As space in urban environments becomes scarce, finding a place to play soccer can be difficult. Even worse, when you do find a place, it may have other serious issues, such as poorly maintained grass and gopher holes. Such is the scene in San Francisco, where a new turf field is being proposed by numerous soccer groups, only to be stalled by various entrenched environmental interests.
What makes this especially troubling is the site of the new turf field is already used as a soccer field, except it is in bad shape, and often closed for maintenance, especially during the rainy season. I’m not a huge fan of playing on turf, but it sure beats breaking an ankle in a hole, or from the perspective of the city, opening yourself up to potential lawsuits.
An environmental impact report has already been performed on the site (at a cost of $1,000,000+) to make sure the fields are safe, and the impact is minimal. Yet that didn’t stop someone from drafting up a fake email to send around under the brand of the “National Institutes of Health” telling people that the fields were unsafe due to various health concerns! Disgusting.
Get those soccer fields built San Francisco, and start making it easier for the kids you do have left to participate! Read more
