we are available to answer any questions you might have. president olague: will be limiting public comment to 2 minutes. based on the number of speaking -- speaker cards. -- we will be limiting public comment to 2 minutes. brian caston, rev. dorsey o'blake. >> that afternoon, commissioners. my name is albert yates. i would like to read from a platform statement that i am currently petitioning now. i would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. i am albert yates and i am running for vice president of the southeast campus student association. i am currently a noncredit student. i have been involved as a -- in

the student council for several semesters in both capacities as vice-president and president, currently president of the spring semester 2011. i am trying to bring back to the southeast campus computer technology classes. our original classes, engineering technology and electronics, very important, or any computer classes from the city college curriculum, as ta i come with you to -- with the opportunity to have a learning program. this is a student involving a program that helps city college students and the community. my goal and commitment to help

the community find -- be able to use the digital divide. i am board of trustees for the fellowship of all people. we need the technology. that technology has allowed us to do stuff like this. that is all i have to say. >> good afternoon. i am brian caston, currently the board chair for the church. i have been in the position as of april of this year. for the last seven years i have been the treasurer. i may certified public accountant. i am here in support of the issue before you this afternoon. we have -- the church has been

-- founded in 1944. it is the church for the fellowship of all people, the first interracial, interdenominational church founded in this country. it was intentionally designed by reverend alfred fisk who was a caucasian professor at the time. the church founded in 1944 with the intention of bringing races together. most of the conversation that came to the church were middle- aged individuals. at this point, they are senior individuals. the church has lost a lot of its membership through death, primarily. there are -- we have a small

conversation, generally 50 to 70 people who are on the roles of the church. [bell] we have seen this incident as an issue, an opportunity to help us have revenue and also to make changes to any of these structural repairs that are needed at the church. i thank you for your time and i ask you to vote in favor of this issue. thank you. president olague: julie wong and jasmine limb, caroline kella, hannah jewitt. >> i am the provided -- presiding minister. i wanted to say that i have been very impressed by the diligence of at&t. there are a lot of concerns the members had when this was

brought to us and their diligence has a limit -- deleted the questions we have had. -- alleviated questions we have had. we're on the search for coming -- common ground. we have sponsored many programs to ensure this. we get awards every year -- give awards every year to people struggling to bring people together. we have many concerns when we started this and we have very much pleased with the diligence of at&t to respond to our questions. my main reason for being here was to answer questions you might have rather than to make a presentation. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> i am jason polido and we have worked to do a counter- presentation. president olague: we never

received a request. there has to be a request. i did not receive anything in writing. >> ok. >> do we come up one by one at this point? >> i did not get a card. >> i live at 2037 larkin street, i am the director next-door neighbor to 2041 larkin street. first we're here not to speak about wireless or the possible dangers of cell phones, but we would like to point out four facts that we think will help determine that this does not meet the guidelines for a conditional use permit. san francisco lacks a general plan for wireless systems throughout the city. my associates will speak to the safety of the structure and the integrity of 2041 larkin street. 70.3% of residents within a 300- foot residents are in opposition. the multiple proposed site in commercial areas indicates this

is not necessary. it was back on february 17 at the planning commission that you expressed -- not all of you but some of you expressed frustration and requested the planning director determine steps necessary to develop a plan. commissioner miguel spoke, we're being piecemealed to death. commissioner moore was looking for plan based on my request and david geffen -- different guidance. a commissioner remarked he noted the frustration of his colleagues. we're doing the same thing here for the next six years. that was back on february 17. i am asking what the planning department has done to find an overall guidance play in --

plant for telecommunications services. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> i live at 1425 alito -- vallejo street. the -- one of the big concerns we have as was mentioned is the structural integrity. we understand that they church of fellowship of all peoples is a very historic institution in san francisco. that speaks to the diversity of san francisco. as far as the maintenance of the building, there has been no seismic retrofitting in this building which was built in 1907. there is no record of it.

there has been no or early maintenance work. there have been three permits, one in 2003, 2005, and 2010. none of them has been -- has the final signature from the inspectors from the -- from the inspectors, from the city inspector. there also has been violations of the san francisco health code, there have been dead pigeons on the alleyway, there is pigeon droppings. you can see them maintenance of the walls of the building, the back entrance of the building. [bell] we're talking about putting in a ton of equipment on the second floor of the building and on the steeple of the building. none of this has been

maintained with any signatures from city inspectors. this is the residential neighborhood. president olague: there were two bills. >> sorry, i heard the first one. thapresident olague: that was the second. >> there is another permit request for another macro side -- site. that is within 450 feet of this site. president olague: thank you. there are two bills that go off. the first one and then that is the 32nd warning and a second bill. -- there are two bells that go off. the first one and then that is the second warning and a second bell. >> there is a clock and you can

look there. sometimes it gets confusing even appear -- up here. president olague: the next speaker. >> good afternoon. president and commissioners of the city planning. thank you for placing this on your agenda and to give us an opportunity to make our presentation to express our concern. i live one block away from the church. i have grown up in the russian hill neighborhood and lived here for over 30 years and i've raised a family here. i love this community because a church we can go to on a sunday service. i have attended various services -- many services and

there in spring and i wish i could go more often. i am here to express opposition. -- i have attended many services and they are inspiring and i wish i could go more often. we have collected 340 signatures of property owners, merchants, residents, and the immediate -- in the immediate neighborhood. larkin street is a heavily traveled street where families walk their children past the church to and from school. they drop the children off to and from playground centers. on the diagram i am presenting, there are 70.3% signatures that were collected from the residents who live within a three had a foot radius. [bell] -- a 300 foot radius.

the people who signed the petition are concerned with safety and security. safety, at the church built in 1907 is a wooden frame building. the estimated weight of the system in the church steeple is 1 ton. the building has not been well maintained for many years -- bless you. -- the building may list its structural integrity. -- lose its structural integrity. [bell] president olague: thank you. >> good afternoon, distinguished members. i am a resident of 1425 vallejo, a condo abutting the church

street a few dozen feet from the tower. i surveyed the residence and there is great concern about the impact and the residential quality and universal concern of the neighborhood. there is an understanding and belief this is neither necessary nor desirable. can you please turn on the overhead? we have great coverage in the neighborhood. this is where -- the church building. 450 feet of residential area. 450 away. -- feet away. we have great coverage. i have done an iphone survey. five bars everywhere. as few as four balls. i made a call to another at&t floor. slamming doors where i could get inside. ever -- excellent coverage.

this is some of the best coverage in the city. that is at&t. there is t-mobile. they did a similar service, similarly excellent coverage. at&t is 6 to eight months away from a merger to come by the networks buy their admission and announcement? even with the government opposition. analysts estimate 50% closure rate. if they do not close they have a plan to do a deal to combine the networks. can you please put this back? so residential area, excellent coverage. redundancy of two networks. no citywide plan. please help us with your vote. at&t is a corporation for their shareholders. we're counting on you to vote -- help the residents. thank you. [bell]

>> trevor coop, renee hallings. >> the president is not here and commissioners. i am lily lee. i live in a three-unit flat on the 2000 block of larkin street where the church resigns. thank you for having us here. i am sure you have been through many of these hearings and understandably, you are frustrated without a comprehensive plan for a data transmission antenna facility. on our street, larkin street, at

the crack of dawn at 6:30 a.m., healthy and conscious people are going up and down the street to broadway doing their jog before the go to work, going to either of the gyms two blocks away and later, before noon, we see mama s and paps and -- papas and nannies pushing their strollers going to play time at the park. this is an r3 busy street that the church lives on, that the church is on and so do i.. -- so i. -- so do i.

please denied a permit in a residential zone. thank you. -- please deny a permit in the residential zone. >> i work in the area and i agree with people who oppose the cell phone towers. there does not seem to be enough that the church can structurally supported the towers and also if there are places the towers could go that are in a commercial zone, that makes more sense to me that a residential neighborhood. thank you. >> our next speakers. >> good afternoon. having grown up next door to the church at 2057 larkin -- i have definitely seen the way the

church looks, especially from the outside. you can see the obvious lack of structural integrity to support something so big as 1 ton of weight all the way up on the top of the steeple. growing up next to the church, i would like to bring to your attention the people you see in front of you are opposed to as far as they're being a tower, 400 feet away in the commercial area, this is obviously unnecessary. thank you. >> good afternoon. i am a russian hill resident. i would like to comment about the proposed installation of wireless and 10 that system in a residential neighborhood, to 41

larkin street. the structural stability of the building is doubtful. it is questionable whether the building can withstand the estimated wait of the equipment. at&t plans to install within the steeple of the building and on the second floor. the history is filled with negligence consisting of numerous and finished repairs, and partial seismic retrofit. following installation of this equipment in the building -- allowing installation of this equipment in a building which could be structurally unsound is a disaster in the making. i have concern the building is within less than a block away from three preschools and a busy playground which is always full of children. the traffic is heavy with parents and children going to and fro around 2041 larkin street. their safety should be paramount.

i respectfully request that you deny approval of a conditional use request to install the estimated 2,000 pounds of wireless system equipment at 2041 larkin street. thank you. >> good afternoon. i live within five blocks of 2041 larkin street. i am here because it is not clear why at&t the necessary to install wireless equipment at this church. the fact that this church is in a residential neighborhood and there is significant opposition should be enough to stop the installation of this equipment. the questionable structural integrity of this building and the lack of security or supervision along with an absence of seismic retrofitting are also significant concerns. aside from these issues, a lack of a general plan for wireless

systems in san francisco, it seems the should be resolved before a disputed plan is realized. there is also concern about what will happen with this equipment if the exception -- acquisition of t-mobile occurs. this may result in a redundancy of wireless equipment through the city especially considering the site near pol and -- polk and green. the building at polk and green seems to be in a residential area and is ideal. >> our next speakers. in any order.

>> president olague and board. i have lived there for 17 years with my son. i understand the churches need. other times it is unmanned. i have seen the lack of maintenance and have been concerned with my security, and the permits that have been pulled from 2003 that expire and this is the structural issues. this is the retrofit. this is dry rot that has not been addressed. the permit expired august 2011. for dry rot and the bell tower

that we're talking about putting 2,000 pounds of equipment, there are holes in the wall. this will follow us. -- fall on us. it is unmanned. tio collect money to put the community at risk for a structure that has been not proven to be sound is not necessarily -- necessary or desirable. this is a high residential area. there are other options and we ask you please to consider them. there will be redundancies. [bell] >> thank you. if i called her name, come on up. -- your name, come on up. >> i am an art sstuden --

student and in turn in the neighborhood less than a block away from the church. -- intern in the neighborhood less than a block away from the church. we value the esthetics of the neighborhood and i believe this cell phone tower would be better situated in a more commercial environment. the residential area is a beautiful neighborhood. i feel as though people living in the area would appreciate the tower being installed in a more commercial and firman. thank you. -- a more commercial environment. thank you. >> thank you. i live in the area of the proposed planning and i proposed

-- opposed because i believe it is a security risk for the church. it is not safe if everyone lives in the area around it. there is a proposed spot on polk, there is a better spot for. it is in a commercial area. thank you. -- there is a better spot for it. >> our next speakers. >> i thought i had two minutes. this is one -- 1:19. i live next door. i would like to bring this back

to what requirements are for this to be granted. the application package makes it clear that it must be shown to be necessary and desirable to the neighborhood and it may not have a potentially negative impact. if you look at the materials that have been submitted by at&t and go beyond the surface gloss, it is not clear they have met those standards. the back -- the matter is they have not demonstrated it is necessary they have this tower and one of the reasons why is they have not taken into account the other applications which the have pending. we have been told and i know that you know there is another application that is before you for a tower that will be 450 feet from this tower. you have already heard from surveys that were taken by residents that indicate that in fact there is no problem with coverage at this time. you already know yourselves that

there is a problem with redundancy and this commission has itself said it is very dissatisfied with this piecemeal approach, but one of the reasons why this piecemeal approach works as they can come before you and ignore every other application they have pending and pretend they do not exist and there is no interaction between them. t-mobile and at&t seek to merge. what is going to happen with those redundancies? [bell] why should there be a situation in which necessity is determined by whether they pay the church some money in order to get the rights to do this? this is not necessary. it is not desirable. it is potentially harmful for the neighborhood. thank you. >> are there any additional speakers? public comment is closed. i will make a couple of remarks. i have talked to the department

and some of the supervisors about an overall plan, number one, i do not think the supervisors have come together on the concept of it to and they have not provided enough funds for the department to do anything regarding it. as to safety, i hope everyone understands i have been repeating its week after week that this item goes before the department of public health and cannot come to us until it passes them. they are the determiner of the federal statutes. if you have a complaint as to radiofrequency, you have to go to the department of public health or to your federal senators and congress people. they are the ones who