A bunch of bitter shits called “Friends of the Haight” (fitting name) are trying to block the moving forward of the waller street skate park. The SFSA has sent out this text below that you need to copy and past into an email to the following dude: ross.mirkarimi@sfgov.org
Dear Supervisor Mirkarimi,
Thank you for your hard work in support of skateboarding in San Francisco, as you know San Francisco has a rich tradition and culture surrounding skateboarding. Over the past decade skateboarding has become a mainstream recreational activity and sport, but The City has been slow to build adequate facilities to support this growing youth activity. To this end you have championed the creation of the first skate park in your district at Waller St. in Golden Gate Park and we the members of the San Francisco Skateboarding Association and the skate community applaud you for this effort. Recently there has been some negative people trying to derail this, “Once in a lifetime chance” to bring a world class skate facility and much needed, improved public multi-use space to the greatest park in America. With the amount of homeless people and nefarious activity in that area something had to be done and you were there to get it done.
Our children need this park.
Studies show kids can’t travel safely farther than two miles in The City to get to various activities, and the only other skate parks are in Crocker Amazon and Portero Del Sol in the Mission. How strange it would be if we had no basketball courts? yet skateboarding is more popular with kids than basketball. What about baseball diamonds? skateboarding is now at the level of these other mainstream sports. This park will not only serve the Haight but also the Panhandle, Marina, Richmond, Sunset, Cole Valley, and the Western Addition. Many more people will benefit from this skate park and surrounding public space improvements than those who oppose it. With the “public activation” of the Waller st. space with youth activities, a farmers market and possibly a seasonal ice rink, it will become a vibrant positive space created out of a dead end street. We ask for your continued support despite recent “NIMBY” accusations that it will bring noise and unwanted vandalism. These complaints can be addressed and overcome at upcoming community based design meetings. As we have seen with the creation of Portero Del Sol skate park, the gang related activity, drug abuse and homeless vagabonds have all but vanished, replacing negativity through skateboarding. Isn’t this what is really needed in the Haight? Please don’t waver in the face of ignorance and stereotypical fear of skaters and continue to support the youth of San Francisco and continue to be our champion.
Keep us Rollin’
Concerned Skater and Citizen