I used to live near the end of the Bay to Breakers and we just used to rent movies and stay indoors through the weekend. Couldn’t get parking in our neighborhood normally. It was worse with events going on. And try to drive through all the people and they act like they never have to follow any basic laws or, heck, even exhibit common sense (like don’t jump in front of a car that has a green light….).

Sigh.

Don’t knock it till you try it on a clear, moonless night. You’ll forget that you’re in a city, and probably surprised by the number of stars.

Maybe soccer aficionados from the other neighborhoods who want these fields have simply forgotten what stars look like, and have given up on having that essential view of the night sky. That’s sad.

It’s selfish to want to prevent further hardscaping of this already overbuilt city? It’s selfish to want to prevent further contributing factors to the polluted stormwater runoff that affects beachgoers? It’s selfish to want to preserve as much of the natural setting along the coastal zone and avoid stadium lighting where millions come to enjoy an ocean sunset? It’s selfish to question a $14M boondoggle? It’s selfish to think a park is a space where grass is prefereable to recycled tires?

Adults want their night soccer league and that narrow interest is supposed to trump all??

That’s somehow not selfish? Kids can do just fine playing during the day, just as I grew up doing. Maybe if this was just astroturf without the lights we could talk, but the project proponents just had to go for the full monty and throw in the lights. That gets my full-throated opposition.

It. Doesn’t. Fit. There.

I get it- the current situation with the fields is unsustainable. But proponents are claiming a false choice between status quo and turf/lights?

Want to change the fields? Restore them to original habitat then, and watch project and maintenance costs plummet. That will be followed by measurable improvements in species biodiversity, water filtration/runoff mitigation affecting the north end of OB. Most importantly, you’ll have park that really feels like a park and the waterfront sunsets will remain unsullied by a massive artificial lighting complex every night.

Want to play on turf fields? Then build them in a less sensitive location. The city is special because of its open space, and along OB we have a very special area where natural and urban elements are better balanced than the rest of the city. And on a nice day people come out here by the tens of thousands to enjoy the ability to be in San Francisco but feel like you are on the cusp of wilderness.

C’mon soccer fiends, get your kicks in a less contentious spot with a better conceived plan. Please. Do it for those children who might prefer a healthier environment to the ability to play soccer on artficial grass after dark.

MORE light in the evenings would be a good thing in that corner of the park…it’s been sketchy and even dangerous for decades. More positive use would discourage crime.

Yeah, the windmills really are there for photo-ops. They haven’t pumped water i the park since the forties.

Providing adequate quantity and quality of play-space is a way to address family flight from SF. Right now there aren’t enough soccer fields to meet the needs of the kids who live in the city.

The funding source for the proposed renovation isn’t Rec and Park’s budget; it’s a gift from CityFields, which has renovated a number of fields through San Francisco.

RE: Lights,. My one concern is the additional skyglow to the entire area, not just the park. IMO, we need fewer lights at night. It doesn’t seem like a very safe idea to bring more people into the park after dark either.

RE: The excessive water use for grass thing, is a canard, as the water is recycled through the entire park. What do you think those windmills are there for? Photo ops?

Also with a dwindling youth population, why would we focus more resources on those fewer people?
They could be spent replacing felled GG Park trees, cleaning algae choked lakes, removing overgrowth of blackberry brambles, upgrading existing bathrooms around the park, including the Beach Chalet, clean up the neglected bike path overgrown with iceplant. Garden the neglected open land on the Great Hwy. between upper and lower. Clean and replace dead trees in Sutro Park and revitalize the parapet. Clean Stern grove of garbage, debris and graffiti. Repair and upgrade boathouse at Lake Merced, re-open Sloat bathrooms and turn the water back on at the parking lot at OB.

Maybe Rec & Parks could be more proactive and responsible for the area and take care of it instead of neglecting it.