been talked about a couple of different parks, but until we get clarity, anything that reduce cent -- reduces option values will delay things even further. i think that is likely to lead to loss of momentum and potentially loss of the playground, because it is community support that will drive it. you have heard from some of the owners of the playground. i think you have are three primary objections. the first is a safety objection, were they raise questions about the safety of certain locations. i think it is notable that the parents of the children believe that any location around here is prickly sick. the second objection is around

the history of the park and trying to keep an open space from the people. you have heard that people would like that to be used for recreation for their children. the third objection is this liberally -- slippery slope issue. first the playground, and then other things coming. i believe the board has the ability to differentiate between a children's playground and a condo or entertainment complex. [bell rings] i have great confidence that there is no need for a slippery slope here. a playground will be good for the committee, good for the children. and it will be something that i hope you guys find a way to support. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is bill hannon. i have lived at the golden gate way for 22 years peter i am the

current president of the golden gate way tenants association. we want to thank mr. ginsberg and the recreation and park department for doing an absolutely splendid job of renovating sue bierman park. it looks wonderful and reflect great credit on the department. we are opposed to other structures going into sue bierman park. we do not want a museum being built. we do not want another peter pan tent being built. we do favor a children's playground in sue bierman park. we support the efforts of the parents. we appreciate their patients in working through the system for more than a year trying to find a home. we think sue bierman park is a good home. as to the selection between block 202 and 203, there has been vigorous debate inside our community as to where it should go.

last thursday night, we had a meeting of our tenants association board of directors, and there was a vote. there were four votes in favor of a blanket recommendation -- not a blanket recommendation, but a recommendation for block 203, and there were three votes in favor of a blanket recommendation for sue bierman park without specifying an exact location. so our board has expressed a preference for block 203, however i do not agree with the characterization that there has been an absolute rejection of 202. i think 202 is a viable backup and should stay in the mix. we recommend that the proposed amendment to the ordinance go forward as proposed by supervisor chu. thank you. supervisor mar: next speaker. >> how low. i am one of the old-time

apparent that golden gateway. public schools and -- [unintelligible] thank you very much. i raised my kids that golden gateway, and they kept losing friends, because their friends kept moving. fast the baby yes, they left, because they did not have it, you know, it is a pain in the butt during to go to a playground. there is a real community around joe dimaggio, and all the parents know each other. it is more than a playground. i could not care less where you build the thing. please just do it already. i would like to get a bill to about seven years ago. it was a wasted effort. we had a ton of meetings. nothing ever happened. i do not care where in the park it goes, but you know it is a high-density area. if that is going to be a playground, kids will stay. it is so obvious, right? can we do it already, please? thank you. supervisor mar: next speaker.

>> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is bill. i am the president of the barbary coast never association but i am also the founder of the friends of the waterfront playground. i think today, you have already heard and seen that there is a tremendous need for a playground along the waterfront. i do not think that can be disputed. to give you some history, our group has worked for 15 months to try to find a place to put a playground. sydney walton park, for example, seemed a logical place for small toddler playground adjourned at the honors at the gateway apartments rejected it. they have their own ulterior motives for that, but it has been very, very difficult. sue bierman park is a very logical location for a

playground. our group would love to see it built in block 203. there is a very nice natural place for it. the scope it out. i think it will work out nicely. what we want to prevent from happening, since we have been working on this for such a long time, is some unforeseen objection comes up over putting it in what 203. let's say it is the art commission over perhaps moving the korean sculpture or doing something, and all of the sudden we cannot build it there, and we have no place for a playground. that is why i believe that it makes sense to follow supervisor chiu's ordinance amendment as it is written. again, our ribble work as hard as we can to gain consensus among all of the neighborhood groups to build it in block 203. that is our intention. we do not want to have the frustration of not being able to

build it at all if that does not work. again, thank you. we urge you to adopt this. supervisor mar: thank you. next speaker, please. >> [inaudible] supervisor mar: actually, it is not timely for you to make that, but you can pass it on and have me take a look at it. >> [inaudible] supervisor mar: it actually permits the development of the playground anywhere, in either lot 202 or 203. it does not specify one way or the other. ok? next speaker. supervisor mar: i am the chair person of the parent committee over it the infinitely complex in san francisco. i am here to give support to the development of the playground structure over at the sue bierman park on behalf of the parents that the insanity and

many of the other residents were not parents. we have had a children's fare in july at the complex, and we had well over 50 + people come in support of the waterfront playground and to provide donations to provide money to support the playground structure. thank you for your time, and we fully support the endeavor here. supervisor mar: is there anyone else would like to speak that has not been called? walter, you already spoke. >> ♪ fedor part tel -- fairy park tails -- i'm sorry. supervisor mar: if you could first answer the question around justin herman plaza and why this site was not going to work there. then i would like to ask about 202 versus 203.

>> justin herman plaza, it was logistically and more complicated project. there are alternative uses on that the farmers market uses it twice a week. we also felt that there were some safety issues associated with putting a playground that close to the muni turn around and the american dairy -- embarcadero roadway. lastly, from a design perspective, we thought that it might actually be a more expensive project. and then i think it is important to note that it is actually further away from a lot of the families that were responsible for organizing and desire in a playground. as it is now, there is not a playground with and at least a half a mile of many of the residential areas, residential units that are supporting the playground. during later hours in the day and on weekends, less eyes on

the site perhaps. more green space, more trees, it was more desirable and a strong relocation logistically. supervisor mar: and answer the issue of 202 versus 203. the legislation permits the possibility on either side. but there has been discussion about limiting it to 203. >> we do have a master plan for sue bierman park for both lots, and it shows a small sitting area and plaza around the sculpture that is currently located there. so the rec and park commission could actually improve some changes to the master plan after community and put in after we agreed on a concept of design. it would require -- would be a little bit more costly, requiring an additional scope for a landscape architect, and a little bit more community outrage. the piece is part of the civic art collection and would also

needed the visual art committee to vote on relocating the sculpture. supervisor mar: thank you. why don't we close the public hearing, unless there are any other members of the public who wish to comment on this? supervisor chu: i want to thank you for your patience in listening to this hearing. i understand there are many other parents who were prepared to come today. but i do understand that the parents who came are representative of the folks that have a perspective on this. i want to thank the parents for being the representatives of the larger group of folks that do wish this to happen. i want to really think everyone who has been working together to move this forward. all of you who have really organize for the better part of the year plus an have considered it a lot of different sites. i know this is not in the easiest process.

it has been frustrated. all of your children have aged a year. we hope that does not continue to happen in the near future. let me say that, of the very reason discussion over the last few days of lot 202 vs 203, if there truly is committee consensus around a lot 203 and assuming this is ending that is feasible and that we can do without undue delay, i would give it support. but we still need to understand from rec and park exactly what those nuances are. because of that, i think i would like to ask if you can move this out of committee as it is, just giving us the flexibility for that. but i want to make it clear that if there is a community consensus for that and if we can get this done in a way that makes sense, i would be supportive of keeping it on what 203. i also want to make it clear that my legislation does not at all in bad weather and other structures will be placed on sue bierman park. another has been discussion and concern about other museums or

other buildings are other things being placed on sue bierman park. the only thing this legislation allows us to do that is different from the status quo is to allow for the program structure. i want to make it clear that that is the intent of what we're talking about. no one here has any intent about anything else, just to put people's mind at ease on that. with that, it is my hope, colleagues, that we can move this to the full board and get this done as quickly as possible. i would ask the rec and park staff of you could work with us to help accelerate this as quickly as possible. we all know that there are many procedures that still need to be moved forward to actually get this done, but i would be happy to work with your staff to do what ever we need to do with in the bureaucracies of city government to press this forward. with that, colleagues, i ask if we can move this forward? >> [inaudible] supervisor mar: i do not think it is appropriate right now. supervisor wiener?

supervisor wiener: thank you. i think this is very, very exciting. we live in these awful economic and budget times. we, as a city, are finding ways to support our parks, to improve them, to create new playground, improve old ones, to create libraries -- it is just tremendous that we, as a city, have prioritize these public institutions. so i find this kind of project very exciting, that the district supervisor and rec and park and the community can come together and find the funding and make it happen. i also want to say that, you know, in terms of park usage, i mean, i love parks that a perfectly open spaces as well. and for my needs, that often is perfectly adequate, but there are a lot of people with different needs for park use. some people need playgrounds for their kids. some people need dog space.

some people come in delores' park, need bike space. there are many diverse people in the city's parks in the park space in different ways. placing a playground in the park that will stop plenty of open space, in my mind, is very appropriate. i knew that we forward this with a positive recommendation. supervisor mar: thank you. supervisor cohen? supervisor cohen: my question might be directed towards director ginsberg. i like the idea and the concept of this particular project. however, i am a little uncomfortable with the fiscal long-term plan. i mean, we have miniparks that already exist in san francisco, and we struggle as a city, and you struggle as a department, to try to keep them clean, said, and operational.

i understand it does produce dealer endeavor is going to be privately-funded through parents, but long-term-wise, and you're speaking to a supervisor who has mclaren park in the district, the city's second largest park, and we struggled to keep it open. >> it is a great question. thank you for allowing me to enter. we have 220 neighborhood parks throughout the city. we have great need. it that speaks to the nobility of the endeavor before you today, where you have a group of parents that are coming forward to help us fund raising pay for the construction of a playground where it is needed, allowing as perhaps to actually focus, whether it is trust for public land type project like balboa park in hayes valley. we just apply for funding to the state of california in partnership with the trust for public land for hilltop playground.

adding these parents come forward today on a project for waterfront playground, it allows us to spread our resources throughout the city. as in no, we're building playgrounds every day, thanks to the voters support for the 2008 clean and safe neighborhood park fund. under the 10-year capital plan, we hope to be back with an request to place an additional bond measure on the ballot pit of the work to continue to renovate our parks and build our playgrounds continues. we do struggle on the operating side of the ledger, as you know. but that speaks to our efforts, given general fund shortages, to raise earned revenue and to seek philanthropic sources and alternative sources the weekend continued to keep are burdening staff, as churchill line and staff to keep our parks clean and safe. i think we have done a good job of that in difficult economic times. no doubt, we will work with the community and all of those who love sue bierman park to make

sure that it is well cared for and well started. supervisor cohen: i am concerned that we build this park, and how do we continue to maintain it? >> my staff maintains it. supervisor cohen: exactly. you said there are over 200 parks already in existence but i am in native san franciscan, and i have played in parks all across the city. i understand that you have an enterprising spirit, and we struggled -- even early this year, their constant struggles and battles. and i imagined we will have another one during the next budget cycle. privatizing public space. i am trying to really look a little bit further down the line and get a better understanding. we build this park. ok, parents will help pay for it. 20 years from now or even five to 10 years from now, where do we find the funds to pay for it?

>> part of our approaches been to work with groups when possible to address some of those maintenance needs. we have now had support philanthropic league for pardoning time and rec center time. we continue to work on that. at the end of the day, the city needs to make a decision that it will invest public dollars in maintaining its open spaces, like supervisor wiener talked about. yes, rec and park has taken it on the chin over the last many years. having parents step up and say, you know what, we're willing to sacrifice our free time and take days off from work and raise money and organize to build this playground, i think we owe them a level of public investment that allows us to maintain our public spaces in a way that keeps them clean, safe, and functional. supervisor cohen: thank you. >> it is my understanding that

the demographics are increasing. we should look at that little planning so that parks are where a lot of the families are. as one of the 11 supervisors, i am appreciative that our general manager and rec and park and president chiu are being responsive to the families in the north beach waterfront area. my daughter grew up around the golden gate tennis and swim clubs. having a playground there would have made it easier for me to keep our active, before and after the swimming as well. it helps people in other neighborhoods to bring families to the waterfront as well. i know the exploratorium is coming soon, and the ferry building and others and benefit. i wanted to thank president chiu for bringing this forward. i am supportive, and like to be added and the co-author. thank you everyone for

testifying. especially the got -- the barbary coast neighbors and golden gateway tenants. >> just to offer one small little addition to enter your question. the recreation and open space element of the city's general plan, and it is general best practices in urban cities that would try to have a playground cited within a quarter mile radius of everybody. that is our goal. and there is not a playground with and a half a mile of this site. supervisor mar: president chiu? supervisor chu: i had a couple points on the to address. this already is rec and park land. it will need to be maintained. the issue is replacing a playground structure on it. we're talking about maintaining land that already need to be dealt with. second, i think one thing that is very different about this project is the fact that parents stepped up and offered to help

pay for the capital costs themselves, which is frankly pretty remarkable and one of the reasons why i think it is so important for us to take advantage of that. i also want to state, for the record that many park advocates, i for one, and happy to help spearhead or join others in spearheading a bond measure for next november. it is so important that we find a real stable funding stream for all of our parks city-wide. i know colleagues will have this discussion over the next year, but that is so important, to really address supervisor cohen 's long-term question about the strains on our budget. with that, i would like to ask for your support in moving this out of committee. thank you for your time. supervisor mar: can we move this forward without objection, colleagues? thank you. is there any other business before us? >> there are no other matters. supervisor mar: thank you, everyone.

meeting adjourned.

>> good morning, everyone. i'm jennifer mats. i'm director of the mayor's office of economic and work force development. i'd like to welcome you here this morning to the grand opening of pearls and for announcement regarding our community ambassador program here on central market as well as some increased public safety measures. without further ado, i'm going to introduce mayor ed lee and then a few other speakers to talk about the initiatives and talk about pearl. so mayor lee? >> thank you. thanks, jennifer. >> good morning, everybody. can everybody hear me?

all right. well thank you, everyone, for coming to the new pearls delux burger here at sixth and market. thank you. [applause] i want to thank silvia, the owner. jim is the manager here. thank you for managing this place. and also congratulate all 16 permanent employees who have just started here today. that's been a theme of ours. i know david chui is here. kim is here. jennifer with thank you very much, supervisors. tiffany, director of our redevelopment agency. thank you for being a great partner on this. our chief of police, who is making sure -- because he just signed a lease right next door down the block for the sixth