>> good afternoon. i am audrey joseph. i sit on the san francisco entertainment commission but i am here today as a citizen. several years ago the board of supervisors passed a resolution to preserve music and culture and its venues. the masonic meets this criterion. besides being an historic venue, these types of the news provide more jobs per square foot than any other retail. the jobs are not in just the technical field. they provide unskilled labor which we desperately need. i hope you will support this. i support it very strongly. losing the masonic, an iconic building and an iconic venue would be a sad day for san francisco. both the mayor and members of the board recognized entertainment as an economic

driver. i hope that will also be considered. thank you. president miguel: thank you. our next speakers. >> good afternoon. i am the dean of grace cathedral since 2010. i make it clear that i speak on behalf of the trustees of grace cathedral who mandated me to do this. i also reflect the concerns of parishioners and parents. the cathedral is the episcopal cathedral. a house of prayer for all people. and an iconic place for worship, the arts, and community conversation. it's plaza and outdoor laboratory in the outdoor spaces dedicated to prayer. this is used by a sanctuary

prayer. we have a boys' school of 250 boys and a preschool has 21 children. these are located across from the masonic temple. the cathedral -- we're not opposed to the civic events. we have this. we understand the concepts and faith-based events are necessary to raise money for the masonic buildings. we're concerned of the question of making these events right size to margaret brick, and a tight number and length. we have arts events and concerts and civic conversation this and we take great care in making them appropriate in size and number and length and so forth print we are concerned the masonic temple, location and recommendations do not accurately reflect historic use for it they have overstated historic use with regard to the number of bars, the question of

a liquor license, the number of evening events, and propose an innovation which is the creation proposed for former bus zones and use of sure path -- pass. we urge that there is some modification of the conditions of approval in those four areas. thank you. president miguel: thank you. >> thank you. i am a resident at 777 california street and i am speaking on behalf of the nob hill coalition. you have received my letter is submitted october 6, 2011. sent to the planning department and copies to the commissioners and it addresses many of my concerns. i would like to make a general

point and agree with commissioner antonini. our city's reputation for stability, being a comfortable place, secure place to live is very strong for all bus. and the neighbors who lived on nob hill see that trend by this project. as a reminder to all of us, we need to focus with stability within this room for comments that are offensive to the board members. there were not paid -- made by me or on behalf of our neighborhood but nevertheless, i apologize them. we do not need to be offensive. there is only one issue here. our coalition, our neighborhoods have formally expressed the position that we would not oppose the extension of permits. the continuation of activities.

as long as there is no intensification and use. the real issue before the mission is not issues like jobs, collateral but what are the conditions of use? we have put in strong evidence and in that regard i would like to thank you. just one point of concern. we believe the arguments are overextended. we have made their request for a letter of termination and it needs to be addressed. president miguel: i am sorry, same time for everyone. >> good afternoon. is that ok now? i live at 1177 california st.

for more than 35 years. i have read the application and proposals. i do not have a problem with masonic temple but i am concerned with the misrepresentation in the application. the applicant is not just continuing historic conditional work -- use. i worked as an usher regularly at the masonic temple from 2001 until 2006 and in a few shows in 2008 and have firsthand experience with its history. i worked at concerts, graduations, exhibitions, and lectures and everything else. i was a head usher in the balcony for most of the events i worked as part of a special skeleton staff who were the head ushers and ticket takers at

masonic. during my eighth tenure at masonic, our staff worked four hour shifts. i recall that most of the shows, and it by 10:00 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. there were a few that went over. that is because of wanting an encore for the performances. there were a few sold-out shows like van morrison or some jazz performances. broadway on ice in december had poor attendance. most events did not serve alcohol. if alcohol was served, it was limited to a single bar on the ground floor lobby outside the gates of the auditorium and on only rare occasions was there a bar set up in the lobby. i have never seen more than two bars. alcohol was served before events in during intermission, not allowed in the auditorium. as is the case with davies and

the opera that i also worked in. president miguel: thank you. are there additional public comments? if you would like to put here. i have no more cards. >> thank you for giving me another opportunity and they proper time. i am the president of the local 16, stage and moving picture technicians. we have enjoyed a great relationship through our bargaining agreements to work at the nob hill masonic auditorium. we ask you to continue this practice that has gone on for over 50 years, allow live nation who has reached out to the community, seen their objections, tried to deal with all of them and i believe have dealt with them very well. one of the things i am here for

is the nearly 900 members we have that have an opportunity to work in this historic, iconic venue. we need to continue with this. members of our local and workers that work carries have enjoyed a livable wage that was offered through these agreements before san francisco enacted a livable wage. we ask you to continue to allow this to happen. this menu is not only one that brings in quality entertainment, many of which shows have spent all sorts of music chandra -- genres, they also bring tax money. if we look at the corporate work alone, we can find out that that is a huge piece of economic benefit to san francisco. restricting the nob hill masonic, restricting the opportunity to do that takes that away. i thank you once again for your

time and apologize for my earlier in discretion. -- indiscretion. >> thank you. i live at 1177 california st.. i have lived in the neighborhood for 26 years and i and gramercy towers for the last 27 years -- in gramercy towers for the last 27 years. i have attended many events. part of the reason that half my life ago i moved into that neighborhood was because of the masonic auditorium. because of the events there. the speaker series, the jazz festival, the concert, and so on. what we have seen in the last several years is different -- a different type of event and different type of promotion. i have not been to every event but i have been to quite a few. many of them were speaker

series where there was not alcohol served. i have never seen alcohol served anywhere but in the lobby. i will defer to enact -- annette berger. no one was taking alcohol to their seats. i also -- five cars never happened. it has never happened before. -- five bars never happened. i am the father of 6-year-old twins. we take our children to the park this time of year on the weekends but virtually every night over to huntington park. the sidewalks are blocked and filthy. whether it is bottles, vomit, whatever on the ground, it has changed significantly. i cannot understand why anyone would want anyone to have

events. no one wants to shut it down or shut jobs down. it is a matter of lookit -- looking at it in the historical sense and keeping it the way it has been before live nation came to the scene. thank you. >> hello, commissioners and i apologize for whatever commission -- confusion. i founded the company 13 years ago. we are a san francisco-based and we are the first grain business certified not just catering company but the only green certified concessionaire in northern california. we have had a longstanding relationship with live nation trade it started when i had a restaurant and used to do some catering for the folks and they wanted us to be there kidder in 1999. that sounded better than

operating my restaurant and losing all the time. we have had a relationship with them, as we do with the other promoters in the bay area. and we are the preferred care of another planet entertainment. we have agreed to conditions for operation at the masonic that impose regulation that have never existed there despite the fact that alcohol has been served there for a long time. we have been a catering partner with the masonic itself since 2000. and i believe our record since we took over as the in house operators speaks for itself. it is without incident to do -- we do care about the neighborwe employ over 700 peopd currently over 500 live in san

francisco. i implore you to agree to extend this historical use and i think you for your time. -- thank you for your time. >> good afternoon. thank you for time. i am an assistant business agent with local 16, the stagehands' union. i would like to speak on behalf of live nation. we have dealt with live nation for many years. they have enough their employer. they provide the membership of local 16 with as was stated earlier, and, very good wages which also include french packages of health-care and pension. most of our members live in san francisco and benefit from the revenue that is generated from the events that take place. they have been a fair player. they have wanted to work with the community and i would urge you to consider approving this. thank you for your time.

president miguel: thank you. >> getting. -- thank you. i live on california street at the front of the building and the masonic temple is to my right. i have a particular affection for the masonic temple because it was there i became an american citizen. i want to talk about one evening when i was out for a stroll. i turned out of the courtyard and i was engulfed by a crowd waiting to get into the masonic hall for concert that was due to start an hour later. i ask the young couple standing next to me. in a moment, the situation

changed completely. it became intimidating as people behind and around started shoving and pushing forward. living off the sidewalk and spilling into the road. little by little, we shuffled ahead and we ran into an even more dense crowd which was people surrounding a ticket scalper. at this point, you couldn't walk with your own volition. you have to work -- what with this -- walk with the crowd. i looked around for some security people because i live to recount what had happened not just for myself but because it was a very challenging

experience. it would be for any elderly or frail person. there were no security people there. it appears the conditions of approval -- malia cohen? -- may i go on? right. president miguel: thank you. >> good afternoon. i would like to raise -- read portions of two letters, two boats that were taken at the coalition. the coalition is made up of over 45 neighborhood associations. it has applied for membership in amortization and that is how we heard about this. we did hear about this even though previous to that.

we took this matter to task. we felt it was critical for the nob hill area. and after reading a portion [unintelligible] to the department of alcohol beverage control. the coalition opposes the granting of such liquor licenses as applied for by avatar and five nations -- live nation. we strongly oppose this project and the granting of the liquor

licenses. another letter, we urge the board of supervisors to uphold an appeal and deny the issuance of the resumption by the planning department to exempt from [unintelligible] the proposed renovation construction. we ask that you deny a permit. >> good afternoon. i represent local 16. i have worked for the last three years during different events for 0 live nation and for local 16. as a stagehand, there is a great protocol presented to us in

terms of adherents to any sort of noise made in loading in or out of concert. we put mats on the concrete to make sure that any case is the role of the trucks do not make any unnecessary noise and waking up patrons as we normally load early in the morning or when we are loading at a concert between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., those amounts are put down and great constraint, pains are taken to make sure those cases do not wake up people in the neighborhood. we take great pains to make sure those cases do not make noise. the concern is the residents in the area. it is my hope the panel enables live nation to continue and i am

sure that as live nation continues, the concerns of the residents will be addressed and a greater understanding will be reached in terms of its cultural importance to the city as well as to the revenue of the city as well. thank you. president miguel: thank you. >> good afternoon. i live in 1329 clay street. i oppose what the opposition is doing. i favor the new construction being proposed at the nob hill masonic center. i represent the silent majority in my neighborhood. in favor of enhancing and modernizing the masonic auditorium. i am of the motto, live and let

live. share the neighborhood and coexist. i urge you to separate the facts from fiction and truth and realize that this is an historic building and we need to keep it open for events. i have attended in the four years i have lived in the neighborhood, i have attended close to 20 events. that place makes me happy. it makes a lot of people happy. people leave with a lot of excitement and feeling good about themselves. i wish the energy that deposition had devoted to putting the place out of business or restricting the use of the auditorium, i wish that energy was diverted toward a good cause and something constructive. something positive that would help the community. i can only imagine the money that was devoted to fighting the

masonic auditorium. i am in favor of the plans to enhance the auditorium. i support live nation in what they bring to the community. thank you. president miguel: thank you. is there additional public comment? if so, please step up. >> i have lived here on the hill when these buildings were built. and we spent a lot of time discussing all the good and all the employment opportunities with avatar. the type of venue they want to bring, the absurdity of the

number of bars they want to put in, and i want you all to realize that i have lived here, i have gone to most of the events. i have seen the traffic jams, but that does not impede the neighborhood as the danger of allowing this whiskey. the whole issue is the liquor. traffic could be handled by cordoning off while they are waiting and so forth. but if you sell the amounts that -- and they are only interested in, if you take away their opportunity to sell the amount of liquor and the number of bars, we have done very well with two bars. we do not need 10. we do not need the whiskey. you take this opportunity away

and they will walk away from the situation because they're only in there for one reason. we do need entertainment. it is a gorgeous building. i was here when they build it. when you put that number of bars in, you are creating a giant saloon in this area. when you get young people buying whiskey that maybe their parents would not allow them to have because nobody is supervising and it is very difficult to supervise the number of people, or get all these things that you can in a small bar. by the way, we have loads of bars on the hill in the old hotels. we do not need an infusion of this kind of alcohol. by allowing it, you are going to endanger the criminal activity which is not really criminal.

they do not even know what they're doing. i have walked the dogs in that part for most of the years i have lived there. i saw what can happen when there is a drunken person or somebody under the influence of something walking into that park at night. i am not asking to take advantages away or -- allowing these people to have all this liquor served up to the public and the public may be many people under age. there is no way you can get elected -- an adult to buy four drinks and other bars, you have no idea what you are creating by allowing this. so please, do not let all these employees of these venues, which

i appreciate, i think they need their jobs, but avatar can give them jobs elsewhere. not serving alcohol. thank you. that is the only thing, that is the crux of this situation. you'll get the city into deep trouble. when the first incident happens, and the city does not need any more trouble than a house. it has many things to solve. this is not one of them. you be very careful about who you allow, or what company. i do not know -- care what they're called. president miguel: eour next speakers.

>> good afternoon. i work for the property group that owns the buildings at 1045 and 1055 california st.. the company has owned them for more than 80 years. this is the crocker garage. i worked there for quite a long time. i have several buildings that have doormen, many of them work in the evening and work at night. the reports i get is over three years specifically, they have had a lot more incidents of alcohol causing related problems after shares. when they had jazz events and graduations, this was not an issue. since they had more concert, this is an increasing problem. the residents of our buildings have said on nights they have concerts', they do not dare go

into the park and they avoid the streets and being out as much as possible. it is a concern to us. we're not against them having advance but we consider what is happening there with the alcohol and the intensification of what was done and we would like to see a return to what was done prior to live nation. president miguel: before anyone else comes up, please do not stand on that side of the room. it is a fire hazard. please take a seat or line up on the other side of the room. >> good afternoon. my name is robert barney and i reside at 10 miller place. i'm the president of the nob hill association, representing an excess of 800 residents of nob hill. the association has been representing these