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Public speaker says Beach Chalet soccer fields campaign outspent opponents and raises turf health concerns
Summary
At general public comment Catherine Howard (SFOcean Edge) criticized the Beach Chalet soccer fields project in Golden Gate Park, saying opponents outspent supporters, trees were cut shortly after the election before counts were final, and a group (healthysoccersf.org) will raise concerns about artificial turf health risks; she noted a Sierra Club appeal and lawsuit is pending.
During the public comment period on Dec. 3, Catherine Howard of SFOcean Edge addressed the Historic Preservation Commission about the Beach Chalet soccer fields project in Golden Gate Park, asking commissioners to note the community’s concerns around park preservation and potential health effects of artificial turf.
Howard said her campaign to protect the western end of Golden Gate Park was outspent "$900,000 versus the $70,000 that we were able to scrape up," and that nearly 100,000 people had voted in support of protecting the park. She told the commission that Recreation and Park Department crews began cutting trees at 5 a.m. the day after the election "9 hours after the polls had closed" while tens of thousands of votes had not been counted, and that a local supporter, Kathleen McCown, blocked construction trucks and was arrested.
Howard also referenced media reports she said link artificial turf materials to cancer risks and said she and others have formed a group, healthysoccersf.org, to inform parents about those dangers. She noted the Sierra Club has a pending appeal and lawsuit related to the project.
The commission did not take action on the public comment; commissioners closed the general comment period and proceeded to department matters.
