playgrounds in sue bierman park, the prominent community are reviewing a number of areas for a playground in the park. you will seek the park is comprised of what 202, as well as lot 203. these are the areas being reviewed right now. there were a few other locations were considered, yet determined not ideal for playground. one was the sea wall lot. a committee vision for the northeast neighborhood waterfront, a development plan being developed through a coalition of community groups in 2011. it stresses the critical need for playgrounds along the northeast corridor of the embarcadero. unfortunately, the sea wall lots will need to release from the port authority. annual lease payments range from $40,000 per year to

$115,000 per year. the area adjacent to the bocci ball court was also suggested that determined not ideal because of a street car turnaround. it is adjacent to a highly trafficked area. i should also note that because it is mostly a commercial area, there would be no eyes on the park, critical to park safety in the evenings. the design of the playground is supposed to be the following. this is rough and we will bring back a conceptual design for approval in the beginning of 2012. the proposed playground when the 5000 square feet to 7000 square feet, up to 3% of the total park area. designed for children two to 12 years of age, with a mix of equipment for both the younger children and older children. the area will be fully ada compliant and will have a

rubber surface and vengeance. safety features such as fencing, and landscaping, and the entrance on the interior of the park will be implemented. and the conceptual sign will be brought back. friends of the waterfront playground, spearheading the initiative, has acquired fiscal sponsorship through the park alliance. the fund-raising campaign will target local residents and businesses and community donations expected to fully fund the project. design and construction will be a gift in place of the city. the playground will include a donor recognition playground as part of the fund-raising campaign. that will also be brought back in the conceptual plan in the beginning of 2012. the playground has done quite a bit of outreach are around this initiative. earlier in the year, they held four community meetings. one in april, two in may, and one in june. printed fliers were distributed

and put on the street, on light poles, in building lobbies, residential buildings, and put in current in boxes and posted on bulletin boards in nearby child care centers. they also notified all of the residential high-rise buildings in the area. and the parent groups in the area. also, citywide parent groups. they had a public web page up since october 2010. more recently, october 24, they held a community meeting in partnership with the department. over 20 prominent committee neighborhood and organizations were notified, and they're listed on this slide and in your packet. in addition, we mailed a notice of the meeting to all residents within a 300 foot radius of the proposed site. last, all of the organizations and individuals noted were

notified of the november 3 operations committee meeting. there were also notified by the board of supervisors land use committee meeting earlier this week. approximately 50 individuals attended the october 24 meeting, including many families with children. all in attendance expressed strong support for playground in the general vicinity, and a majority those there were satisfied with the location of sue bierman park. sample, support of the site or following -- the committee the demographics need to change. you can create a playground without opening the floodgates. families and youth are missing from the neighborhood, and we need them to have a vibrant community. regarding developments in the area and opening the floodgates, the playground is not the same as a building. a playground might be the best defense against proposed future appropriate uses. there no playgrounds in easy walking distance. by the time we walk to the

closest one, we are exhausted. it is difficult to raise a child in san francisco due to the high cost of living and education. families are being forced out. sample, opposition to this site included an amending the ordinance and proper use of the legislation process. the location seems unsafe given the traffic on nearby streets. changing the legislation would open the floodgate to other uses. the bocci ball courts are a better location for a playground. and the master plan included a number of proposed playgrounds, and this one was not suggested. the following organizations or representing thousands of area represent -- businesses and people. supervisor david chiu, the barbary coast neighborhood association, barbara coast news, golden gate way parent group, friends of john amash g.o.

legrand, golden gateway, embarcadero ymca, the tennis and swim club, the tennis association, 733 front homeowners. object centcom komen -- homeowners, rincon hill and tenants' association. there's some known opposition. some of it was to a specific proposed area in 202, and some of these folks are now open to the idea of the investigation of the lots. 203 is an option. next steps of the following, in november, we are considering this recommendation to the board of supervisors, and the land use committee on monday recommended unanimously that this be approved by the full board of supervisors. there will be considering this later on this month. in march -- by march 2012, we

will bring the concept design, did donor recognition program, and the mou for approval. we will have reviews. between april and october, we will get documentation development and reviews. we hope to break ground in november 2012. that is it. before we go to public comment, i want to make a comment to everyone. this would allow a playground for blocks 202 or 203. this is not a site-specific recommendation. i ask the fund raising plan be withdrawn and from the agenda. i think because is better served by having a specific plan before we adopt that aspect of it. having said that, i want to

mention at the capitol committee operations committee, many people came out to testify for this, and they are working families and children, and they have been to the board of supervisors as well. in the interests of not taking a lot of time, we ask a few of the key proponents to come and testify. we asked all of the opponents to come and testify. >> we do have a public comment. dave burt nebernet. meredith thomas. warner lee. richard fong. in that order, please. go ahead and get started. >> according.

good morning. dave bernett. as the president indicated, the initial concern from the people that objected to the process, was the stops election issue. basically park's death what -- staff and went and picked a spot that was right between the area which is the meadow and washington street. there was a fair amount of concern on the group of us that were involved in the original creation of this park. the park has very different personas. block 202 persona is quite normal, and is a result of the $1.9 million expenditure you guys made to upgrade the place. it has a nice cohesive feel to it. block 203 is the brainchild of

one of the gardners that was on the original staff and had no funding money and basically when the freeway came down picked up my machine and the rhododendrons and the other thing in the park for all barred from golden gate park as a result of upgrades that were done. it has a very natural sort of feel to it. the point i would like to make basically is i think it would be a mistake to go in and make modifications to block 202 that were not harmonious with the decide which you have now. it would have been ideal obviously if we had a playground authorized as part of the original design, because it would have had a chance to integrate into this instead of just dropped in. what is happening now is the neighborhood associations have

realize this, and we are all drifting toward some sort of consensus, and we look forward to getting back with you with that is achieved. >> thank you. >> good morning, again. i was the original creator at very park -- ferry park where it was developed. andth the deyoung i convinced to stay in the park, and they think the other whites. we cannot tolerate everyone's wishes. it is not golden gate park. that is why i put a no bill clause in there. it is pretty clear. if you are going to open up the flood klebs -- floodgates to

everyone -- you cannot do this to everybody. there is a a group of people i chased out there. it will come back and say what about us? rightly so. you have to be fair about this. i am sorry i did not bring the picture of the landscape. 202 is surrounded by trees and dumber roc rocks that take up s it is not 5000 square feet of space available. that is altogether misleading. let's get real. there is really the place. reaching -- there is really. -- there is really no space.

we need to protect the open space. and the plaza south is still my preferred location, and it is not unsafe due to the railway. i travel there every day when i come back from lunch. we have to not give in to political interests. that has to stop, because it is ruining the city. political stuff has to go. we have to listen to the people that live there. there are 1000 people going to golden gate. that is a small group of people. i represent the majority. they did not want anything on that park. the reason why plaid the south is good, is it -- it is because it protected by concrete wall all around it. -- plaza south is good is it

because it protected by a concrete wall around it. which would you rather have, the occupied people there and every other case the group going in there? this is the park property. you have the ability to stop it by doing created developments. >> thank you. and ronnie and meredith warner. >> good morning, commissioners here again i represent friends of the waterfront playground, as well as i am a board member and also speaking today on behalf of the president of the neighborhood association. bill is also a founding in managing member of friends of the waterfront playground. there is in fact tremendous widespread community support

for a playground. we have letters support from over 15 organizations representing hundreds of families come of thousands of residents, grandparents, seniors, homeowners associations, tenants, businesses such as the ferry building, the ymca, the golden gate tennis and swim club. all in support of a playground. as the commissioner noted, there were dozens of families that up appeared before the operations committee on november 3 that can passionately testify for the strong need for a playground along the waterfront of these communities. the lack of safe and convenient place for our children to play. in addition, the board of supervisors land use commanded -- committee will approve the legislation that will go before the full board of supervisors. a playground is not just a safe

and convenient place for children to play, but a really important community asset. as many of you know, san francisco has a big problem with family flight. a playground will bring a list together and serve as a gathering place in strength and community ties, and hopefully help to reverse the trend in the city. we are actively working collaborative league with all of the different constituent surrounding the park. we are listening to everyone's concerns, and we are doing our best to work to find a suitable location. we will never achieve it unanimous agreement on a location, but i am very confident we will come up with a location that will have overwhelming support from the committee. thank you for your time, and i urge you to support the legislation and help us to bring a playground to the community.

>> think you. to go--- thank you. >> we know through our work that the city should be adopting in january that there is an absence of playground's a long waterfront. the planning department draws a circle around each playground for a quarter mile in calls that the service territory. the entire waterfront is missing service territory within the playground. when you add things like busy streets, the challenges of hills, the distance of family can travel to a playground becomes even shorter. we are very much in support of creating opportunities in our part that provide amenities that serve demographics of our currently using the parks. we have to recognize as our city continues to increase in density, and as time goes on the demographics of each neighborhood change, and we need

to provide access to help the recreation. so we're very much in support in finding location for a playground on the waterfront, and also acting as the fiscal sponsor to the friends of waterfront playground. we ask you recommend to the board of supervisors that we allow the potential for a playground, and that we can move forward with a committed a conversation about the west way -- best way to configure the opportunity. our role will be to provide subsequent fund-raising and work with the department and the developing of the playground. the you in advance. -- thank you. >> good morning, commissioners i had prepared remarks, but from what i have heard so far, my remarks would be rendered super

full list. my argument basically was that we need a playground in suberie berin park. i will praise the recreation and parks department for what they have done for 202. i think the greatest thing was to get rid of the awful looking gazebo. when they got rid of that, that opened up this. green open space is such an important metric when you measure the quality of life in the metropolitan area, and that is why some of us are so adamant

about seeing the green open space reserved. i did not have anything more to say other than i did get rid of what i have prepared to say. i will leave you with us thought that i invite you to look at the area. go visit 202. go visit 203. you might take a look at the abraham lincoln memorial that is located a few steps away. the reason i think that is pertinent as i have been to several of these meetings, and the slippery slope argument has been surfaced several times initially ridiculed as silly. and i do not think it is silly. i think it is a serious issue. they wanted that memorial in lot 202. if it were not for opposition from the neighborhood, it would be there instead of where it is currently. look at 200 to, and 203 come and go look at the abraham lincoln

memorial parkway ibrigade. thank you. >> richard. >> good morning, commissioners. i have gone and taken the trip there. i have taken a walk through. and i have always noted the hides of the harbor when i go to look around at the sea wall. have you ever looked at the sea wall? it is underneath those rocks. i went there and took a look around. i tried to stay open minded.

my big question has to do with, is it going to be a man at playground? -- manned playground? that was a big decision. when i look at it and is so small and does not have enough room, then i look at what can we do. can we get the golden gate area? if we had gone bad or if we can, the tennis court and swimming pool, there would be a club house and that type of scenario are ready. if it is not going to be a large place, whether it is adult supervision present, there is a lot of current problems. yesterday when i went there

there was a police dog where the policeman was there, and there was somebody there. he is sitting up on the high amount. i had a short visit again just yesterday. there is a real nice building there on the corner. it has parking available. if you ever grab up that entire area, you can use the parking. we looked at that type of location. that one was a pretty nice place. people go to dog play areas in the morning and evenings. if you had to transport your own children, you can't go there in the evening -- you can go there in the evening.

. thank you. >> irene and then maryland, please. -- marilyn. >> first of all, -- thank you. first of all, i wanted to thank the recreation and parks department for the lovely job you did on refurbishing parcel 202. it really is a pleasure to what they're now, and i, and i think a great many people in the neighborhood, really appreciate what you did. i readily was very much against placing a playground first in

the park, because the only place being discussed was lost 202, and it would seem to me a terrible affront to the work you did refurbishing the place to again that dig it up and put a playground in there. there is a shortage of green space in the area, now that it picks that up, it would be a shame to destroy it. however, i realize that there is a need for a playground in the area, and so i have looked carefully at the park, and as many others who have spoken, i would be agreeable, as would many might -- many of my neighbors, to placing a playground in a lot to hundred three. so i just came to offer the idea

of the alternative site. i just say that i agree to it. thank you. >> good morning, commissioners. and it seems to be that may seey theme for the commission ty is lining up with numbers. i completely challenge the number of that there are 1000 children within the neighborhood, unless you are including chinatown, which has its own playgrounds. i live in the golden gateway center. there are no more than 50 children in the entire center.

i have worked in a couple of those downtown preschools run by bright horizons. all of the children and those preschools go there because their parents work downtown. they do not live the downtown. the same is true of many of the children who go to the golden gate way tennis and swim clubs. so we are not dealing with 1000 children. typical -- i do not know where she came up with those numbers. , but i doubt she can. and i also the think -- i also think you are not familiar with the neighborhood if you think it is a safe one for children to play an unsupervised. >> anyone else that would like to make public comment on this

item? seeing none , public comment is closed. >> questions? >> i move we moved staff recommendation. take a moved and seconded. all those in favor? it is unanimous. >> we are now on item number nine, a general public comment continued. if there is anyone who did not comment on item 4 and would like to meet general public comment, if you could come forward now, please. general public comment item number nine is closed. we are on the item number 10, public comment on all matters pertaining to the closed session. one is the conference with legal counsel in regard to existing litigation, and the second is

public employee performance evaluation. i have one card, which is nancy. if you could come forward after we're done with that. >> good morning. today he will evaluate performance of the general manager. well you consider all that he has done to reorganize the department and raise new revenue, i would like you to also add that way the way he has done his job and the cost to the reputation of the department by his actions. every city department has financial challenges, but the unfortunate decisions he has made to solve these problems really did an unprecedented backlash from the very people you are meant to serve.