Take Back Our Parks

We the undersigned members of the community that uses and enjoys Dolores Park on a daily basis strongly oppose The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department permits for business operations within our park.

We believe that these permits were granted with insufficient planning and disregard for the negative community impacts inevitable with the current program.

Gestures at community outreach were incomplete and insincere and the project was presented as a done deal; rather than as part of a vetting and active development process, which would have resulted in a more fully developed and well-conceived program that could better serve our community.

The current permits do not sufficiently address the negative environmental impacts on our park inevitable with the manner of food-service business operation authorized. The impacts of concern include but are not limited to: garbage collection and removal, generator noise and exhaust, patron eating locations, and the likely impacts of increased traffic and the presence of long lines during busy weekend hours in the heart of Dolores Park.

The few acres of Dolores Park are some of the most heavily used recreational acres in the State of California. The need for quality open space in the densely populated, and modest income residential Mission District is critical.

It is incumbent upon The Recreation and Parks Department to keep this vital resource functioning effectively to serve the needs of the surrounding Mission District, Dolores Heights, and Eureka Valley community.

When inadequate project planning threatens the functioning of such a vital resource it is incumbent upon the City Administration to intervene.

THEREFORE: The undersigned respectfully demand that all necessary measures be taken to rescind the currently issued permits, and a new process be undertaken to fully mitigate all possible environmental consequences, and all resource use and development potential prior to permitting any further commercial activity in Dolores Park.