i have a number of speaker cards. richard al. tony yantner. bill bradley. >> good evening, commissioners. i'm a resident close by. i walk through the restaurant quite often and they are doing pretty good business and we, the city is a tourist town. and we have to encourage, let this restaurant continue the business and unlike other restaurants, found in the china town on jackson street and washington street, they don't have many customers and i urge you to accommodate the restaurant so that they can

continue to operate. let them have their karaoke music. it is a small sized musical instrument and the tourists and the neighbors really enjoy, you know, eating and single among themselves -- single among themselves. i'm also a member of the community advisors and every month we have a meeting and captain -- you know, tells us what's been going on. the activities troubled spots but they never mentioned this thai restaurant so i can assure

you that for the last six-eight months they did not make any wave. i urge you to approve of their conditional use. thank you. >> thank you. >> commissioners. good evening. tony gantner. i have eaten at the restaurant. they have a fine menu, courteous staff. across the street i bought thousands of coffees and several doors down the saloon where i have gone for several decades to listen to the blues. they are rougher than anything the king of thai could possibly dream up. i'm working to transform the street between grant and columbus a poet's plaza. i know this area intimately. there are serious problems on

broadway that should be forcefully dealt with but broadway isn't relevant to this application. it as improved thanks to a new more responsible ownership and establishments that have live entertainment. i have never seen a single public safety issue related to the king of thai restaurant. it is not hyperbole small businesses in north beach are under serious financial strain. many are barely keeping their heads above water. responsible entertainment is one way to bring more people and revenue into the area. why not bring people of asian background and many others the pleasure of karaoke. it will still be a restaurant. music of the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, jazz, blues, pop, rock.

we need to bring back the scene for the owners to impact the neighborhood. thank you. >> thank you. >> i see you guys on tv all the time. channel 26, 4:00 a.m. reminds me of marlenea dietrich. i love you guys. i watch you late at night and some of the things you did. just a whole bunch of different things. the reason i'm here is i'm from the neighborhood. i used to work for henriqueo ganducci for a number of years. i was basically the gofer.

1976-1978. everything was good until they caught me in the shower having a meeting and they fired me coming out of the shower. that is another story. i love north beach. i know mr. -- tony -- i don't know him that way. i don't know how to pronounce his last name but he is a great guy. he put all of this money into it and it was fantastic and all of a sudden the economy went down the tubes. i do security for some buildings in the neighborhood rights across the street. i've caught about 15 burg larceny in the past 10 years. -- burglars in the past 10 years and caught a purse snatcher. that was for captain dudley when he was the captain about four years ago. what are you doing? i'm getting back at him. he kicked me. i don't know if that is the guy that stole the lady's purse out

of the saloon. to make a long story short, is basically this man has put out this beautiful food and all of these nice people and everything is like this. they are so beautiful and so gentle and when the world cup was going last month, you could hear everybody screaming but he hasletter couches upstairs and down in the restaurant he has so many nice stools with the padding you couldn't hear anybody in the restaurant. it is the quietest place. i'm right across the street there. you never see any negative people. you always see very gentle peep. nice people. and of course, $5 for that thai, i'm right in there. you can't beat that price. i'm in there. it is not all the crap like on broadway. there has been shootings down there. there has been crap.

they run up and all that in neighborhood. i'm the guy that picks up the garbage cans because i love it. but all i'm trying to say is never one negative thing. i wouldn't lie to you. they are so beautiful and it is quiet. i mean, you're not going to hear anything there. i think it is good. chinatown they said no, you can't have firecrackers. it was a cultural thing. when they had the line dancers, they said no more line dancers. what are you talking about? trying to get rid of the bad spirits. i watch you guys. you're great. please give him a good thing. ok. thank you. >> thank you very much for hearing me.

pleasure to see you tonight. i'm here to support tony and just support small business in this city. i think it is a great thing and i have to agree with marcia with the market that other people -- fact that other people with have signage to the point and she pointeded out what they did. i'm definitely in support of his. i run a small business in the city as well. it shouldn't be up to neighbors to tell me how i should put and what i should put in my windows as long as it is not completely disrupting the sidewalk or anywhere else within their path. i would urge you to support their conditional use. >> can you state your name for the record? >> john. >> thank you. >> good evening commissioners. my name is darla bernard. i have been a member of the

community since 1989. i'm here in support of tony and his restaurant. many of my friends have enjoyed his restaurant. many of my friends are asian and they too, like karaoke. i urge you to support the karaoke machine. thank you. >> thank you. >> good evening, commissioners in. my name is elmer patry. i've been in the north beach neighborhood since 1985. i would like to say -- basically hello in thai. i spent a lot of time in thailand as well. i'm here also in support of tony. i -- as i'm sure you commissioners know, there is different types of people in north beach and i certainly want

to say that tony and his restaurant is one of the good groups that i certainly support and certainly hope that you will understand that and be supportive of his desire. thank you. >> thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. i'm from japan. i live in north beach. japan is the original country of karaoke and many japanese people have a karaoke machine at home and they enjoy the karaoke. some people enjoy that every day. karaoke is very popular. i'm sure that many families have

an entertainment -- but also their friends and even though you do not know anybody at the karaoke place you can make a friend very easily. the karaoke machine is very nice to make a good community. thank you very much. >> thank you. is there additional public comment on this item? >> good evening, commissioners. i'm from the san francisco police department. i'm currently assigned to the abc liaison unit. the san francisco police department is in opposition of this conditional use change because there is community opposition to it. the business has, in the past operated in violation of their current entertainment permit and engaged in entertainment in the space that they are proposing a change.

the venue originated as a restaurant and is currently licensed by the a.b.c. as a restaurant and what we are finding is a lot of these businesses start out as restaurants and then they morph into something more like a club. there is an abundance of signage on the building itself that pertains to entertainment, alcohol available, as well as menu items at the premise. the signage promotes blight in the neighborhood and it is just unsightly. the current use is reasonable and prudent. the police department strongly opposes the expansion of the permit at this venue and lastly, if you plan on approving this item we would ask that it be continued to allow the police department to bring forward more

information. >> thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. president miguel, i'm jeri crowley. i've lived for 33 years on upper grant avenue at the intersection of lombard. i'm asking you tonight not to grant this permit for other entertainment. it seems to me, as has been mentioned before, that the sponsor wants 1268 grant to be a club, and as the previous speaker said it is licensed as a bar and restaurant, but it seems

i think the intensification of use is not desirable or necessary and would not benefit the neighborhood this promises to be an extension of the out of control corridor. i sit on the community advisory board. the night life disaster, this takes most of our time.

our neighborhood residents and the police have often protested over the years and the police usually -- you can walk on the upper grand avenue but not on broadway. dowplease deny this permit. half higi have been here for 20. clemenceau a stage four cancer survivor. i am here and support of the request of 4th conditional use.

-- 98 income a stage for cancer survivor. -- i am a stage four cancer survivor. i am disabled and on a low income. i have gone there several crimes and i have not seen any crimes. is having too much time a crime? we start -- we should start arresting everyone in the area for violations. will we start enforcing all of these supposed to violations? will we start regulating everyone in the neighborhood? i respect the police but add to the end of the day, i've been in

the entertainment industry for years and it is nice to hear a little music once and awhile. it should be this to my survival and getting through the battle of cancer. i also think that this is a cultural thing of being in the asian culture as well as being a human being. there is a lack of jobs. do we as company jobs are credit by this restaurant being profitable? are they able to do this without some sort of entertainment? we're not talking about a nightclub or death metal. we are not talking about dancing, we are talking about sitting, listening, eating, and

doing what all people to in their homes, they sing. why, because they cannot go out to eat at fancy restaurants anymore. do we need another restaurant or nightclub in the neighborhood that will replace this place? thank you for your time and the hope that we can get approval. sheeha>> i live in the neighbor.

i have watched the world cup there. it is great to walk into the neighborhood. i do not feel that this is a nightclub. it is great to go and sit down on the couch and have a cocktail and watch a sports game. i seek out the pleasure of a beer, my wallet is light but my fear is strong. where shall i go to find a place that will show as i flow?

$2 beers for you and for me. i would like to ask, at this is a great place to go. i can get three meals a for $18. this is incredible. times are tough out there. i don't see this as an entertaining night club. i support this and i urge your support. thank you. >> thank you. >> i'm a sergeant and central station. i am here regarding the street.

this is in close proximity to an area where we have had problems in and about the area, shootings, stabbings, and assaults and our main concern is that this will turn into that atmosphere. i was just informed that this site was cited for selling alcohol out on the street. our main concern is that we will have to deal with these on this block on broadway. >> i am here in support of tony.

a lot of my co-workers to enjoy karaoke. there should be an option in the northeast. they do this once a week or once a month. i think there should be an option has in north beach. >> think you. >> good evening, commissioners.

but i would like to get some clarity right off of the fact. when we went through the initial commission, the police department had made it the denial request based on serving alcohol, beer, or one. they cannot produce citation. i asked if he had a citation, he said no. i asked the officer, do you have a citation, he said, it went over the airwaves so this is on record. how could you use that as a basis for denial when you don't have anything concrete? he did not have an answer. i am still perplexed.

he did receive the citation in 2007 and the liaison can probably tell you that. this man has been demonized by people who did not want him to have karaoke. that is what i am perplexed by. after he wanted this, one of the commissioner said to keep your house in order and know that the police department will come to your place. for one week, i greeted the police department up and down the stairs, whatever they were looking for. i have the footage of the visits and i am perplexed when they say we don't have the enforcement and we don't have the resources to do these

things. i cannot tell you how many visits there were. i thank them for having the decency. they are just following orders. we are here because we're asking for a permit. is this necessary or desirable? the majority of speakers say that this is not only economically vital but this is also cultural enrichment. don't stop the music. if he stopped the music, we still know the steps to justice. home life 15, peac>> is there fc

comment? if not come up public comment is closed. mr. crawford, i noticed on the motion, the project's sponsors, this is to allow other entertainment being capitalized. in particular, a karaoke machine. i would like two definitions from you. i don't know the definition of other entertainment, technically. i don't know whether you feel or

the department feels this is limiting what the other definition it is to a karaoke machine. >> other entertainment is certainly not limited to a karaoke machine. off the top of my head, i don't have the planning code with me and i cannot tell you what the definition is but this pertains to an electronically amplified, this is more than a jukebox. this could be poetry reading. this is a fairly wide and broad definition of what the entertainment would be. >> could you say what it is not to? >> this is not a jukebox or television set. >> what about a big band?

>> this would be other entertainment. the term is to distinguish this kind of entertainment and other types of entertainment that is discussed in the code which would be adult entertainment. >> thank you. i will ask the department if there is any way in conditions that we can condition approval of this type of action by specifying nothing more than a karaoke machine or are we opening up the entire situation? >> under a conditional use, you

can add such conditions. >> thank you. someone from the police department, i don't care to. first of all, i'd take offense your statement about the plight. i know north beach fairly well. i know this may be longer than you have been alive. the windows have traditionally been blocked. being out there in the evenings this week, over half of the restaurantd