Richmond District Democratic Club

San Francisco Richmond District Democratic Club Resolution Opposing Development
of the Fisher Modern Art Museum and Hotel Near the Presidio Main Parade Ground

WHEREAS the Presidio of San Francisco is a National Park, and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and a National Historic Landmark managed by the Presidio Trust established by an act of Congress which made a finding that…

…”Preservation of the cultural and historic integrity of the Presidio for public use recognizes its significant role in the history of the United States”

…”As part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Presidio’s significant natural, historic, scenic, cultural, and recreational resources must be managed in a manner which is consistent with sound principles of land use planning and management, and which protects the Presidio from development and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and historic and natural character of the area and cultural and recreational resources…”

WHEREAS Don and Doris Fisher have proposed a 100,000 square foot Contemporary Art Museum at the south end of the Main Parade Ground of the Presidio, adjacent to and looming over Pershing Square and the original Spanish El Presidio, which proposal has been selected by the Presidio Trust, rejecting an alternative proposal for a History Center at the Presidio and selecting in addition an 80,000 to 95,000 square foot hotel on the east side of the Main Parade Ground, both of these selections by the Trust vigorously opposed by numerous San Francisco neighborhood organizations and historic associations.

WHEREAS the National Park Service, in a letter dated April 14, 2008, makes the following statements about the Fisher project:

“…The projects as proposed in the current undertaking are not consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, nor are they in keeping with the Trust’s own planning guidelines and cultural landscape analysis for the Main Post…”

“…Locating any large-scale building at the head of the Main Parade Ground with the massive scale and materials of the proposed museum appears to be in direct conflict with all of the above cited PresidioTrust Master Plan (PTMP) guidelines, as well as the analysis and recommendations of the cultural landscape assessment…”

“…The end result of these projects and the others included in this undertaking, if they go forward as planned, would have an adverse effect and significant impact on the Presidio that would threaten the status of the district as a National Historic Landmark…”

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Richmond District Democratic Club does hereby express its complete opposition to all actions by the PresidioTrust to elect, negotiate, or otherwise encourage or develop the Fisher Contemporary Art Museum and hotel, or any similar projects, in the historic Main Post area of the Presidio, and that the Club’s opposition to the projects be conveyed to the Presidio Trust Board of Trustees and Federal, State and City representatives and other persons as deemed appropriate.

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Richmond District Democratic Club recognizes the civic-mindedness of the Fisher family and urges the City and County of San Francisco to identify a suitable location for the modern art collection in the City of San Francisco where the vast numbers of tourists visiting the City, as well as its residents, may have suitable public access to it.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.