Re: Crocker Amazon Meeting
Steven Currier
On Oct 31, 2025, at 5:28 PM, Robert Hall <bilgep...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Hello McLaren and Crocker Amazon Park supporters.I know Dan Mauer contacted you all looking for support for the Crocker Amazon Renovation Plan but I hope you have a few minutes to hear another side to this story. They’ve been planning the artificial turf fields since 2021 and have only held one community meeting so far. Now, they’re bringing in busloads of out-of-district young athletes and coaches as a show of force to the community.San Francisco Rec & Park Department is moving fast on a plan to install five artificial turf baseball fields, a maze of chain-link fencing and late-night lighting in Crocker Amazon Park. The proposed “renovation” will remove 120 mature trees and replace 20 acres of natural grass fields with artificial turf. This plan will reduce habitat for local wildlife and limit community access to natural green space.
Will you join Keep Crocker Real and others in the community in speaking out?
Keep Crocker Real is made up of neighbors who care deeply about keeping the park healthy, accessible, and welcoming for everyone — from baseball teams and pee wee football players to seniors, dog walkers, birdwatchers and, yes, park employees and staff.
We believe the City’s $45 million renovation plan can — and must — be a win-win for athletes and the surrounding community. But as it stands, we have some concerns. We recently shared them in a San Francisco Chronicle op-ed and in a community meeting where more than 75 neighbors let District 11 Supervisor Chen know how they felt about the proposed design.
Here’s a brief summary of our concerns about adding 20 more acres of artificial turf:
• Pollution from Cradle to Grave: Artificial turf is made from fossil fuels and pollutes at every stage—from extraction to disposal. Most fields end up in landfills or incinerators within a decade, contradicting Zero Waste goals. Chemical recycling remains unrealistic.
• PFAS & Microplastic Contamination: The San Francisco Estuary Institute found artificial turf contributes PFAS and microplastic pollution to the Bay, threatening ecosystems and public health.
• Heat & Flooding Impacts: Turf surfaces significantly increase local temperatures and, because they are impermeable, worsen neighborhood flooding and reduce groundwater recharge.
• Health & Safety Risks: Turf increases the risk of burns, ACL injuries, and chemical exposure. Health experts, including Mount Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center, recommend a moratorium.
• Environmental Justice: The Southeast side already faces disproportionate pollution and higher asthma rates. Adding turf increases microplastic and chemical dust in overburdened neighborhoods.
• Loss of Soil & Wildlife Habitat: Turf kills soil life and removes habitat and foraging space for urban wildlife, sending the message that convenience outweighs living ecosystems.
• Climate Contradiction: Turf manufacturing and disposal produce greenhouse gases, undermining the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Here are four ways you can help:
Take Action and email the city officials expressing your concerns about the Crocker Amazon renovation plans.
SF Rec & Parks Commission: recpark.c...@sfgov.org
District 11 Supervisor Chyanne Chen: Chyann...@sfgov.org
Dan Mauer, the Project Manager at SF Rec & Park: dan....@sfgov.org
Attend the Rec/Park community meeting and speak out.
June Jordan High School Auditorium (325 La Grande Ave)
Wednesday, 11/12, from 6 pm to 8 pm.
🌮🌮🌮 Free tacos & sign-making rally 🌮🌮🌮
4pm-6pm via the Tonayense Taco Truck!
Speak up at the November 20th Rec/Park Commission meeting.
City Hall, Room 416 at 10 a.m
Sign our petition
San Francisco has always led the fight for the environment. We ban plastic bags, we ban plastic straws. Add your voice in demanding natural grass, community access and open space for all. You can find help with opposing the plan in the Take Action section of our website.
In solidarity,
Bob Hall
Keep Crocker Real
Aaron Goodman
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Aaron Goodman
On Nov 1, 2025, at 3:18 AM, 'Steven Currier' via McLaren Park Collaborative <mclarenparkc...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Aaron Goodman
On Nov 1, 2025, at 3:18 AM, 'Steven Currier' via McLaren Park Collaborative <mclarenparkc...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Aaron Goodman
On Nov 8, 2025, at 10:34 PM, Robert Hall <bilgep...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Aaron:Rec/Park is starting to move away from crumb rubber infill without explaining why. They said it was safe to play in, breathe and fine for going into the waterways. Only the oldest fields still have the rubber crumb. And even the fields that have recently received new plastic (23 diesel truckloads of huge plastic rolls) like Raymond Kimball still have that rubber crumb blowing and moving around the gardens and playgrounds. Why did they switch to coconut shells and cork when it’s more expensive than beat-up old tires? It’s a good question to ask at the meeting.The PFAS "forever chemicals" in turf like in the article you linked to were just discovered in 2019 by researchers. That means Rec/Park enabled the multinational FieldTurf to leak PFAS into the soil and water and on to kids for years before testing for it. Now they test for 40 of the 14,000 PFAS chemicals that are in the world, with new ones being invented everyday. Why do they go to such extremes to avoid maintaining natural grass while using the city kids (usually southeast side) as guinea pigs in their experiment?I don’t trust Rec/Park but I think the rest of us want what's best for the park and the community, even the detractors.Bob Hall<Kimball turf on truck IMG_3010.JPG.jpeg><Screenshot 2025-08-05 at 8.19.04?PM.png>
On Nov 7, 2025, at 3:45 AM, Aaron Goodman <amgo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
EIR Case
TRILCE & CHARLES
Aaron:Rec/Park is starting to move away from crumb rubber infill without explaining why. They said it was safe to play in, breathe and fine for going into the waterways. Only the oldest fields still have the rubber crumb. And even the fields that have recently received new plastic (23 diesel truckloads of huge plastic rolls) like Raymond Kimball still have that rubber crumb blowing and moving around the gardens and playgrounds. Why did they switch to coconut shells and cork when it’s more expensive than beat-up old tires? It’s a good question to ask at the meeting.The PFAS "forever chemicals" in turf like in the article you linked to were just discovered in 2019 by researchers. That means Rec/Park enabled the multinational FieldTurf to leak PFAS into the soil and water and on to kids for years before testing for it. Now they test for 40 of the 14,000 PFAS chemicals that are in the world, with new ones being invented everyday. Why do they go to such extremes to avoid maintaining natural grass while using the city kids (usually southeast side) as guinea pigs in their experiment?I don’t trust Rec/Park but I think the rest of us want what's best for the park and the community, even the detractors.Bob Hall
On Nov 7, 2025, at 3:45 AM, Aaron Goodman <amgo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
