once this is gone, it is gone forever. these are fine. i am not against kids playing soccer. i encourage them to play soccer. i encourage the alternative. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> i am charlotte hennessy, and i am a retiree of the national park service. i have been a defender of the environment for my entire life. i find this project as proposed appalling. the hybrid seems more reasonable to me. i am not just about the birds

and fish. the humans. they need a spiritual connection with the earth. if we have a polite it, no stars available, no oasis, the city of san francisco does not have too many oasises. please think about it. would you want that to be a legacy? thank you. president chiu: next speaker. >> good evening, supervisors. my name is david ray romano. -- david romano. you are the last place for this contentious issue. it is up to you now to represent all of the people of san francisco and save golden gate park from artificial turf and stadium lighting. there are other locations for

these artificial turf playing fields. if you survey the city from the top of twin peaks, what you see stretching out in every direction is an expanse of concrete road race -- roadways. ms. hartley a green patch to be seen. and i have been seeing that a lot of the agreement is not really a dream but artificial turf. how can we be a green city when we replace this with artificial turf? supervisors, please do not let this be your legacy to san francisco. how about this. how about leasing this out for corporate offices? why do we not lease out city hall? mr. ginsberg, why do you not share an office, and then we can activate your office?

this must not only stop, it must be reversed. no fees at the arboretum. no outside milan suggestible, -- now outside festival. perhaps mr. ginsburg does not belong on rec and park. he is unclear on what a part is. president chiu: thank you. next speaker, please. >> hello. i live in district 9. i am a soccer mom, a teacher, and a runner. my son played the last season. this was at the last of the season. while everyone agreed that the field itself was not fantastic, and there are gopher holes, but it was better than what they played on the previous season, which was a very hard surface.

the lines were drawn. those games were very difficult to referee. my major concern is the crumbs that end up in the eyes and mouths that end up in their mouth and hands. i know this to ensure you have to you have a tire to suffer adverse health effects, but we do not know the long-term effects. we once believed that asbestos was safe. we once believed that second- hand smoke was safe. this brings communities together. we are able to watch a picnic -- watch the game while having a picnic. i cannot run barefoot on turf on a 70-degree day. it burns my feet. finally, our kids are more than

soccer players. they are stargazers and wildlife watchers. when we left the last game, my son and i watched a go for broke in and out of its hole. -- my son and i watched a gopher go in and out of its hole. he could not do that. this or what we choose to destroy. thank you. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon. i am jason. a richmond resident. i am speaking on behalf of some friends. i want to try to emphasize these points that have not been fully addressed regarding the eir inadequacies. the first point is really a moral one. it has to do with the objectives.

you need to understand, and this has been confirmed by dan at par and wreck, some of the increase plane time will be for adult leagues. -- confirmed by dan at park and wrecked -- rec. the second point has to do with health. first, please understand, there is a water pumping station that will be going in under any the offer that underlies the soccer field. -- that underlines the offer -- offer -- aquifer. they address this not only to the players but for those living in the surrounding neighborhoods. points fru -- four and five,

and there is one issue that has been dormant. i understand that supervisor farrell has been looking at these impacts. this is an excellent idea. this was as compared to golden gate park, which has sent millions of people tromping through it. i think it would be more convenient for all. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> supervisors, president, thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak. at the last, it was the viking

kids, and a lot of them did not know what they came for. they came for pizza. i want to underscore what my neighbors said, and and there are many, many points, but the biggest ones is that i got up in san francisco in the richmond district. i have dropped this incredible water from hetch hetchy, and i hear that is going to be mixed with the offer -- aquifer and that it will be pumped right near the soccer fields. the pesticides, it is horrible, but it is another thing to give it to your children, your elders. this is at golden gate park, as

a result of putting this terrible, terrible high temperature. that is all i want to say. president chiu: next speaker. >> hello, supervisors. think you for listening. i appreciate it. i live out in the avenues about 20 blocks from the project. i love soccer. i think it is a good idea. there is obviously a need, but this is the wrong idea and the wrong place. please consider preserving the western edge of golden gate park. please. >> i am urging you to go with john mclaren, who designed this park, and design it as an open area, not to be destroyed for a

use of a small percentage of people. >> the greater amount of people use this park, and that is the area. please represent us. i grew up in this city. i grew up collecting sand crabs. looking at the trees, and loved that. they love wildlife, not just soccer. there are many more of us but love soccer. with me, that loves soccer. president chiu: thank you, next speaker. >> you do not know when you have bought until it is gone. they paid paradise and put up a

parking lot. the situation is appalling. my name is ready. i am a speech pathologist. i live in the richmond district. the reason i tell you what i do for a living is that i care about human needs. especially children. however, as a humanitarian and a nature lover, i am appalled about what is about to happen at golden gate park. i attended the meeting with supervisor mar. i attended a planning meeting. and i had to endure five hours. the soccer fields, the big stadium, the parent drop-off and pick-up points, what this would be better. i waited five hours until i could speak my piece. what i had to listen to is just pure manipulation, and it was just really sad. it was from children were coached to do this and adults that should know better. the big question is why, why

when there is an alternative, why this insistence on golden gate park. and do you know what? hi found out the answer. there is the fischer family, the owners of the gap and others, they said they were going to fund it, but they were not going to find it unless it was at golden gate park. i guess it means one thing to have a placard even if it causes the death of animals, birds, the night sky that we all enjoy, those of us who live out there. i am going to be really fast. you are going to hear arguments about a broken hip from mr. bronson. you can break your hip walking down the sidewalk in san francisco. should we put that on the sidewalks. president chiu: thank you very much.

>> supervisors, my name is beth lewis. i live in the richmond district. it is one thing to a were rubber-stamp this project. it does have the approval of soccer teams throughout the area, those that seem to benefit, but, please, consider what you would be doing. today, you will hear a lot of projects. a lot of bay area projects may look like a good idea at first. the embarcadero freeway, which was later torn down. filling the san francisco bay was once considered a good idea. even the proposal to develop the marin headlands. it could take one decade or more for government bodies to the knowledge this in an appropriate and certain area. reversing projects that have

already been implemented is very costly. what is the definition of development. the paving over of this right where it interfaces' the ocean with toxic tires, plastic grass, and 150,000 watts of lights, i would argue it constitutes inappropriate development in a very, very special place. it is an open space resources that should be protected by you, our elected supervisors. you have that power today. the benefits of this project and not outweigh the damage it would cause. how the planning commission and parks and recreation commission could ignore the master plan and approve this project is beyond belief, especially when there is a perfectly viable alternative. keep the golden gate park natural. but the artificial turf

elsewhere instead. again, approve the alternate plan. president chiu: next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. for land use and the housing committee, i would like to read a portion of a letter, it is four pages, so we cannot do the whole thing. i will highlight it. this encourages the board of supervisors to support the appeal of the eir for the balletic -- athletic project. they believe this is inadequate,

in complete it, inaccurate, in insufficient, and it urges the board of supervisors to not certified the eir. and they believe in an alternative plan. this has been presented but not seriously veted. it gave such a fantastic presentation. for any person to absorb what he said. it would be a shame. his rationale, explanation was very thorough and logical. in my time, i cannot -- in mind -- i cannot better that.

that was very logical. and last in closing, in the next session, they're going to have a bunch of adorable kids, soccer players, in their uniforms. they are going to come out here and say, "we love soccer. we love playing." well, they do not care if they play their or at west sunset. president chiu: thank you very much. next speaker. >> hello. i am -- a biking soccer mom here to represent the biking soccer parents that at not yet been heard. this is better for our children, our environment, and our city. however, our members have asked that they not be named for fear

of retaliation of which you have heard. leading the league. -- leaving the league. some of those children, we thought they were being taken to practice. they would rather play on playing fields rather than on plastic turf. of the over 1200 games played, this spring and summer, it was not just players adults only.

thank you for your support of the viking kids and parents. they loved it. there has to be some opportunity for that for our kids. thank you. >> good afternoon. suzanne. the eir is deeply flawed. i think all of you know that. the win-win hybrid solution is the perfect solution, so what is the problem. the big question here today is are you going to stand up to the lobbyists and their crops at recreation and parks. they believe you will do the honest and fair thing. show your courage.

the city needs you more now than ever, and we will all be watching. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> this is not about soccer. 06-0255. as a lawyer, the public-private corruption that has brought us to this point is beyond belief. there is an ethics committee looking into, the foundation and their attempts to influence. as a native san franciscan.

as an american, i cannot believe that the city has not learned the valueof dirt. [laughter] has not learned that there are microorganisms for the grass, the birds, the children who play in it. what has happened to what i consider my city? i was born here. that we would consider doing this. golden gate park, our crown jewel. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> president chiu, supervisors, guy m. arthur feinstein, the chair of the club. we are one of the appellants, so we think eir is legally flawed.

we hope you do not approve it. it will likely lead to litigation, which is costly to everybody, and the city cannot afford to throw away dollars. it is pretty clear to us that you are at risk. this challenges to our ability to trust our government and our agencies. they have been working for 20 to 30 years. but this area is in the coastal zone. you would assume that the coastal commission understand what its boundaries are. it has written a boundary to the planning commission, in yet they ignore that. they say they do not have to tell the public.

obviously, the commission believes it is the arbiter of what is in the coastal commission's done. -- commission zone. secondly, to have been claimed that this does not consist of violations of innumerable different ordinances, the master plan, the west sunset, the western shoreline area plan, all of these clear indications that the western end of golden gate park is supposed to remain naturalistic. 1,000 ft grandstand, parking areas, new parking lot. all of this is not a huge enlargement of the project and not just what recreation and parks called a restoration, since you start losing faith that you can believe what our

government tells us when they start using reality this way. hopefully, you will correct that and send the message that government does work. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> the first time i encountered a large expanse of artificial turf, it was unable to emergency response teams were having a neighborhood drill, and i thought this does not look healthy or safe for kids, and i cannot believe they want to put something like that about five minutes' walk from my home. i've lived in the sunset for 23 years, and in the parking lot, including the trail that goes right through the beach and a leg. i am also in business owner and

active registered voter. i urge you to go with the alternative. it is the best you can do for the city plan and the best you can do for the kids. i give out -- gave up hundreds and hundreds of fliers during the past six months or so, and i can tell you that most of the residents out in the outer sunset where i handed the flyers, it may be only about 10 people wanted this. everyone else had really strong feelings about it, including their families with kids. there are a lot of dog walkers. they just automatically did not want to cede more traffic or more lights and another in basic

project. the best you can do for the kids. traffic is not good for kids, to have more traffic, and any of the kids i have asked, including the soccer kids, including some of them here tonight said no, they do not want to see more traffic. i wonder if anyone has ever asked them if they want more traffic. thanks. president chiu: thank you. >> good afternoon, members of the board. her iowa live in san francisco for the past 25 years. the supervisors actually have a very easy task. they can of paul gallant, the ceqa, and they can send this eir

back to the drawing board, or they can pass it on, and the courts and the coastal commission will overturn it for sure. so the outcome is ultimately going to be the same. there is. the draft eir. the comments. what do they add up to? so much poundage. if i thought this product was typical of the planning commission, i would recommend that you close down the entire floor on mission. but this is the first time i have looked at and eir prepared by those people, so i am reserving judgment.

however, there is another agency involved here, and it is plain to see what they have accomplished. i am referring to the recreation and park commission and department. they are a rove agency. they are totally controlled by special-interest. they could care less what the public thinks. they have no notion about stewardship of the parks. it is so much real estate as far as they are concerned. so -- president chiu: thank you very much. thank you very much. next speaker.

>> good evening, supervisors. my name is noreen. i am a resident of san francisco. i am here to reject this at golden gate park. this would replace the natural grass with artificial turf. today, people collect with nature in a variety of ways at this site. the western end of golden gate park was planned to be naturalistic. been shoreline plan and the general plan for the coastal commission were all approved it to retain the naturalistic landscapes and connect ocean beach for visitors. today, the area fills the recreational needs of many people, but this proposal is for only a single use, and eir does not properly address the impact. the irrigated gravel covered in plastic and crumbled