Protect Golden Gate Park measure makes its way toward ballot

The Protect Golden Gate Park Ballot Initiative is well underway gathering signatures on petitions and receiving funds to supplement volunteer petition gathering with paid signature gatherers. We thank those of you who have stood for years against the construction of artificial turf fields with stadium lighting all year long at the Beach Chalet in the far western end of Golden Gate Park. We must turn in signatures on petitions in the number that will qualify the measure for the November ballot. Then Department of Elections checks a sample of the signatures to see that they are valid; proponents may have to wait several weeks to learn if their efforts have been successful because there are five number of ballot measures seeking to be validated for the ballot this fall.

Rec and Park is holding fast to its original proposal to dig up the grass playing fields currently in use for soccer and other sports at the Beach Chalet.  The site is across the Great Highway from Ocean Beach, next to historic Murphy Windmill and near Queen Wilhelmina Windmill and garden.  Proponents have put forward a ballot measure which would require renovation of the fields to be carried out with natural grass only and would prohibit artificial stadium-height lighting.  The proponents are the Coalition to Protect Golden Gate Park and their intention is to make a last stand on this ill-conceived project.  They see this project as the worst examplet another of Rec and Park’s plan for converting our parks into money-making enterprises that draw big crowds to our tranquil open spaces.  They’ve tried the official Commissions, the Board of Supervisors, the Mayor and Phil Ginsburg and now the matter will be decided by the voters.

SFT is backing these citizen efforts to get the Beach Chalet fields renovated with natural grass just like the Polo Fields renovation several years ago, without stadium lighting. In their determination to create a tournament-level soccer stadium, Rec and Park are proposing lights that would be turned on 365 days a year until 10 p.m., whether or not a game is being played!

Rec and Park have already converted other grass fields in the City to artificial turf and are determined to do the same in Golden Gate Park.  But the fields that have been converted are now wearing out and it will cost millions to
replace and cart the materials away to a toxic dump.  Even worse, the plastic grass and rubber tire crumb are toxic to players breathing in chemical dust containing carcinogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disrupters and lung irritants.  Not only is this material toxic and harmful to kids and adult players but it spreads into the real dirt and grass and plants and wildlife surrounding the fields and is tracked into people’s homes.  On a hot day, the artificial surface magnifies the heat and it smells like a rubber tire factory, not a sports field.

If you’d like to see Golden Gate Park remain the naturalistic wonder that it is now, you will want to vote yes on the measure put forward by Coalition to Protect Golden Gate Park.  It’s not November yet, but you may be ready to volunteer for the campaign or donate some money for the cause.  Please contact:  Coalition to Protect Golden Gate Park at www.protectggp.wordpress.com

– M.A. Miller