saying they pulled prior year plans. it would be a moment of truth that they had to check that. finally, cta does not do notices for environmental review to the planning list. i find that to be really unforgivable, that you have not worked out with cta, which is the board of supervisors -- [bell rings] commissioner antonini: thank you. >> thank you. commissionerç antonini: is thee additional general public comment. general public comment is closed. >>ç thank you. you're now on your regular calendar. that begins with item number 14. case number 2010. 0613c, 2055 union street. >> goodç afternoon. elizabeth from the department staff. the project before you is a request for a conditional use authorization to allow the defect removal of the existing

single screen movie theater at 2055 union street, known as the metro theater, and to allow the change of use to personal service, doing business as equinox gym, that will exceed the size. it has been vacant since 2006 when united artist ceased operations at this site. although the project does not include any expansions, it includes extensive interior alterations to allow for the installation of the floors and some exterior alterations, including a new mechanical and elevator penthouse on the roof and some site alterations. it is designated as a city landmark, so the project is subject for review and approval by the historic preservation commission. the hbc granted a certificate on november 16, 2011. it is inc. in the draft before you. the department has received

support from four neighborhood organizations, including union street association, cal hollow as a decision, and the marina hollow neighbors and merchants. the department is not aware of any opposition to the project. the department has determined that the project before you is necessary and desirable and is on balance and consistent with the general plan. the department supports the project because it will enable the adaptive -- the reuse of the vacant landmark building. the project will provide additional benefits to the surrounding neighborhoods by including a community meeting room with in the renovated facility and by making available a 2000 square foot portion of the gym, which includes a permanent movie square. the projectç also meets the additional criteria established for the removal of single screen theaters, since the use was not economically viable.

for these reasons under the additional findings in your package, the department recognized that you improve -- approve the project with conditions. this is my presentation. i am available for comment. thank you. commissioner antonini: thank you. project sponsor. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i appreciate you being here to consider this conditional use application. i have very little took add -- y name is charles kahn, project architect. i have very little to add to the summary, except to say that she has done an outstanding job of communicating with us on critical details. very efficient and fast and in an average head of way. fantastic. double that -- in an authoritative way. fantastic. there is something i wanted to add which has to do with the

çstructural character of the existing building. the material we presented is a structural analysis of the building that was performed. it is in his professional opinion and mind that this early 20th century concrete semi- reinforced building, notç only does not meet canterbury seismic codes, it is at risk of collapse unless substantial çseismic modifications are mad. your endorsement of this conditional use and the use as a fitness facility requires as by law to upgrade this building fully seismically, because of the change of use. the irony of this situation is were we not going forward with this, there wouldç not be an obligation, although it would be a moral responsibility.

unfortunately, without the adaptive reuse, there would not be the financial means for making that change. so this gives us the ability -- the requirement and the financial means for seeing that this historic landmark in the city is preserved throughout our lifetimes and into the future. the floors are provided as part of the program for equinox gym and serve to brace the outer walls which are currently unbraced and one of the weaker components of the building and a central part of this structure of retrofit. elizabeth mentioned some of the community amenities we provided. we worked closely with the community groups. i would like to add that theç c voted unanimously in support of the project at hearings just last fall. we will be revealing for the first time in 70 years some wonderful columns that have been

concealed by a curtain from their original theater that are quite wonderful. we will be restoring those columns as part of the community general-purpose room, which will be is for community meetings of 89 --ç 18 times a year. i want to thank john cline from equinox gym for being here. and also for giving 470 square feet of the building for a dedicated community meeting room, with access to the adjacentç alessa. that will be available 24/7 to the community. i am here, as is our project leader. if you have any questions of an architectural nature. and john klineç is here from equinox gym. thank you very much. commissioner antonini: thank

you. a few cards on public comment. lesley, michael, felder. >> good afternoon, president miguel, members of the commission, mr. avery. çthose with the executive director of the union street association. i am very excited thisç afternoon. i am really, really excited. this is at( wonderful adaptive reuse for the sixth -- for this historic building. we have had some economic difficulties in our neighborhood, but this is going to turn things around. we know it. the merchants are extremely excited we are thrilled to think this is going to happen. this is a gift to our neighborhood. the project's sponsors, the equinox gym people, there's so kind. this is just fabulous. on behalf of the merchants and the members of the association,

i urge you to lodi and approval of the conditional use. and thank you very much. we're looking forward to having the groundbreaking soon, hopefully. thank you. commissioner antonini: thank you. >> good afternoon. michael williams, a longtime cal hollow resident. i did the original consensus planning for the of reach on the metro. we presented to you a report showing 20 interviews with 200 merchants and business owners. we had hundreds of business others signing on for approval. we kept in touch wkt merchants along the way. and with all the changes, we have verbally done it. we still have universal support throughout the year ahead for this project. i think it shows the consensus

development is a very important component in the additional use process. and it stands for a very long time. i urge you to approve this project on behalf of the merchant community.>> thank you. >> good afternoon. i am from the san francisco neighborhood theater foundation. i am here to express that we have spent quite a bit of time on this project over the years, working with the project sponsor to develop a compromise, and we believe that there are times when compromise is important and in these kinds of situations. there is meaningfulç preservatn happening as part of this project, and we're certainly looking forward to an active use returning to the site and pleased that the historic use this, at some level, going to

still be part of the plan for this building. beyond that, i do want to say that i think the conditional use process has been a useful one. i think there are important preservation components to this project, and there is a diversity in terms of its program that probably would not have existed were not for the process. so i want to make note of that. qjust to express our interested in this active use being restored to the building. thank you. commissioner miguel:ç thank yo. >> good afternoon. i am a resident of cal hollow, have been for the past six years. i am speaking in favor this çproject, and as a resident of the committee. i am familiar with equinox gym because i lived in new york city for a couple of years in the

early part of the last decade. they took over in a theater facility there and renovated it around the greenwich village area. the foot traffic and vibrancy and kick energy that that building an organization brought to that neighborhood was phenomenal and fantastic. what we found out that equinox was trying to come into our neighborhood, we could not have been more thrilled. for thoseçó of the debtor not familiar with the way they are displayed in the committee, they held a site go for survival cancer marathon last weekend in their high industry facility, with which i participated in. ñrit was fantastic to be a partf that and see that happen in san francisco. please accept my enthusiastic support for this product, and i hope you will approve equinox coming to union street. çthank you.

>> patricia, neighbors and the merchants. i cannot speak for golden gate valley because i have not heard back. but every association, merchants and neighborhood associations, supported this project. particularly in the moving component, and it should stay in. we think elizabeth and david for putting it back in as a condition. we have been working with the people from ucla to rehab old movies. we have been working with independent people to eventually come in and make this a real neighborhood situation with equinox and the others. i'd like to invite mr. kline to çmeet with me and several othes on one of his trips here so we can make everything work. thank you. a vote in favor of it, please. the small businesses and

desperately needed. commissioner miguel: is there any additional public comment on this item? public comment is closed. commissioner sugaya: yes, a procedural question -- not questioned. this is the first, i believe, a conditional use and a certificate of appropriateness for a landmark which falls under the proposed article to in section dealing with multiple jurisdictions. could you kind of explain a little bit about that? it is my understanding -- i do not remember it all, even though we exchanged e-mails and a member of the city attorney's office was kind enough to weigh in, that in this case, i believe, evenç though the plans that we have received are dated after the plants that were approved by the historic preservation commission, the staff is understanding that

there are not substantial enough issues or changes and modifications between the two plans at this point. so, in essence, the cfa, xdwith changes that the hbc and staffçó have made in a minor way, stands at this point. right? >> to enter the second question, there's no substantive difference between the plans reviewed and the plans before you. the change in dating sentence is due to administrative reasons. they were submitted as part of the conditional use before certain provisions were asked in the certificate. so this incorporates those provisions and include some additional notations, such as outlining street trees and parking, things that do not affect the structure of the building. and i defer to the city

attorney for the other question. >> i am from the city attorney's office. when charter section 4.135 was adopted, it set forth the historic preservation commission'sç authority and the process forç certificates of appropriateness. it did not change the planning commission's authority over conditional use permit, discretionary views, and other permits. although it is corrected the planning commission could not modify the certificate of appropriateness directly, because the metro theater is an individual landmark, the planning commission could potentially grant a cu that is inconsistent with the certificate ofç appropriateness previously granted. if that happens, there are three different options. one is that the commission could hold off on its conditional use

authorization until the historic preservationq opportunity to review the çrevised plans and to issue a certificate of appropriateness for those revisedç plans. a second option is that the commission go ahead and approve the conditional use permit. the applicant again would have to return to the historic preservation commission to seek a certificate of appropriateness for thatt( result -- revised design. a third option is factbook the project -- is that the project sponsor just appeal the certificate and the conditional useq supervisors, and the board would reconcile the conflict. sarah it isw3 reallyçç only oe determinations are inconsistent, then there are a couple of ways to resolve them. çbut it is possible that

inconsistent determinations would be made at this point, and then they could be resolved as the approvals were granted. commissioner sugaya: ok, thank you. i just wanted to have that in the record because this is the first time we have had multiple jurisdiction case. i will go ahead and make a motion. >> second. commissioner borden: this is really full circle for me. i actually worked with the now deceased and deborah fein, and we represented united artists when they renovated this theater, and we renovated for thet( reopening. we played "gone with the wind." it was pretty amazing. we did not realize it was not a genuine innovation, just kind of cosmetic. but they have done a beautiful job, even though they did not bring to fruition of a great architectural details and heritage there. it has been a long journey watching that space, but so much

promise and hope in 1988 to be reopened and then to have to become a dead space on that block, which has been a problem. there was another store there before. it hasi] been kind of that dead zone on a street that otherwise has vibrant commercial activity. there are quiteñr a few restaurants that are very active on the north side of history. so it is exciting to see the project come to fruition. i am excited about equinox gym and eam familiar with what they have done in new york city. i think there are needs for more types of physical fitness facilities within the neighborhood, particularly ones that have more of a full spa experience. some of the other facilities are more you drop in and drop out. i want to thank katherine who is here, because she has been working on thisç under differet

supervisors. i remember her early on getting people together in a room downstairs,ç trying to make sue everybody was on the same page and getting this project to be the best it possibly could be. iç am here to express my enthusiastic support. i am excited that we can do it really needs adaptive reuse that preserves a historical resource and actually brings it back to a new life it has never known before. commissioner antonini: i have a couple of questions. in reviewing the plans, i think this is a veryñr good adaptive reuse. my understanding is it is some but reversible. obviously we would hope it would remain in its approved use for many years, but if there ever were the interests or to return it to a theater, either single screen or multi-screen, at that site, it probably could be done. i know there are some seismic changes being made, and the configuration would probably

have to be a little different. >> right, they are inserting the special flores. right now, it is a one large volume without floors. as part of that effort, they're pulling the floors back effectively from the side walls to preserveç some of the histoc columns that were mentioned before. obviously, if the use of a single screen theater were to be desirable in the future, it would be required to demolish the speciil!force to bring it back to a movie theater. i am not an expert in the construction component. there is most likely a way to do it. they are constructing within the building volume, and they're respecting the existing exterior of the building and the historically designated features. there would most likely be a way to do it. commissioner antonini: i think about what was done with the çmarina theater, where the theaters are on the upper level and the walgreen's on the lower

level. it is a different configuration than was originally the case with that one. but it seems to me that, although it would not be in the same design as their original single screen theater, but obviously that could be done at some future time from what i can seet( from the plans. i have one other question. community room, of course the old -- there will be a screen in their they wish to show some movies, what is the capacity of the community room? >> the community room is not actually where theç movie scren would be. i believe it is in 5.1 of your packet plan. 5.2, sorry. that shows the two different dedicated public spaces, if you will. çidentified in box two on the

right hand side, it is what we're calling the committee room, a 470-square-foot space. i do not know the exact occupancy. that space will be opened 24 çhours a day, seven days a wee. it has independent access through the alleyways on the west side of the building. that is a carved out, dedicated place. there is some additional space that the project sponsors are providing, under box fourw3 on e left-hand side. that is what is the sort of flex space that has the permanently affixed movie theater screen. that space will be open to the public of to 18 times a year for variousñr different events. that is a double volume space. commissioner antonini: so would have the high ceilings, so it would be somewhat inappropriate for screenings or whatever might be desired. ok, very good. thank you.

commissioner fong: do not let this be a way of judging my taste in the films, but i am pretty sure i saw "aliens, " kramer versus kramer," and the bad news bears" there. [laughter] but i do remember how beautiful the ceiling was and i am looking forward for the opportunity for the public to get back in there and enjoy the great architecture in that space. commissioner sugaya: front the preservation historic standpoint, since we're always getting beat up by everybody else, it seems like this is a case where it resulted in an extremely good project. i know that there were some concerns at one. over the insertion of the floors that we were just talking about, because it doesç break up the auditorium , which was okidentified as having significance. sa#and to staff's credit, theyd

identify that and called this a potential impact in the environmental report, and that was mitigated. in the long run, i think it is an example of where preservationists and developers and the committee can all work together and preserve an important building to san francisco's history. i think that is to everybody's credit. and also that everyone was able to accommodate compromise and changes to what could have been attractive positions in the beginning. i think that is really great. commissioner moore: i just wanted to express my support for the building, and since some of us have not been at around quite long enough since this building was built, which was in 1924, i found a short, yet reasonably good article, and i passed it

around. there is a lovely history to it. those people, like president miguel, who has been in san francisco for as long as they have, it is a wonderful recall of san francisco. commissioner antonini: i did see "the graduate" here, and there z a good system to preserve a single screen theaters in those days. movies would only preview for a certain amount of time in san francisco but they usually have to be to market street years before that. by the late 1960's, they would allow theç mind a large neighborhood theaters, such as the metro. after two or three weeks, they would go to the other theaters. ifç you wanted to see a first-n screening, you go to one of theseç theaters. i am glad we're going to be able to preserve this. adding this is a great project. commissionerç antonini:ç no, commissioner sugaya, a was not

around when it was built. it was eight years before me, actually. [laughter] i want to thank the work that the neighborhood organization does. it is a pleasure having worked with them in the past and being involved in some ongoing things with him as well. particularly, the department and the manner inç which they had handled this. 88 years ago, this was the linchpin of a commercial and residential neighborhood. it has undergone, obviously, both commercial and residents of parts of the neighborhood have undergone changes in 88 years, as should be. but you see this location and the theater come back, and hopefully will be a lynche planet -- a linchpin again. it is a real pleasure. i commend everyone working on it

and lo))h#orward to seeing it restored so that we and our children can understand the significance of the creation of theaters in those days. it is something that will never happen again in the same style. commissioner miguel: thank you. >> i have one small eminence in terms of ceqa language. that is on paragraph 3 on the decision page. just to reference that the commission, if you choose to act, will also be adopting the mmrp. commissioner miguel: incorporate it in the motion? >> yes, fine. >> thank you, commissioners. the motion is for approval with that amendment read into the record. commissioner antonini? commissioner borden?

commissioner fong? commissioner moore? commissioner sugaya? thank you. the motion passes unanimously. you're now on item 15 and 16. case 2011.0532tç, uses, to my building features, floor area ratio, parking, and compliance inç specified use districts. item 16 is 2011.0553z, zoning map amendments, washington- broadway special use district, water for a special use district two and three, special districts for sign illumination, and special districts for cynics streets. >> good afternoon. i will turn the microphone over first to a member of supervisor chu's office. >> thank you very much. good afternoon, commissioners,

president miguel. i am is a legislative aide to president david chiu. good to be here again. i wanted to take a few moments to bring you up to speed on what we have done since the last hearing in december of last year. and then, also walked through briefly and answer any questions you have on the response that our office cent over last night. i do again apologize to getting back to you late. we were in discussions with various stakeholders on this issue as recently as this week. we wanted to develop a path forward that reflected everything we have heard from the commission and planning staff and from numerous stakeholders and community members over the last three or four months, even up to nine months. i]briefly, since december, we he done considerable number of additional meetings and check-