this legislation through committee so that we have options of placing a playground within sue bierman park hopefully in the coming weeks. we can absolutely locked out exactly where this is going to be. with that, why don't i asked for recreation and park to make a presentation. >> a share -- sure. we are waiting for my colleague, who was going to make the full presentation, which i can work my way through in her continued absence, but i wanted to be here to thank supervisor chiu for the legislation and thank the waterfront community for their advocacy and passion for open space regardless of the different viewpoints that certain communities have had about the location of the playground. the need is great. playgrounds are critical for age-abroad replaces to boost a child goes to cognitive and social development, and at a time in nearly 30% of san francisco's children are considered obese, having more ability for active physical play is critical. there has been a lot of conversation at the board of supervisors and throughout the city about keeping san francisco a family-friendly environment,

we're on item number seven, sue bierman park. >> the afternoon, commissioners. ld director for the recreation and parks department. i am here for the discussion and possible action to recommend that the board of supervisors approved legislation introduced by president to to allow for the placement of a playground in sue bierman park. playgrounds are critical for a child's healthy development. they have saved age appropriate places for free play and they help with development. they serve as an indelible commended the asset. family-friendly neighborhoods attract and retain young families in sentences go and bring families together and strengthen communities ties. in the embarcadero area, there are over 1000 children living there. child care centers serve over 4 00 children daily. the embarcadero ymca service 280 children daily. the golden gate swim club has over 700 campers. their 8000 visitors to the ferry building. 25,000 on saturday speed and get, they're no public playgrounds without -- lynnette -- within a half mile of this area with which children can play. i

but there has been discussion about limiting it to 203. >> we do have a master plan for sue bierman parkor 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

no doubt, we will work with the community and all of those who love sue bierman park to make sure thatt 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 continu

i am here today to emphatically support a kids' playground in sue bierman park. i am here to report that i think i can tell this committee that agreements have been reached whereby the support for this children's park is unanimous as far as the golden gate way tenants are concerned. last thursday, i believe it was, and that with the board of the golden gate tenants' association -- i met with the board of the golden gate tenants' association. we discussed the proper part of the park to put this in. sue bierman park is composed of two lots. 202 and 203. 203 has a clubhouse structure of it already. it also has the korean monument. apparently it was grandfathered in. the proposal that we discussed was should we go to the board and say consider to 03 along with 202. that was voted down unanimously. we then had a resolution asking this committee to amend the proposed ordinance to provide for a permissive use of lot 203. and not on 202. if you do that, you have the enthusiastic, unanimous support. aside from being an author and attorney, i have also started in politics f

up please write -- right bay bridge, embarcadero, waterfront suit that place it is such a sue bierman parklace every city should have a place like that it is your park alone luckily for you if your city finds a park named lite -- like sue sue bierman park in your city will be that park place, too ♪ supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. next speaker please. and you do not have to sing. >> [inaudible] i am and mother of three kids. three and a half girl and 1- year-old twin girls. i wanted to reiterate one of the points that was made, that all the parks in our area -- they are not walking distance, and trying to get our kids to those parks is at least a 3-our commitment at the minimum. it is something that not all parents are able to do. a lot of them work. i can do it sometimes because i am not working. i am a stay at home mom right now. but it is such a huge time commitment. i cannot get my kids to the playground as often as i would like to. having said that, a playground in our area is really absolutely needed. the second thing i wanted to also comment on was the parents brought up th

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 fol

park. this was the worst disaster ever. despicable display in this regard. my feelings and my supporters -- my speakers -- the virtues of sue bierman, who had no connection to the park whatsoever. i've been through this a million times. we should have been praised to the heavens giving you the gift of ferry park. the ongoing lies must stop. it's well known that i created ferrt park before corruption won. your statement was grossly misstated. the jurisdictional transfer from jpw, the city agency, to rec and park. no money was involved. it's the most valuable land in the city. you all destroyed it, as evidenced not only by my past criticism, but john king's article stating all the criticisms and titled, "a wasted opportunity." noelle rea outreach. no supervision. this could have been avoided. talk about wasted funds. $37,000. inadequate lighting costing $200,000. where are your ethics? missing in action. corruption and greed must not succeed. the people are no fools. they know what's going on. >> catherine howard? >> good morning, commissioners. you will see from the ink that my printer has a problem. i think i have enough just for t