republic is approved. we want to be in the valley. we have the first to public office -- and the four to making a positive contribution. -- and we look forward to making a positive contribution. >> i will call some names. richard hildriss, patrick monix, peter gavel, wesley willbaum. >> my name is richarld hildriss of 4158 hill street, and i lived there more than 20 years. i've seen the neighborhood change a lot. and, well, there's no getting around it. the valley is a wealthy

neighborhood. things have changed. when i first moved in, there was a total of two banking institutions. there was bank of america and a tiny little atm-only wells fargo branch. today, there are -- as you know, five banks in the five blocks between diamond and church street. there are two financial services companies, brokerages, and six real estate offices. in the 20 years i have been there, as the neighborhood gets wealthier, there are wealth

extraction industries moving in. i do not find fault with the bank here. i would like to see bank of america or wells fargo removed from the neighborhood and them allowed in that space. they are harry potter to voldemort. my concern is the space taken over, is a happy, locally owned juice bar, frequented by the fire people. it was a not-very-good frozen yogurt shop. i am concerned, as the little shops leave the valley, and more financial services move in, we've lost the neighborhood character and just serve a

dollar. that is my objection, not to the company, but the fact we don't need another wealth extraction industry in this neighborhood. >> the next speaker? >> my name is patrick monk, a registered nurse with speciality in home care hospice. i have lived here over 30 years, over 20 in the heart of downtown. i am one of the co-founders, with two or three houses here today. this is one of the most powerful evidence that has happened since i have lived there. it draws a lot of traffic.

and a lot of people meet their to socialize. what is happening now, most small businesses are driven out of business. this includes the fact that any time the businesses in noe valley, this is a nail salon or a women's clothing store, it does not serve the needs of the people in the neighborhood. we are about to lose a hardware store. if we have another bank, i suggest we have a credit union, or a branch of the municipal bank.

with the diversity that has been lost, we need to attract more small businesses there, that the community's need. we have the increase in -- what whole foods did is put a strain on the small local businesses. the majority of people drive suv's and there is little foot traffic. they double-park in the street. they spew out exhaust fumes. when i get out of bed -- it is not this institution, the principle of what we want our

neighborhoods to be. cookie-cutter copies that don't serve our day to day needs. i hope you consider before making a decision in favor of this move. thank you for your time. >> peter -- i live at 386 elizabeth street. i have the cover page listing our name. if you have the letters of opposition, it will not be necessary. we are trying to mobilize to express our collective opposition to another bank in the neighborhood. some of these people are part of

what they talked about, a voluntary group of people in noe valley with a farmer's market, who saved the local bookstore and enabled it to survive eight years, twho have supported the community betterment district -- this spirit of community and vitality is threatened by the gradual expansion of -- deadening financial institutions like a multiplicty of banks. this is no criticism of first republic. six banks -- most of the people i spoke to cannot imagine why this would be a plan to use.

we have seven real estate offices, and all of these uses dampen the foot traffic and the spirit of the small business community, with the volunteer associations we have created. you should not approve another bank, in such a small neighborhood area. i understand that you want this in one of the letters. the central thing i say about this is the same point that the commissioner made with the discussion of the other items. the goal of a small business with mixed retail use is very important to sustain that texture in noe valley

. there needs to be a limitation on the financial institutions that do not generate this. thank you. >> hello. i have been a resident of san francisco all my life, and have been in noe valley 30 years. i rented a studio at 18 years old and i am a property owner. i have seen some changes. i have seen the neighborhood go from working class, the upper middle-class. a small bank is a good idea, and here are a couple of reasons. in that corner, this has been turned over, and this does

nothing to help the neighborhood. the first republic, this is very important. i am driving to another neighborhood. after i do my banking, i will stay there 10 minutes. this is part of a highlight of my day. i have a lot of respect for them. more of my neighbors -- this is a lot better off. then the big branches that come in. this is better for noe valley. that is why i think this is a

good idea. he think you again for your time. >> two more names. david eland and blair mossier. >> i will be brief. i am david island. i have been there 21 years. my only objection is we lost so many retail spaces to commercial. if a commercial space opens up, i would have another neighbor. i speak for the retailers, and the community benefits district. i hate to see more retail go to

commercial. >> can you approach the podium. >> i will complain about the fact that i want to talk about what happened to the san francisco giants last night, part of another component. we have the boys playing in the street. we've lost our ability to feel, and the feelings -- are guiding us. that's what's at stake for me. i know a little store in the corner of sanchez and 24th.

she owns a place called the button box. the cost of -- she loves my wife. this is evaporating as we speak. that poor woman was approached by a very haughty, hyper business-like woman who told her that if she didn't raise her prices bad things would happen. this is an empty threat. that is the feeling a lot of us are trying to talk about. we wish this was in the forefront of our decisions.

>> thank you. >> i am a teacher who has lived in noe valley 40 years. i raised my children there. commissioner antonini spoke positively about the variety of retail uses in the outer sunset. like stationary stores. i would like to urge you think of the rich variety that serves the neighborhood and keeps it vibrant as our shops arand our hardware stores become banks and real estate offices. we lose that vibrance. when my children talk about

growing up in noe valley, they don't mention the banks and the times they went into the rela al estate. i lived there. what they mention are the variety of stores and restuarants and shopkeepers who catered to them and were part of the community that raised them. thank you. >> i am blair moser. i was in baja valley, a six- block walk to 24th street, where i shop, and where my children shopped. i can say ditto to the testimonies you just heard. over the years i shopped on

21st street, we lost variety shops, craft shops, corner groceries. may shopny shops are vacant. a natural food store is boarded up. we don't need more bankers. it changes the character of the neighborhood. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> i am pablo and i work in noe valley. we've been there 25 years. my kids went to school there. i hvaave lunch there every day. i can walk to this. i bank with them now and drive twice, three times a week. the previous people said, my

kids, we don't talk about the bank. they like when i take them to first republic for ice cream. it is a great idea we have the bank in the valley. >> thank you. >> it's ai live on sanchez stre. i would like to add my voice to the people to say that we have five banks in three blocks, more than one for each block. three of them are too big to fail. this is the first republic. we did get rid of a few of those, this would be cool, but

this should not happen. we don't need another bank. -- >> let me call few more names. mahmoud esses, david guimens -- susan mcdunnah. >> i am at 223 22nd street. what wasn't stated was this would -- this has been mentioned by other speakers. this is the sixth bank in five blocks. it won't serve the vibrancy and needs of the neighborhood to have another financial institution. it sounds like a good idea. i would prefer them over wells

fargo and bank of america. i urge you not to rubber-stamp the proposal, but consider the economic vitality of the neighborhood. thank you. >> afternoon, commissioners. i went to james lick jr. high. i am david -- and i am familiar with noe valley. i lived in diamond heights, and now i live in twin peaks. i banked at first republic for 18 years. i understand the concerns. when i drive there -- when i went to first republic, they

donated $1000 without hesitation. they are community based. my daughter loves going for those cookies. i don't think they're the best but she likes them. my daughter wasn't invited to the ice cream social. first republic gives back to the community. they're not one of the big guys. people will come there because first republic bank is there. if there is a branch i nglen gln park, i missed it. there is not another one near where i live. i already go there and i love hanging out at marthas. i am familair with what the area

has. this space that they want has been vacant more than occupied the last 15 years. there was a jamba juciice there. so many places open and close there. having a community bank is better than staying vacant. i know you have five banks. first republic is a great game. regarding the giants -- i am interested in the u.s. open. can we change the channel? >> jessie fowler and craig darling. > my name is jessie folwerwla

noe valley native. his generation -- i grew up on 24th street. i was supported by the financial organizations and i bank with first republic. my best friend managed juice it, which closed 9 years ago. more businesses have been in and out. no business can make it . . first republic will neighbors like to see such -- local businesses but we need sustainability. i went to james lick junior

high-school. i am familiar with that street and i do not think that this is lost. i think this is changing. the neighborhood is still there for myself. i think that they are great candidate to the space. thank you very much. >> i am s second generation san francisco resident. there is the financial service that they provide their customers. it's a testament to other people have said before.

the acid -- community support that they have provided enabled me to go out, the community to bank. i have a young son who is 11 months old, we have a lot of activities there and being able to bank with the first republic branch will allow us to expend more time on the weekends and spend more of our dollars on 24th street. being asked to represent -- this has been on and off the last nine years. this was occupied last by a juice stand. with the stability they can

bring, this would be well served by the community. i want to stress one thing. this is a different type of bank. you do not feel that you are a number. thank you very much for your time. >> is there additional public comment? seeing none, commissioner? commissioner antonini? public comment is closed. commissioner antonini: i give you my views on this. i have experience with first republic. they are san francisco based. they have to do that. they were connected with bank

of america and separated themselves. we give preference to local businesses that do a good job. there is a big difference. i have a relationship with a number of banks and i can tell you, i think it is important they are in neighborhoods with lots of customers. they have 3500 customers there, and people are loyal to first republic and they will get in their cars, and they will waste a lot of their day going to take care of their banking business

in another neighborhood. this makes a lot of sense. of course it has been pointed out that the incidence of formula retail in noe valley is small, 3.2%. even if you consider including banks in there, which are not currently included but there is -- it is up to less than 7% if banks are formula retail. formula retail and individual stores can coexist and they tend to support each other. people come in with a formula of retail business and they will end up doing other business there, in a small neighborhood place. another important factor is the size. this is 585 square feet of

frontage, and the use of a business that has been empty and a variety of different things and has been a trouble spot, and some businesses are not always driven out by someone else. they're driven out by themselves if they don't do a good job. some businesses are not well- maintained. i think someone misinterpreted, i talked about what was needed with the variety -- and i said there used to be more variety, but there is less for right now. this is not from formula retail. this is not always the case. a couple of other things,

neighborhoods to change. this has become desirable. this is clean and safe and many of our best streets in san francisco, 24th, filmore, chestnut, we could throw a few others in that category. they are successful because there are a nice blend of neighborhood businesses and eating establishments and the financial services. we are going to have to use banks. that probably is necessary. the banks -- they need to be regulated, but there is a purpose. i would be supportive of this conditional use. >