on to calif moore: i am making a motion to continue, support the project, but work on it in a way that meets the challenge. commissioner sugaya: second.

president olague: the you have a date? -- do you have a date?

significant in and of itself but, again, it is, in my mind, compatible with the commercial building on the corner, that, combined with taking away a third of the commercial structure is an issue but i suppose i might be able to live with it depending on how we want to move forward on the new design. that's some of the reasons why i'm supporting a continuance.

>> do we have a date, would march 3 work for the architect, mr. aing? >> we would be o.k. for a couple of weeks continuing. >> that was the next available date we were available. >> i checked with the architect and my client and two weeks will be plenty of time. >> that's a little over a month but the next available date we have so that's what we'll have to do. >> the continuance to march 3, commissioner borden? commisssioner borden: aye. >> commissioner -- so moved, commissioners, that item is continued to march 3.

[the motion was passed unanimously] >> dan cider, acting zoning administrator standing in for sanchez. i would close the public hearing on the variance, as well, and continue it to the march 3 date. >> thanks. >> commissioners, that will place you on item 13, case number 2010-1046d at 910 silver avenue, request for discretionary review. >> jonas, we do have a translator for this case? >> we did request a translator. is that translator present? thank you very much. >> commission keller ander,

department staff. this is an abbreviated d.r. so typically these neighborhood planning quadrant team leader would present the case. that person is on vacation this week so i will present this case and the following, the d.r. good afternoon, president olague, members of the commission. you have before you a request for discretionary review of a proposal to build a rear two-story hors agets extension to an existing dwelling. the rear extension will have a five-foot setback along the property line and match the rear building wall of the adjacent property to the east. the addition will be set back 34 feet from the front building wall. the height of the addition as measured from front of the property line will be no higher than 25 feet. after the d.r. was filed, the residential design team was consulted and they found the proposed project to be consistent with the residential design guidelines as the

addition is approximately equal in depth to the d.r. requester structure and only slightly taller by a few feet in the rear. furthermore, atback along the we minimizes light impact on the adjacent property. concerns expressed in the d.r. requester's application about foundation damage resulting from construction are not planning-related issues. the department has received no correspondence or phone calls opposing the project other than the d.r. request before you and in the past few days, since the packets went out, we have received a petition with 45 signatures in support of the project. it is staff's determination that this project does not contain or create any exceptional or extraordinary circumstances under the commission's pending d.r. reform legislation, this project would not be referred to

the commission and as such, this case warranted an abbreviated staff analysis. staff recommends that you do not take d.r. and approve the project as proposed. that concludes my presentation. i'm available for questions. commissioner olague: thank you. project sponsor? no, d.r. requester we hear from first. sor bethat. d.r. requester? [speaking chinese] >> good afternoon, my name is w win see long, i reside at 910 silver avenue. the reason i object to this proposed construction is because the fact that my house is about seven foot below the proposed site that they're going to

build. my second story is actually their first floor right now, it's all the houses are independent of each other, there's no attachment at all. however, the proposed building would have make some attachment to my building and i have consulted with certain architects who would say that it would affect my own building. in case if there is any reason

for a wall collapsing, my house will suffer and i will carry the brunt of all the support for his house or their house. the original reason why i purchased by home at the address it is right now because of the detach. , on an independent base if any of this proposed attachment is going to be made, is certainly would change the structure and also the appeal of

my home and probably would create further decreasing value. i believe that the vacant building without the hedging or without the setback, i would be o.k. with it. that's all. commissioner olague: thank you. speakers in support of the d.r. requester? are there speakers? are there any supporters out there? if there are any supporters. [inaudible] commissioner olague: this is the only time they'll have an opportunity to speak.

it's up to them. i just wanted them to know that. [speaking chinese] >> i'm jojung oh, and i am the owner of 912 silver street. i'm real concerned about the fact that if they fill up or, you know [inaudible]

one of the reasons the original proposal for the building was because of the fact that they have [inaudible] my objection is that [inaudible] that's all. president olague: thank you. >> those are the only speakers for the d.r. requester? project sponsor?

>> my name is mira lee, i am a cousin of the designer. this is a very simple rear addition two-story house and the design complied to the residential design guidelines. all the setbacks complied to the rules and the owner, they have three small kids and the grandparents is one house from them. that's why they purchased this house in order the grandparent can babysit the grandchildren. that's the main reason they bought this house and they have only two small bedrooms right now so it's not enough for their family. that's why they have to expand the existing house. and resulting -- regarding the

foundation, we will hire a licensed engineer and licensed contractor to do this project and this project will be reviewed by the building department and approved by them so i don't think that will be a main issue. we will not damage the house at all and that's all. president olague: thank you. are there speakers in support of the project sponsor? >> i'm the owner of the house. i recently bought the house [inaudible] we have three kids and my parent was next door and they help me to care for my kids when they get -- and the house original have two small bedroom so it's not enough for us and the

only -- we need it for the family. we're not trying to -- so my -- just a couple of rooms, as we was saying, my house will be cramped and fall on to the house. if we have a professional and licensing designer and initial to build my house, it won't be happen unless there's an earthquake and nobody can prevent earthquake. i don't know, it might be my house extending, their house swaying and they will be complaining because i will affect their house. that's not fair for me. housing is really expensive in san francisco and then why can't i buy a bigger house? where can i get money to buy a bigger house. i wish i have a lot of money. i buy it right now and i don't

have to go through all those things and situations and disapprove -- please approve my project, i would be very grateful. thank you. [inaudible] president olague: if you can speak into the mic. >> my name is shanna kon, the owner of 910 silver avenue and i heard another concern from our neighbor that -- about the falling of the, you know, house, that we would actually cramp, if something would happen, our house is going to fall down on their house. i think this is something that is happening that we cannot predict and not do anything about it. but we will do our best and hire

all the professionals to finish this project and we have actually consulted a couple of licensed contractors and we were told it would have no impact on the neighbor's house and we add this addition for our own use only. there's no rental, no nothing. it's absolutely for our family use. thank you very much for your time. president olague: thank you. are there any additional speakers for project spons? sponsor. seeing none, d.r. requester, you have two minutes of rebuttal time. [speaking through interpreter] >> there was earlier saying they do not have enough money to

purchase a larger home. the fact that they are building the existing home is going to be probably costing more. there was a home for sale at the time they purchased their home and that home was much bigger. ever since, i have learned about this proposed construction, it has affected my life quite severely. i seem to have lot of sleepless nights and it has affected me mentally.

right now in case i am affected to such a degree where i will have to seek compensation, where should i go for -- president olague: i'm not sure how to answer that, really. we can't respond to that. >> i know that from the legal point of view, but i'd like to know who should i -- >> that's not really a question and comment. she can address her concerns and the commissioners with choose to address that when they comment. >> all right.

president olague: afterwards, you know. project sponsor? >> calling the next door house. >> could you state your name for the record? >> my name is henry, owner of 910. according, she mentioned about the house next door was selling at the same time but i bought the house about two or three months before the house is on sale. it was $800,000 and i bought mine at 500 and it would cost me about 30 hundred thousand for four rooms only. her concerns, she goes crazy, i got stress, too.

because room for my kids and them, who's going to be paying me, right? and there are some things that everybody go through that has situation but if she can just bring on me. everybody, also, the houses are attached in the first part of the house, they say it's totally unattached. that's not true, because the house all adjacent to the front part of it. only the rear part of that is not attached, it is my backyard. thank you. president olague: public hearing is closed. i believe those aren't issues that are under our jurisdiction, the ones that deal with legal questions and what-not. >> yes, that's absolutely right. president olague: commissioner moore? commissioner moore: i would ask to briefly state how d.r. requesters are introduced to the process, the process of the

physical nature of the building, how it fits within the parameters of zoning, residential guidelines, et cetera, and if a project needs guidance to be closer to be approved with not much ado. the guidelines and i'm just getting hopefully a nod from you. the guidelines are there to create a common ground that everybody lives hormonuous and next to each other and that's why we are here. i assume we are asked to take staff's recommendation and consider that what's in front of us either is exceptional or extraordinary or really is in the approval recommendations the department makes. the project in front of me raises questions which, just by practice of architecture, d.b.i. processes, et cetera, are always answered because the buildings we build don't affect the

neighbor's foundations because in the way that it's reviewed on design, it meets criteria, which, at all costs, tries to avoid that so i am appreciative of the question. perhaps in certain discussions with the d.r. applicant, it needs to be ensured that we are designing to rules and regulations which are true and proven and don't need really that additional discussion. that would be number one. i find the building itself a modest, understandable addition and is probably one which other people in the neighborhood who live in relatively small buildings will undertake at some point or the other. we do not discuss the issue as to whether or not a family is asking to grow or not grow certain amount. that's not what we talk about. that's somebody else's decision. so i haven't seen anything here which is exceptional or

extraordinary. i think it's a normal application. it's way within the rules. it does not affect the front facade and i'm prepared to make a motion to approve the building. >> second. >> second. president olague: . >> president miguel? president miguel: whether or not they have money, had money before or don't have money hs nothing to do with this commission. it's something. that's none of our business. i appreciate the fact that the project sponsor has stated twice that they will work with licensed architects, licensed structural, licensed contractors and that satisfies me. i'm not an expert in that field.

people at d.b.i. are so they take care of it and i don't have to. there are no extraordinary or exceptional circumstances in this situation as far as i'm concerned. it's not a matter, to my mind, that should be before us in the first place. i would also, however, be interested in what instructions go out when someone files for d.r. and the form itself doesn't seem to give necessarily a great deal of instruction, and i think that the possibility that the department at some point could work on that one and it might avoid some of the things that come before us. president olague: commissioner antonini? precisely, part of our discussion during the d.r.

process dealt with preapplication meetings for projects but also pre-d.r. meetings to acquaint d.r. requesters with what came under our jurisdiction and why it might be a building inspection issue. to reiterate what a lot of the commissioners have said, the project has extensions that are consistent with the adjacent structures, there's nothing unusual or extraordinary about the size of the additions. in terms of any damage to adjacent structures, this is an issue that would be taken up by department of building inspection and they have to make sure that codes are followed as far as foundations and depth and that's not our jurisdiction. we approve it, and then -- or disapprove it and then they have to go on to d.b.i. as far as attached structures, i think probably upwards of 3/4 of san francisco has attached homes in general terms and the only

place where this wouldn't be appropriate, it appears that much of silver avenue is all attached homes from what i can tell from the maps. there are areas zoned rh-1 detached which means all the homes has to be aattached to a certain point and it's not appropriate for one house to be attached to the zoning line of the neighboring house. this is an entirely different case than it is here. president olague: commissioner moore. commissioner moore: the only thing i would say, in the bilingual situation, the approval process can be overwhelming and what are we doing to ease that a little bit. is there bilingual assistance in the first meeting process so that indeed the questions asked

and the commission's decision is not so difficult for somebody. >> commission kelly ander. we have translation services available in the department. we've worked to improve those recently. the d.r. request sponsors that if they need language assistance, we would be happy to offer it. president olague: are the forms available in other licenses? >> we don't currently. but we have increased our capacity to translate and get to people quickly. president olague: it would be good to know how many requests we get to translation services.