From District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan:

Supervisor Connie Chan Announces Golden Gate Park Community Benefit Fund

On March 7, Supervisor Connie Chan was joined by Community Benefit Fund recipients and Another Planet Entertainment to announce $110,000 in funding for community based organizations and programming from the Golden Gate Park Community Benefit Fund. 

“Thanks to the advocacy work and feedback of District 1 residents, we have now identified ways to utilize the Golden Gate Park Concert Community Benefit Fund to truly support our neighborhood needs. Not only have we worked to create benefits for the Richmond, but we also are bringing free concerts to downtown,” said Supervisor Connie Chan. “This is the true spirit of the Richmond, we look out for each other and we look out for the City. That’s why we are, indeed, the coolest neighborhood in the City. ”

As part of the contract with the City to close parts of Golden Gate Park for the Outside Lands (OSL) Festival each year in August, Another Planet Entertainment (APE) provides $25,000 to benefit the surrounding neighborhoods including the Richmond District and the Outer Sunset, to mitigate the impacts the concert series has on the districts, including park closure. Last year, the City agreed to expand the concert series to include a smaller scale concert the weekend after the OSL Festival. Supervisor Chan negotiated an additional $10,000 each for the Richmond and Outer Sunset to be added to the Community Benefit Fund for this new weekend closure, in addition to free concerts downtown, in order to generate positive activity and revenue for the rest of the City. 

Supervisor Chan also asked that APE hold community meetings with the Recreation and Park Department to allow additional public input into the concert expansion. The Outside Lands concert series brings many benefits to the City as a whole, including union jobs and economic benefits, generating over $1 billion since it first began. However, residents of the Richmond District shared their concerns about the impacts the park closure and concerts have on the neighborhood. They raised issues of the lack of revenue for local small businesses, difficulty with parking, harm caused to native wildlife, and trash left by concertgoers as some of their main concerns. 

“We’re really happy that Outside Lands has such a positive economic impact on San Francisco, in addition to its financial contributions to the City and to the Recreations and Parks Department,” said Allen Scott, president of Concert and Festivals for Another Planet Entertainment and Outside Lands. “We are also proud to invest in the festival’s surrounding neighborhoods and give back to the Richmond and Sunset districts to enhance their communities.” 

After the community meetings, Supervisor Chan created a plan for the Community Benefit Fund to mitigate the impacts experienced by Richmond District residents. The plan includes funding for Richmond District merchants through expanded neighborhood celebrations like night markets and festivals. 

“As a merchant along the Geary corridor, I am very happy to be standing here today with Supervisor Connie Chan. We are grateful for her support in planning a night market and to bring additional foot traffic and revenue to our Richmond District merchant corridors,” said Sean Kim, vice president of the Geary Merchants and Property Owners Association. 

Additionally, Supervisor Chan has identified funding for local Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs) to provide parking support for Richmond District residents, funding for local nature conservations programs, funding to beautify the neighborhood and funding for additional recreation equipment for the Richmond Recreation Center. 

“The PTOs help provide critical support for our local elementary schools,” said Lamar Heystek, co-chair of the Argonne Elementary School PTO. “One of our biggest fundraisers is providing neighborhood parking support during the Outside Lands festival weekend. We thank Supervisor Chan and her office for helping us continue providing this service, giving back to the neighborhood while still benefiting the school.” 

“I have been planting dahlias at the Cabrillo Playground for 15 years, I am so thankful to Supervisor Chan for this funding which will help bring more beautiful flowers to the neighborhood,” said Dr. Devi Joseph, founder of Friends of Cabrillo Playground. “Come visit us and see the dahlias for yourself in the Summer and Fall!” 

“San Francisco Nature Education has provided San Francisco children with environmental education and field trips to local parks for over 20 years.” said Nancy DeStefanis, president and Founder of the San Francisco Nature Education. “Thanks to Supervisor Chan’s support we are able to continue this wonderful work and help protect the wildlife in the Richmond District.” 

“Ping pong is a great recreation for Asian elders year round, but the equipment at the Rec Center is aging and makes it difficult for us to play,” said Humphrey Woo, Richmond District resident and ping pong player. “Thanks to Supervisor Chan, we will have much needed new equipment for our community and we will be able to make sure we reserve one table for children who want to learn to play.” 

The Outside Lands Festival will be held on Friday, Aug. 9 – Sunday, Aug. 11 in Golden Gate Park. The Polo Fields concert will occur the following weekend, Saturday, Aug. 17 – Sunday, Aug. 18.