News & Events

Public Hearing Report

Dec 4, 2011

The Avalos close-the-golf-course ordinance will go to a vote of the Full Board of Supervisors at the Board's Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2 p.m. meeting, at San Francisco City Hall, Room 250. It will be Item 42 on the Board's agenda.

The Avalos Ordinance would direct the SF Rec & Park Department to enter negotiations with the National Park Service, and to 'offer' to close the golf course as part of those negotiations, as a preliminary step towards ultimate conversion of the property from golf to a nature park. The Ordinance was passed-out of the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee without recommendation Monday after a 5 and 1/2 hour meeting, which was very well attended by golf course supporters on the one hand, and by supporters of the Avalos ordinance on the other. The Board chamber was filled to overflowing, and people were lined-up down the hall and waiting in a public overflow room downstairs.

Thanks to all for attending, and for a great job of testifying.

There will not be public testimony at the Board's Tuesday public meeting. This will be the 'first reading' of the Ordinance; the Board is likely to take a vote. A close vote is anticipated. There will be a second reading on Tuesday, Dec. 13, which will be Supervisor Mirkarimi's final meeting before leaving the Board to take his place as San Francisco's newly-elected Sheriff.

One big news item out of Monday's meeting was that representatives of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors testified that it and San Francisco are in the middle of negotiations towards an agreement for San Mateo County to manage the golf course, and carry-out a habitat recovery plan for the endangered species. At Tuesday's meeting, no evidence was introduced of any change in the National Park Service's position -- stated in a Written Statement dated September 21, 2011 -- that the NPS will not consider working with San Francisco at Sharp Park if there is a golf course or any 'golf infrastructure' on the property.

We will keep you updated. The Supervisors' Tuesday, December 6 2 p.m. meeting will be open to the public, but closed to public testimony.

Here are some links to news reports on the hearing:

From SFGate.com

From the Pacifica Patch