Battle erupts over plan to charge Arboretum fee

by Jonathan Farrell

What had intended to be a typical community meeting regarding a proposal to charge an admission fee to the SF Botanical Gardens at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park erupted into a shouting match of protests.

On May 28, more than 350 people showed up at 6:30 p.m. to attend a public meeting hosted by the SF Recreation and Park Department to discuss a proposal for charging an admission fee to the 70-year-old public garden.

David Eldred of the ad-hoc group Keeparboretumfree.org, coordinated an intense outreach alerting residents, merchants and community groups from all over the City about the meeting. Eldred claims Rec. and Park cancelled five various community meetings when public outcry at a meeting on April 6 opposed the plan to charge admission fees to visitors living outside San Francisco. He and many others think this is an ill-advised idea.

As people lined up to sign in, they were handed a pamphlet assigning them at random to small groups within the main auditorium at the SF City and County Fair Building on Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way.

There was to be five small groups, but just as representatives from Rec. and Park and the Botanical Garden proceeded to speak, labor historian Gifford Hartman stood up and demanded that there be no small groups.

"This is not democratic or inclusive," he shouted over and over.

Immediately, other voices cried out, demanding that the meeting be altogether. Some thought it was a tactic to confuse and indoctrinate people into accepting the proposed admission fee without question. The voices got louder and louder.

Recreation and Park Commission President Jim Lazarus stepped forward to calm the audience. He requested order so the meeting would not have to be canceled.

As people composed themselves, Lazarus changed the formal agenda of the meeting. He allowed any and all who wanted to speak to do so, one at a time. The comments, with questions and answers, went on for more than two hours.

Many local residents, particularly in the Sunset District, use the site regularly as a sylvan retreat and do not want to lose access to the horticultural gem.

Lazarus said Rec. and Park provides $1.2 million to the Botanical Garden annually. But this year, the City budget has cut $14 million from the department, leaving less for department services. The admission fee would be a way to cover rising costs amid a difficult economy.

Lazarus said not everyone is opposed to charging a fee, but he did not have any statistics about supporters of the plan.

On June 17, the SF Board of Supervisors will review the budget and on June 18 a decision will be made.

For more information, visit the Web site at www.keeparboretumfree.org or call (415) 806-6523.