-- >> speak into the mic please. >> this is what we want for our children. in the bay view we have disparities and why should we add more. we're talking about moving a location and we have talked about other options having satellites, do whatever she can until she gets the funds raised to to be in an appropriate facility. we ask you to support this. we ask you on the sake of our children, on these children and babies sitting behind me who have been asked to come and speak for her wellness center and we want that and we know she called them and asked them to come down and speak on her behalf and we respect that. we understand. we want those children to be as safe as well.

>> thank you. are there other speakers in favor of the dr? one more time. are there other speakers in favor of the dr? okay. project sponsor you have five minutes. >> hi good afternoon. i am dr. nadine burke and the ceo for the center of wellness. i speak on behalf of my organization, the bay view child center and advocacy center which is part of the prevention center. we have come together to bring resources under one roof to bring desperately needed best in class services to the children and families of bay view hunter's point and san francisco. we

respectfully request that the commission denies the request so we can move forward. the children of bay view hunter's point and san francisco cannot wait any longer. violence is the leading cause of early mortality in bay view and in my previous position as pediatrician of the bay view center i had the opportunity to see it everyday what the impact is on our kids. our access to mental health services that recognize and treat the repeated trauma that so many of our kids experience and we have an opportunity to do some real healing. we have all of these amazing resources ready to be connected under one roof, but when i am in clinic i have to write down names and put them on a waiting list because we can't get our doors open. this vision was born out of the voices of

the families that we serve everyday and we have worked hard to engage with the bay view hunter's point community around all aspects of our project and we have a summary in your packets but i want to speak to the concerns about the building. when we heard there was a concern that the site was toxic we took those issues seriously because we don't want to work or bring children to a toxic site so we get togetherred, the concerned folks and we met and they gave us the concerns. we conducted environmental testing and got the recommendations and the testing showed no cause for concerned and we shared these results with the community. the other concern we hnlt looked enough and fixed on this one building and my katie albright

can talk about the other sites. we need to get our doors open. we cannot keep putting names on waiting list instead of doing the work. it is our mission to serve and strengthen this community and we feel that -- >> excuse me. ma'am i'm sorry. if you persist to yell out of order you're going to have to leave the proceedings. >> i think i have to leave and she's going to lose a million dollars and keep the doors open and i refuse to sit here and bay view -- everyone knows that is one of the most toxic areas in bay view in california. everyone knows it and you know it too and you -- >> thank you. thank you. would you like to please continue. >> i just -- we believe that this site at this location will help us serve that community.

there is urgency. we can't keep kids waiting any longer and i will turn it over to my colleague. >> honorable commissioners. i am katie albright and work with the community based organization with four years of programming in san francisco to protect our children. for disclosure purposes i am a member of the juvenile probation commission. i am here to request that you deny the discretionary review before you. as the doctor said we conducted a search for two years looked at over 20 sites including the coleman medical center until we concluded this was the only site available to us and for our needs and accessibility for families and partners. this project is one

that will allow for state of the art programming for children and our community. additionally this property was rezoned. i won't go into it any further. the matter is before and you legal counsel is here if you have questions about it. finally we have experts that conducted the phase one report as well as soil reports to ensure it was appropriate and no concerns were raised and we had the department of health come in for environmental concerns. we deeply respect dr. jackson and feel terribly sorry for her loss today and respect the other members advocating for justice. i want

to assure you there is broad support for the project. i would like others to stand behind me showing the support. additionally you have 200 letters of support in your files from our neighbors in the community, the southeast center facilities, and five department heads including district attorney gaston and supervisor cohen supporting this projefnlght i urge you to save a dream for children in san francisco. >> thank you very much. i will call names for speakers in favor of the project and you get three minutes. (calling speakers).

>> thank you commissioners. my name is sharon [inaudible]. i was here a year ago battling the same thing over and over again. i am in here support of the wellness center at 3450 third street. i am an employee at bay view health center and i tell you center stories and they walked down because they needed help in the community. we talk about decreasing health disparities. how about the amount of money they spend in the emergency rooms and they walk down because there wasn't help in their community. i am a parent and i

believe i was put there for my husband and my kids. two of them are special needs. they have suffered trauma in the past and i came to the center and i learned how to be a better parent to deal with the traumas and everything that came as a result of the traumas. they didn't ask for it. we don't have a magic wand to wrap up up from the bay view district and put them in a better neighborhood. i think the problem is you're focused on the smell and the stench. let's focus on fixing that issue and fix that issue to bring the services to the community. don't bring the people out of the community. bring the services to the community. that's what needs to be done. on an open spot just this weekend alone, three days, this past weekend in the bay view

district there were 37 adults, 16 thefts, nine shootings, 33 others, three of the others were suicidal attempts. that is just within this past weekend, not even seven days ago. 52 weekends in a year. you do the math. how many kids are out there that need these services? a year past since i was last year. how many lives have been traumatized without resources? a lot of the parents i speak to one of the biggest challenges are not able to follow up, not having continuity care. you know why? because it's too far away. because there are not people in the community that understand what they go through. it's easy to say wrap it up. the smell is good. let's not bring this. what about everyone that lives there? i have been

a victim of a community. a gun to my forehead. you can't undo what happened in the past but you the opportunity to redo -- >> ma'am, i'm sorry your time is up. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> folks i would like to remind everyone. i understand this is an emotional item on both sides but please refrain from out bursts and it will make the proceedings that much longer. next person please. >> good afternoon. i am bevan latmore. i am a long-term resident. i am to support the opening of the wellness center at 3450. my grandson receives center from bay view health center for six years. the care

he's received is excellent and the doctors and the staff have worked with me to identify health and mental issues he has. he is now a thriving 13 year old. because of the care he received from dr. burke and dr. harris and the staff. as a parent that lives in the area i have spoken to parents and people in the school system and families in crises and some of the organizations that need the services. they all express an urgency for help. the question i have to ask is how long, how long before help arrives? next year is too long. we are losing our kids now. families are limited in resources such as transportation so having someplace closer for them to reach means a lot to them. many of the children live with

violence in one form or fashion everyday. it could be gun violence, exposure to drugs or violence within the home. all of them live with this toxic environment for 365 days a year. the hour to get help is very short. think of how toxic it is and how many more kids we will lose if we wait. accept the center that will help us with the children. the families that seeks services allows them to have no insurance and getting help. because of the help my son got the teacher said how well the work improved and she was happy because now he's talking. his behavior increased and

communicating with her his needs how to work with him within the classroom. she said that he's now touching him and her now to work with others. can't we have this for all of our children? thank you. we need your help. >> thank you. >> if everyone lined up to speak at this side of the room and you are creating a fire hazard and we can't continue with the proceedings. i see seats so please take a seat. >> my name is lonnie [inaudible]. i am a resident of the community for 18 years now. in that time the community has had more violence than any other area in the city which has traumatized our babies, all of our babies. we have fought against bad things in our community but this wellness

center is not one of them. the center for youth wellness is something that we all should be fighting for. the community has said yes. the mayor has said yes. district 10 supervisor has said yes. the board of supervisors has said yes. the public health department has said yes. environmental experts have said yes. the southeast commission has said yes. families with children who need this center have said yes also. i ask you to say yes today. what does it take for the city to do the right thing by the bayview community? i am confused. a few people have said that the location is toxic but i have seen all the papers by outside experts and the city public health saying it's not. they said they're worried about the air quality but 100-yards

away from the digester system there is a head start where children go everyday all day. i just want this center to be approved. please approve this center because our children need the services. we are counting on you. thank you. [applause] >> folks please, please. >> thank you commissioners for hearing me. my name is mildred clark. i am known in the community as ms. mili. i am a patient and i support the opening of the center at 3450 third street. i am a resident of bay view all of my life. i raised my children there and grandchildren there. in 2005 i was blessed to have temporary custody of two of my grandchildren. i was introduced to dr. burke and her supportive staff. my grandson at the age

of nine was over weight and headed towards diabetes. dr. burke along with her staff helped us to lose 40 pounds a piece. my granddaughter at age two was very angry and hurtful with other children. the mental health services helped us work through her situation. i can honestly say when she's two left my custody to be reunited with their dad they were healthier and happier. i give credit to dr. burke and her staff. currently i have another granddaughter living with me who is under the professional cares of dr. burke's staff, and she's helping deal with her issues and how do go about living as a only child. i can't do it on my

own. we need help now. we can't continue to wait. i want this chance to be given to everyone in the community besides those that know about dr. burke and her wonderful work. thank you. >> good afternoon commissioners. my name is linda moore. i am a assistant district attorney for the city and county of san francisco. i have spent many years prosecuting child abuse cases in san francisco of all kinds. i am here to tell you district attorney george gaston is strongly committed to this opening. we have fought years for something like this. child abuse cases present unique and difficult challenges. their

needs are immense and the agencies that work on this and experts from child protective services to the police to the da's office to doctors and psychologists. the benefits of having all of those people in one place for the children who is a victim of abuse or witnessed traumatic incidents is immeasurable. for them to be able to go to one spot with their family and receive services and support and placement all in one place, and in a building that has excellent public transportation that families can get to easily that is known throughout the city this particular location. the benefit also runs through the experts to have all of us in

one place to talk to each other, to talk about cases, to plan a strategy, to try to make sure not only that child but others in the family are cared for and safe and best practices for comprehensive care. to send kids -- this is an opportunity to take enormous step forward for kids and families in san francisco and take a step forward for establishing the comprehensive care center that can be in the country and other places to give care to children there. the need for this is enormous and the need is urgent. thank you. >> hello. my name is junior

dagata. i don't want to beat a dead horse but you hear everyday this is not disneyland or fantasy island. i mean i grew up as a so no an and as grew up the couch was my bed. we made do. having that hunter's point is all jacked up and intoxicated but this center here if it's expanded it's going to help with the problem that is existing anyway. you're going to smell the stench anyway. with or without the center you will still have the same problems. you're still going to have the same people that need the help and what do do you then? so my proposal is let's build this

thing. if anything the problem is a water pipe. we should put wawls up and cover the stench and get cleaner air or whatever the case might be, but here lies our issue. our issue is kids need help. listen i'm a minister. i work for my church. i work with a bunch of kids. i worked up in the martin luther king jr. so i know. i have a ton of families up in hunter's point and they're probably of the issue and do we hold off and i respect the position and not have services or bring in the services and deal with everything else as we go? and here's what i mean. you guys have the tests, have run and cleared. people have approved it and there are no other professionals that are coming

up against this in terms of the science portion of it. let's build this thing and get the people -- get the children the help they need because either way the thing is there or not you will still have a problem. i would at least have a solution there, some kind of solution that will bring some relief to the community then not to have it and still have the same problem. that's my position so let's build this and let's deal with the water plant. >> let me call a few more names . (calling speakers).

any of those names that are here to speak? go ahead and approach the podium. >> my name is [inaudible]. i am an 18 year old resident of the bay view. i know the center for youth wellness will help people like myself get services in the community so we can get the assistance that we need for problems like teen pregnancy and rape and mental health just to name a few. i would like to say no one called me to come here. i heard about it and i felt i needed to be here to represent my community. >> next speaker please. if i called her name come on up. >> hi. i am adriane vandcourt and support the wellness of

youth because nadine burke is the doctor of my nieces and nephews and they were sick and everything. they seen everything okay for them and they was healed and everything so thank you. >> thank you. next speaker please. any of the names i called here? i got more names but i want to make sure. >> good afternoon supervisors. i am christina sandoval and a resident of bay view and a district 10 voter. i just have a few questions. i understand you guys are saying that the area is toxic and stuff, but like we also said there's literally a head start right around the corner at 1800 oakdale and you are saying how

toxic it is and i understand that but why do we have cps across the street? so it's okay for them across the street but not okay to have wellness center that is well needed? i have kids and our kids definitely do need these services whether it's trauma for health and everything else. i just don't understand how we're approving liquor stores and night clubs and pot clubs and not approving the wellness center. the center needs to help the children and community. wrap around services so please stop playing politics and let our babies grow and have the wellness center. >> i am a part -- i am danel cross and i want to have this wellness center. thank you. >> thank you. i'm going to call a few more names. (calling

speaker names). >> if your name has been called come on up to the podium. >> i guess i will go next since i don't see all the rest of them. so many facts have already been stated today. i'm not going to repeat the facts and i'm going to take a moment to wrap up the last day of black history month and read a quote from the speech of dr. martin luther king that has been frequently quoted which is the fierce urgency of now. "we are now faced with the fact my friends that tomorrow is today. we are confronted with the fierce urgency of now in this unfolding condemn rum of left

and history there is such a thing as being too late. procrastination is still the threef of time. life often leaves standing bare naked and dejected with lost opportunity. the tide and the affairs of men doesn't remain at flood. it ebbs. we cry out desperately for time to pause in the passage but time is rushes on and over the bleached bones and residue of numerous civilizations i have written the words. too late. there is an invisible book of light that records or vil jens or neglect. omar kiam is right and the moving finger and moves on. the reason i read this

quote today is because now is the time. everybody before me really i think clearly illustrated how important it is for our families. my name is janell pierce and i have been many things in this town, and right now i'm here as a community member and a professional parent. i am a foster parent for the city and county of san francisco, and i deal only with severely trauma usized children so my experience is first hand and broad and until i attended the clinic with dr. burke i scrambled services for the children that were dramatically in need so i know to have the services provided to the community in one place is a very strong drawing force and it's such an ata