Editor:
At the May 18 meeting of the SF Rec. and Park Commission, the Commissioners unanimously recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve the permit for the post-Outside Lands concert. This meeting was really just a formality. This was obvious when not one commissioner had a follow-up question regarding concerns that:
1. The process was undemocratic because there were only six days between the announcement of the proposed concert and the hearing date, (nowhere near enough time for community input).
2. The contract with Another Planet Entertainment, LLC(APE) was not typical for a venue this size, potentially costing the City millions of dollars in lost revenue.
During the presentation of Agenda Item 7, the Budget Update, General Manager Phil Ginsburg remarked, “… we loaded potential revenue from concerts at the polo field the second weekend in AUGUST. This is agenda item number 8.” (All quotations are from the video or caption record.)
As one caller pointed out, “I find it upsetting that your budget is based and includes in the budget presentation items in number 8 where you are already asking the commissioners to push forward and vote today … on item 7 on a budget that includes Item 8, so you have public comment on something that is after the fact which is absolutely wrong.”
During the General Public Comment (Agenda Item 4) , a caller remarked, “I object to the Calendaring of Item 8 for consideration with only three days notice. Specifically, I know that you guys had a bunch of secret planning meetings for that item, there was no Brown Act notice of any of those meetings and now you want to permit an additional 60,000 person event basically with no prior notice of any other meetings and that’s just totally unacceptable … and I think it should be taken off Calendar.”
The revenue from the permit fees had already been figured into the budget. Agenda Item 7, the Budget Update for FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 was presented before the hearing on the post-Outside Lands concert even took place. It was a done deal as far as the Commissioners were concerned. Do they think the public are complete fools and they can just do whatever they please with Golden Gate Park and we won’t notice? The Rec and Park Dept. had already included $1.5 million from the additional concert weekend in their 2024-25 budget. Not only had the Rec and Park Comm. not yet voted on recommending the permit to the BOS, the BOS has yet to vote on it.
Since the first concert isn’t projected to take place until after the 2024 Outside Lands, what’s the hurry? Why not put off the vote for a month and follow up on some of the concerns raised? People who depend on the Polo Fields cycling track for exercise and relaxation are locked out for 4-5 weeks if the post-Outside Lands concert is approved. The grassroots community group, Friends of the Polo Fields, wanted to know why, since there were stages set-up elsewhere, APE couldn’t use those stages and let people have the Polo Fields back. Not one commissioner thought it worthwhile to pause the vote to look into this or ask GM Ginsburg about it.
David Romano
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
I only have one problem with this letter. I actually agree with the points being argued. However what is off putting to me is the general attitude of many D1 and D4 Westside citizens..At least those who ‘Reply.” It’s all basically Whining. Non stop. Be it Chesa Boudin, JFK Promenade, The Great Walkway, Slow Streets or Connie Chan. Complain Complain Complain. So, I refuse to lend my voice to what is actually, for a change, a serious airing of a legitimate grievance.
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This is just yet another example of the autocratic style of Ginsberg whose mandate is, apparently, to monetize the park above all else. There will be continued closures of the park and its roads (including the Great Highway) because under the current management the $$$$ reigns. Outside Lands negatively affects residents of the Outer Richmond and Sunset in terms of blocked driveways, trash, public drunkenness and anti-social behavior like urination on private property, obstructed traffic patterns aChristinnd inability to travel north south because of these road closures. Nothing will change until Ginsberg is forced out.
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Christina, well said. The privatization (activation, to use Rec and Park speak) of our public parks is his first priority. Ginsburg is like J. Edgar Hoover in that it seems he can’t be replaced while he chooses to remain in office. Appointed by Gavin Newsom at the beginning of his his first term as mayor, he has held the position of General Manager for 14 years, through the administrations of Newsom, Ed Lee and London Breed. Ginsburg had no background with parks when he was appointed and sees no value in preserving our parks as open space. He needs to be replaced.
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