Community Meeting supports a Trail Connection

Last evening, SFRPD sponsored a community meeting at the Noe Rec Center to discuss options for an upper BGH trail leading from Beacon Street to Walter Haas. There is currently a social trail connecting the parks.
Commissioner Gloria Bonilla was in attendance as was a representative from Supervisor Scott Wiener's office. Lisa Wayne, manager for SFRPD Natural Areas opened the nearly three hour meeting introducing Steve Cancian as the meeting facilitator. Steve's experience includes the recent successful coordination of community consensus for the Dolores Park renovation. Neighborhood representation totaled over 30 people with heavy representation from neighbors closely impacted. Robin Lee from Friends of Walter Haas Park & Playground was in attendance as was Chris Faust from Friends of Upper Noe Rec Center.
Of the 4 options available: 1) No Connection, 2) Trail Connection, 3) Steps Connection, 4) Full Park Development on the site,
Steve stated that SFRPD supports eliminating option 1 and option 4. A full park development on this site is not respectful of the history of this land or the neighborhood relationship to the land. Option 1 - No Connection  - is not consistent to the mission of SFRPD to connect our open spaces and make them more accessible. Community members supported discussion of the pros and cons of option 1, 2 and 3. After must discussion, a consensus vote supported option 2 - a Trail Connection - with double the support of the other two options discussed. To summarize the support, a trail connection provides a more natural connection between the parks that is safer and easier for hikers, bikers and dogs to enjoy.
Community concerns remain including minimizing impact of a trail on the natural beauty, establishing effective buffers that protect adjacent neighbors from illegal or rowdy behavior, establishing a safe crosswalk across beacon street and maintenance improvement for gardeners and the trash cleanup. It will be critically important for neighbors interested in these concerns to testify at the Rec & Park Commissions Capital Subcommittee when this trail plan is reviewed. We will need to get a capital commitment for increased operational dollars to support improved maintenance of this expanded usable park space.
We'll be posting links to the official meeting minutes when they are released and when SFRPD announces next steps for input on concept and design. Separate efforts will be required to address the sidewalk and crosswalk concerns. Please provide your feedback on this summary and your thoughts on how to gather trail design input in advance of our next meeting.