Summary

Last week San Francisco took an important step towards a healthy and sustainable future for Sharp Park. The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that directs the City to negotiate a long-term management agreement for the property with the National Park Service, creating a new, sustainable public park on land that has been occupied by a money-losing, endangered species-killing golf course for decades.

It was obvious to all present at the Board hearing that our campaign is driven by a diverse coalition of college students, young families, and long-time San Franciscans who want to make our City sustainable for everyone. On the other side? Golf purists who’ve already taken millions from City coffers to create elite golf courses, and Chambers of Commerce CEO’s who want to use a bailed-out golf course to encourage more development on California’s coast.

Now the legislation is before the Mayor—who is indicating he might veto the ordinance! We need all our supporters to call the Mayor and ask him to support the Sharp Park ordinance. Call Mayor Ed Lee now at 415-554-6141 and tell him you support the Sharp Park ordinance—and he should too!

You may also send an email message with this action alert—but calls are most important because time is of the essence! Be sure to thank our champions at the Board: Supervisors John Avalos, David Chiu, Eric Mar, Jane Kim, David Campos, and Ross Mirkarimi.

Background

Last week the Board of Supervisors passed legislation that enables San Francisco to partner with the National Park Service at Sharp Park to transition land management from an unsustainable golf course into a new National Park that everyone can enjoy.

Under the ordinance, the City must negotiate a long-term management agreement with the National Park Service, and then review that agreement as a proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act. The City will be able to consider all feasible alternatives to the National Park Service agreement during this process. It will then select a future for Sharp Park that provides the best public policy outcomes for the land.

The ordinance is necessary because the Recreation and Parks Department has refused to even look at restoration options at Sharp Park—even though scientists have explained that restoration is not just environmentally preferable, but cheaper to implement.

That’s why the ordinance passed by the Board appealed to stalwart progressives and moderate politicians alike. The City deserves to have all available options presented in the light of day before long-term decisions are made for Sharp Park. The Sharp Park ordinance insures that the general public and public officials will be able to evaluate restoration proposals side-by-side with other options—so that we can make the best possible choice for Sharp Park.

We’re confident that when the evidence supporting Sharp Park restoration is finally shown the light of day, there will be only one sensible choice for us all to make: building a better, more sustainable, and more accessible public park at Sharp Park that everyone can enjoy.

A restoration vision for Sharp Park.

But the golf purists and Chambers of Commerce would rather not let you have that choice. What are the golf purists and developers afraid of? And will they be able to subvert popular political will and convince the Mayor to sanction their back room golf bailout with his veto pen?

Not if you call the Mayor today and demand that he support this reasonable ordinance. The future of Sharp Park should be based on the merits—not what the golf lobby and developers are able to extract behind closed doors. Call Mayor Ed Lee now at 415-554-6141 and ask him to support the Sharp Park ordinance: it’s just good government and common sense.

Dear <Decision Maker>:

Dear Mayor Lee:

I’m writing to ask you to support the Sharp Park ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors. This is important legislation that really is common sense: before the City signs long-term contracts it needs to look at all available options, not just those acceptable to the Chamber of Commerce. Here are just a few reasons you should support this ordinance:

• The ordinance is necessary because the Recreation and Parks Department has refused to even look at restoration options at Sharp Park—even though scientists have explained that restoration is not just environmentally preferable, but cheaper to implement.

• Sharp Park’s future should be decided on the merits in the light of day: not by lobbyists for elite golfers and developers in back-room deals.

• With the money San Francisco saves by closing Sharp Park, the City can reinvest scarce recreation dollars in our other municipal golf courses, improving the quality of affordable golf for everyone.

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