Disney at the Presidio of San Francisco

The Presidio Trust and the National Park Service (NPS) have NOT been kind to the Presdidio of San Francisco.

The Presidio is a National Park and the likes of George Lucas and Disney should be kept out because these organization tend to remain to themselves and foster comercialization. they do not contribute anything much to the Preservation and Protection of the Park that is the Presidio of San Francisco.

The 100 series buildings at the Presidio Main Post have NOT been taken care of by the Presidio Trust. At one time in the early 1996 or so each of the buildings could have been seismically retrofitted for as little as $ 2 million dollars. Now it will take about $ 8 million.

Initially, Building 103 on the Main Post was set aside so that the NPS could use it as a Vistor's Center.

Then all of a sudden the NPS opted for building 102 and wasted over $2 million on a elevator and other unhistoric modifications. All tax payers money and all under the jurisdiction of Brian ONeill who is still hovering about doing nothing much.

The Vistors' Center is now situated in Building 50 known as the Officers' Club. The building belongs to the Presidio Trust but accomodates the NPS and its for profit partner.

Building 101 was set aside to be used as an Native American Museum but the kinds of Amy Meyer who at that time was on the Presidio Trust Board opposed leasing any building to the Native Americans.

There are many building in the Fort Scott area that are NOT cared for. Others all over the Presidio of San Francisco. El Polin Springs is abused and not maintained.

Now, suddenly it is kosher to lease some of the 100 series buildings to Disney and to Mickey Mouse.

Many of the sane and educated organizations do not want Disney making this funny and unwanted move - there are others that do not understand the main purpose of the Park - that welcome Disney and its dubious operations.

Disney is already at the Presidio of San Francisco and it is time we keep them out and stop their expansion. Too much of Whip Cream and fuzzy operations not in keeping with the Presidio of San Francisco and its military tradition.

We cannot cater to the Native Americans and other good operations more in keeping with Preservation and Protection of the Park. The Presidio Trust and the NPS have failed in their obligation mentioned in the Draft General Management Plan, the Final GMP, and even in the shady amendments that accomodated Lucas Letterman Digital Center or whatever.

Disney like Lucas brings a lot of money and in today's world the corrupt Presidio Trust and the more corrupt NPS will bend backwards to make deals behind close door to accomodate Mickey Mouse. This tainted money is bad for the Park. Lucas has over 1600 parking slots all underground at its site - the land is prone to liquefaction and no one mentions about this.

Lucas and Disney will bring in cars and other vehicular traffice and pollute the Presidio with particulates. In recent years there have been more accidents and even deaths linked to heavy traffice. Rare animals have been killed and even the rare Presidio Quail has not been spared many deaths as a result of heavy traffic.

In the interim the Dog Lovers have won their case and put the NPS and Brian O'Neil on notice.
It is interesting to see the Presidio Trust and NPS waste money in the millions fighting the Lease Law and Dog Lovers in court. The millions spent all tax payers money.

This money could have been spent by the upkeep of Open Space and facilitaties for the Public.

Many Shellmounds at the Presidio the Sacred Burial Grounds of the Ohlone are NOT preserved.

The Buffalo Soldier some 600 lie at the Presidio Cemetary and the Presidio Trust has not honored them with a monument.

Has not named a road or a building after them. The all Black Buffalo Soldier mananged the Parks before the NPS and the Buffalo Soldiers were once stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco. The building named after Black Jack is not maintained.

The above examples are projects that mandate Preservation and Protection.

Disney and its cronies can find something more beneficial that suits their dubious activities far away from Ohlone Land that is the Presidio of San Francisco and was stolen in the first place.

Again Disney should NOT be accomodated it should take its ploys some where closer to Southern California.

Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy