kathrin howard on landscape architect. i'm at sf ocean edge and the golden gate park preservation alliance. for four years i was chair of the sustainable development committee for spur. we went from 50 to over 200 members while i was chair and we introduced a great many progressive programs. i am not against change, but i am for protecting our parks. and i want to tell you a short story about that. in 2009 the conservation with district director of the golden gate audubon society tried to find the [speaker not understood] for the soccer fields project. after numerous frustrated inquiries over a period of months he found there was a class 1 categorical exemption. he only learned this because a city employee let it slip during a public meeting. this totally bizarre exemption was for a 14-acre project that would destroy the western end of golden gate park with over 7 acre of artificial turf and 150,000 watts of sports lighting lighted until 10:00 p.m. every night every year right next to ocean beach. it is currently under app

michael rice, tim colin, kathrin howard, hiroshi fakuda, [speaker not understood]. >>> good evening, president fong, member of the commission. i have written good afternoon, but so be it. i am michael rice. i am speaking today for myself, but i am currently the president of the glenn park association. my comments are based on over 10 years' experience at project review at the neighborhood level at glenn park, and full disclosure, i am retired from previous employment in c-e-q-a consulting. i believe the proposed c-e-q-a procedures are needed and beneficial. over my years with the glenn park association, i have seen virtually every 311 or 312 notice, discretionary review request, zoning appeals or adjustments and major building permit applications. these are all projects typically processed under c-e-q-a categorical exemptions or in some cases negative declarations. the widely distributed mail or posted notices typically have a 20 to 30-day appeal period. state c-e-q-a law and guidelines call for disclosure and review of environmental effects early in the project process. the proposed