support the health and good well of the neighborhood. but as already noted by the director in the meeting earlier. our neighborhood is about to increase go a project that will be increasing intribulation into private space for residents of the neighborhood. our community is treelined by people in the neighborhood having noticed over a period of time that the valuable we hold dear are increasingly

disappearing. the negative things that are happening here are not to be overlooked. on numerous days we've had trash and other things on our front steps. we've had to spend a lot of money to protect your neighborhoods and businesses. i appreciate what the country club officers and i think it's a very important business but the increased negative effects of additional noise and other

things that will further intrud into our private space. we basically will be having this second-story building that will be looking into my home. of -- also a concern is - i support benefits by him against negative impact. i urge you to not approve the invoking features of this >> thank you commissioners i'm

just here to talk about the castro of country club. >> could you you state your name. >> ohoh - i've been coming to the castro country club and i've watched it go through a lot of changes. i've watched a lot of people giving support and learn how to work because the country club is staffed by volunteers. the impact of our community has saved the aids epidemic and i know last week i was working

with one man who was looking forever o for a residential treatment plan and i'm for it >> i urge you to vote yes for this proposal. >> i'm mike shriver and i'm a volunteer and client of the country club. in 1993 the original renter keith has said we've helped many people that are trying to get healthier. i've run the project for gay men and there's so little outreach

for people who need any kind of help. the country club is a very important project. and to be sure the patio space is going to be very important to help people because people come together for help. i want to express my support for this project. >> hi. i'm a residents of san francisco since 1975 and i live in the area. i want to voice my support for the country club. i find it a very valuable seat

to the neighborhood. i'd like to thank the designer of this project. always draw your attention to the outside space see used a lot by the club. the clubs a great use for the area compared to other business. i apologize i have some additional letters i didn't get dropped off. i'd like to hand them off here >> good afternoon commiserations my name is terry i've served at the club for foy

years. previously i was a volunteer at the club. i've been a resident here for over 4 years >> the club has served as a beacon of help. and keith has told you is what it's been like week after week your friends with disappear one after another. one week you'd see them at an aa meeting and the next week you'd be going to their funerals. we know and honor this history

of this club and thankfully the work is behind us but now my friends are passing away. and untold thousands never recovery taxing and burr denying communities. for more than years the club has had more than their fill of taking care of sick folks. alcohol is every few feet in this area. some are able to drink in moderation and we applaud them but the country club serves as

an alternative to bars and others ways of life. currently fiscally we're entirely strafd by our own volunteers. we want to keep the club open 3 hundred and 65 days a year. the second level flat club has a small meeting room and every scooter is very important. for many years we have could existed with our neighbors.

we have over 25 step meetings every week and thank you, sir and if you could only is one more thing. i can tell you about the hopeless individuals i see on the sidewalks of people everyday indeed i was one of them >> at the next speaker please. good afternoon vice president wu and members of the commission my name is is christopher i'm the treasurer of the castro club. castro country club is a community space open to all people. we have over 35 recovery

meetings a week we have several people that volunteer every week. we are a fullly self-funded space. it's important to us to keep this open and it's important that this business plan for the building including little plans of majoring he are important. iless want to add i'm a homeowner i live one block away from the castro club. this space was given a permit it expand its outdoor space? 2006. myself and fell friends having

had some concerns and we worked with the owner to mitigate all problems and we now live in harmony. and i've been in the neighborhood for 15 years. we can see this as a model for the castro country club. as i an employee of the commission i'm excited that it includes a number of water projects so this will be a lot greener. i urge you to propose is plan >> good afternoon commissioners i'm a volunteer and a client of the castro country club.

i'd like to show my support for the ca electro country club it's been an very important part of my live and the community. it allows a sober space for the san francisco city. i've been attempting to get rover in other areas but this is a place for gays to come to. people that don't - no longer want to drink there's no other place for us to get together but the castro country club. so far as the backyard it allows

everybody to get away from the social goes on on inside the club so we can meet with our sponsors or have a quiet space to work our steps. there's no loud noise that goes on in the back area. so, please vote to pass all the plans. thank you. >> thank you. >> hello commissioners i am a 10 year plus resident of san francisco and i'm a volunteer and member of the castro country club. the castro country club when i came to san francisco was a

lifeline, a lifeline in the way of connecting socially in an environment where drugs and alcohol was not readily available. it was the only place i could go and feel safe. i work with an non-profit with people who are impacted by hiv and as involved in a recovery process. the castro country club including it's back patio has been a good resource for bringing our guys together in a safe and convivial environment

where we could interact and where we could better improve our life. so i as an individual and my agency support the application for the castro country club >> thank you. i have a couple more speakers >> good afternoon commissioners my name is it gray todd i'm a skukt teacher and i own the apartment immediately to the east of the building in question. i've been living there since 1987 i was previous friends with

the previous owner. i fully support the castro country club and i'll back everybody. most of the destruction has been about the castro country club and not about the neighborhoods of the proposed restaurant to go on the ground level. if you've ever been in the castro at night it's a routey place. and our back beyond a reasonable doubt is like a giant enjoys chamber. we've had to put up with the sounds from the castro club.

the bedrooms of my unit and my unit are in the back of the building and they're the only quiet rooms in our units. we are concerned that the noise in the parking lot and restaurant. the noise in the restaurant at night has already been seen from the restaurant there and we're concerned with another restaurant being opposed at our front door. i have been informed that there is not going to be strike enforcement of the enjoys issue.

by passing this variance we don't know what's going to happen next. i wonder in anyone sees the restaurant with a liquor license for this building i want you - urge i to reject this conversion. it's the restaurant use that the objectionable. at the >> thank you. >> i'm feeling next door and i also sport the castro club. i bought my place a little over

4 years ago. i understand that this restaurant i was concerned about. what if the castro club moves so i understand that the castro club will not be sold. but now i feel like the area is going to be changing significantly. by knowing there is going to be a restaurant the noise i have no doubt about it. i also had roommates which schlep in the front room had to

leave they couldn't handle the noise that is there before adding the restaurant. please do not approve the new restaurant. i don't mind that it's commercial that's fine but please consider the fact that we do live there. this is our homes it's not someplace i can leave if i wanted to. thank you >> hi. i have a small place next to the castro country club. i'm not opened to the club it's

a nice place to hang out in. but it seems to be increasing more and more noise and smell and anything else before i have some problem with my tenant who ran out of his space because of the noise and now i have to find a new tenant. and currently my space in renting out for chiropracticor and other massage therapists. i hope your considering that it is not a good idea because of

the noise. thank you >> any other further public comment. >> i'm the architect working closely with the building owner. i want to discuss my interaction with the new owner of the building as well as my reaction from the neighborhood. he concerns about the rear yard we attempted to address in the plan you see the lighting here. at the ground floor the country club will not be able to get that close to the rear neighbor. the variance of the stair - the variance stair is smaller on and

on than the existing stair that is there now. in decreasing the stair we're going to make the third stairwell smaller and people will not be kunld to hang out there. i know there is a concern with urination. this is a restaurant and as defined by the planning code it will be serving food for its income and i don't think the restaurant will contribute to that problem. thank you >> thank you. public comment is closed. commissioners. >> i have a question for

project sponsors. i think we've heard testimony regarding the castro country club. we've heard testimony on castro country club everything has spoken positively. a few expectations but i guess i'm asking about the restaurant and why this is part of the same project because we're looking for a legalizati >> the project started with the intensity of the ground floor

from a garage to a restaurant space because the restaurant itself it lout the beer and wine itself make it a full serve restaurant. the castro country club came up because it didn't have the proper permit this year "the property didn't make financial sense. so far as the objections are concerned i think the primary objection is the noise we're ready to perform a sound study that will take care of this. another mitigating thing for the restaurant it will provide

employment. presumable the 10 years of operation of the castro country club it was able to sustain itself but you're saying it's becoming for costly and you need some revenue >> the previous owner passed away who was sibling seizing i'm sure in some part. the castro club has been in service for thirty years. in order for it to make sense it has to find other incomes. thank you >> commissioner borden. >> you don't plan on using the

backyard for the restaurant; is that correct and that's right. >> seating in the front but not in the back. so the access to the backyard you would seal that off? or would that be a backdoor for the staff. i think that is the concern of the neighbors. and if you were not using the backyard but putting some sound proof windows >> i'm not sure. >> not for that but to get out to that 5 foot spaces and periodically clean it you would have to have room. but this has come up is just capture the space and there's no

way that the sound could spill over. we're happen happy to close that off and make it part of the restaurant >> i think it's very - i've walked by the castro club and wondered what was was. i also understand the restaurant is a beer and wine not a full liquor place? >> not past midnight and i was looking at that complicated chart. it's more on friday and saturday nights >> you'll have some sort of inks there's, you know, with the