Petition to Rezone Jackson Park: Allow Dog Access Now!

To the San Francisco Planning Department, City Officials, and the Potrero Hill Community:  End harassment and exclusion of dog owners at Jackson Park in Potrero Hill.  Allow dog access now.

We, the undersigned, call for the rezoning of Jackson Park in Potrero Hill, San Francisco.  The park is currently zoned in a very exclusive way, where every square foot of grass is considered an athletic field.  This benefits private enterprises (e.g.: Volo Sports), who operate for-profit businesses in the park, at the expense of tax paying community members (e.g.: dog owners).

Rec-parks claims dogs are banned in order to protect the turf.  But this is a flawed argument, in 2 fundamental ways:

1. Who is the turf really being protected for?  Private enterprises like Volo Sports who use a public park for their own profit.  The policy of discriminating against taxpayers in favor of private companies and pay-to-play users is morally wrong.  
2. Why does every single inch of turf need to be protected?  There is more than enough space at Jackson for Potrero Hill’s dogs to have a play area.  Especially somewhere in the thousands of square feet outside the lines of the ballfields.  Let's be reasonable.  

We call on the city to reevaluate this outdated, flawed policy in favor of zoning that is much more inclusive. We ask the city to turn Jackson into a multi-use park with designated spaces for all community members. 

Why? The current policy harmfully discriminates against certain community members in order to provide benefits to others. It's unfair, inequitable, discriminatory, and a massive waste of city resources.

Sadly, under the current policy, San Francisco Park Rangers and Rec-Parks Employees feel empowered to harass and even abuse dog owners at Jackson Park.  Rangers have been documented using loudspeakers, whistles, verbal and even physical harassment, chasing users in vehicles, and threatening to issue citations.  

Likewise, advocates of exclusive zoning at Jackson Park express their hostility towards dog owners by saying all dog owners should move to the suburbs, or that dog owners should simply "go somewhere else." They ground these statements in the stereotype that ALL dog owners fail to pick up after their dogs, and ALL dogs cause damage to parks. If these same types of stereotypes were directed towards other populations, it would be widely seen as unacceptable. Yet some neighbors seem to feel it's ok.

Our Position: We reject the idea that every square inch of the field at Jackson Park should be considered an athletic field, accessible only to certain groups.  We believe a fair and equitable portion of the park should immediately be rezoned to allow dogs.

Who is Impacted?
Residents of Potrero Hill and the broader San Francisco community, particularly seniors and people with different abilities, are materially harmed by the exclusive zoning of Jackson Park as an athletic field. 

"But there's a dog park 1 block away..."   This is simply not true.  The nearest dog-friendly park is Daggett Park Dog Run, an 8 minute walk each way, according to google maps.  Users must travel down 16th St, which is strewn with broken glass, hypodermic needles and other garbage which can easily injure dogs' paws.  Daggett is also unacceptably small.  Imagine if all of Potrero's dogs went to Daggett - it would be completely overcrowded and unsafe for both dogs and handlers.

• Next closest is Berry St, a 15 minute walk each way across busy 7th St and the Caltrain tracks, through an industrial area filled with encampments and riddled with needles, broken glass, and construction debris.
• Next closest is McKinley Square, a 16 minute walk up a 250-foot hill.
• Finally, Potrero Hill Rec Center is an 18 minute walk up a 300-foot hill. 

For our elderly neighbors, people caring for senior dogs, and people with different abilities - these present significant barriers.  Even for busy professionals, this is a significant time commitment.  This is exactly why the current policy causes material harm. 

What is at Stake?
If the entire field at Jackson Park remains exclusively zoned as an athletic field, hundreds of local dog owners who need access to a large, safe play space near their home, will not have access to one.

Why is Now the Time to Act?
In response to this petition, Rec and Parks has misguidedly stepped up enforcement at Jackson.  Multiple members of our community have been verbally and even physically harassed by park rangers and rec-parks employees.  Rather than listen to the community and reconsider flawed policies that are out of touch with today's neighborhood, the city is making a bad decision to double down on its own outdated, harmful policy.

Why not just wait? Rec-Parks and other organizations are working on a Jackson Park redesign that will eventually accommodate a tiny dog run equivalent to 1/3 the size of a tennis court.  This meager space is only 28% of the minimum 10,000 square feet mandated by Rec-Parks' own dog play-area policy, and will only be suitable for small dogs.  Worse still, it’s not breaking ground until at least 2026, and unlikely to be complete before 2029 or 2030. 

In other words, under current policy, for at least the next 4-5+ years, neighborhood dog owners are banned from giving their dogs the exercise they need, all so Jackson Park can remain empty for most of each day, protecting the turf for private enterprises and small, select groups of park-users.  

Jackson Park is managed like private property under current policy.  But it is not private property - it is a public park funded by taxpayers.  Jackson Park should be a welcoming space for all members of the public.

The current zoning is simply wrong.  It is completely out of touch with today's Potrero Hill.  It must change now. 

By signing this petition, you help send a clear message to the city. We are united.  We are here for the long haul.  And we demand equitable, harassment-free access to our neighborhood park.