Citing a desire to see both habitat restoration and affordable public golf at Sharp Park golf course, San Francisco mayor Edwin Lee on Monday vetoed legislation that would have transferred the supervision of the site to the National Park Service and likely shuttered the 1932 Alister Mackenzie design.
In a letter communicating his veto to San Francisco's board of supervisors, which voted 6-5 for the ordinance Dec. 13, Lee noted ongoing environmental analysis by the city's Recreation and Park Department that would restore 19 acres of habitat as well as negotiations with San Mateo County for a long-term partnership to manage the course.
Related: A photo essay of historic Sharp Park
Sharp Park, located in Pacifica, Calif., has been under attack by conservation groups concerned about the health of a frog and snake species that live there, but the mayor's veto gives the course renewed hope about its future.
"The ordinance that I am vetoing would bring these productive discussions to a halt, and instead compel the Department to begin dialogue anew with the National Park Service about closing the golf course at Sharp Park," Lee wrote. "I believe in striving for equilibrium between environmental and recreational needs. The implicit aim of this legislation -- cutting off talks with San Mateo County and envisioning the end of golf operations at Sharp Park -- is not a balanced approach ..."
-- Bill Fields
Follow on Twitter: @BillFields1
