the building permit that you considering proposes a retail neighborhood pharmacy, which is a permitted use. the permit holders took 16 months to about a been needs -- to investigate the leads. the permit was issued in may of this year. the final inspection was completed in june. the appellant has stated that this case is not about drugs.

stating the construction began prior to the issuance of the permit an realizing that there is no bearing on that, the attack on the integrity of the permit holder need to be addressed, if only for the record. i have a letter from the general contractor who completed the work. i have copies for all of the commissioners. president peterson: thank you. we may not have time to review this while you're commenting. >> there were seven or eight

meetings. in one of her breeze, it was implied that it was laid in under the radar. -- in one of her briefs, it was implied that it was slid in under the radar. in a neighborhood such as tenderloin, there is a need for things like a supermarket, a post office, or a pharmacy. all are vital to the area. there are five pharmacies within the area, areas that dispense drugs.

none of these is a retail pharmacy with the exception of one, providing full services to the residence. -- residents. the crux of the appelant's case is that it will bring more drugs, they're requiring an elderly gentleman to take a cab for to fill a prescription -- to take a cab to fill a prescription was some while which it will somehow help. -- will bring more drugs, and they are requiring lgbt elderly

gentleman to take a cab to fill a prescription -- they are requiring an elderly gentleman to take a cab. they're all the attendant problems associated with that. it is a compelling story. however, despite s showing the drug problem exists, the appellate has failed to show that the neighborhood pharmacy would bring more drugs to an area. sfpd will be the first to tell you that many of the dealers as well as their customers are not from the neighborhood. the source of illegal medication is wherever bad people do bad things or desperate people do desperate things. turk st. is obviously not the source but the destination. criminal activity will go where the customer is. it does not matter if the doctor or the pharmacist -- the palin

does not seem to appreciate the role the community pharmacy place in combat in the illegal sale and use of prescription medication -- the appellative does not seem to appreciate the role of the community pharmacy that it plays in combating the illegal sale and use the prescription medication. this is shown in detail in the material you've already received. some of you may have seen a news segment on channel seven last week where pointing -- last week reporting on a program. this was a high the successfully that and will be repeated.

-- this was a highly successful program that will be repeated. there have been countless individuals speaking on this matter, describing their ideas of what a small community pharmacy can be and the benefits they hope to bring to the neighborhood. the enthusiasm has shown the permit holder to be correct in recognizing the need and desires of the neighborhood residents. i have additional copies of letters. president peterson: those are letters of support for the project? i am sorry. what are those? >> yes, and i am here for any questions you may have. president peterson: we may not

have time to review those tonight, but there may be questions. >> please step back to the podium. commissioner fung has a question. commissioner fung: during the course of the meetings, did you or your client present what type of operation you would have there? >> yes. commissioner fung: the medications you will fill? >> the plan all along has been to be a full-service pharmacy. outlined in what you received was a list of basic services. i can give you a rundown of those, if you would like. commissioner garcia: when you had this neighborhood outreach -- and i think this has created

probably some of the problems you have, you and your client. what mitigation measures to offer to the neighborhood to allay some of their worries? >> well, there were obviously a number of security concerns for any business in the tenderloin. the business plan had included all along a number of measures to deal directly with that. the inside of the store and the outside of the store, which seems to have proven somewhat effective at the other pharmacy, exterior lighting, cameras, etc. there has been close contact with the tenderloin police department. there are seven items, i believe, about what a police officer would expect to see a

responsible business do, and, actually, all of those with the exception of specialized parking were included within a business plan. we had discussions with mta, and a metered green space would be available. commissioner garcia: you mentioned mom's. that has not done anything to alleviate the problems in the neighborhood, if i understand what was testified to. >> we would differ on what particular type of -- may or may not have. the new presence of a retail business, the presence of a security guard on the side as

well as in the store itself are all ways to mitigate that issue. now, a retail pharmacy is not in competition with the drug dealers on the street. it is not bringing more drugs to be available for illegal use. commissioner garcia: what do you think the arguments of the neighborhood are? my understanding is that the people get legal drugs, and they get a prescription for it, and they come outside and sell it, and it becomes a nexus for crime. >> unfortunately, that part of the neighborhood is already a nexus for crime. the drugs are available there come from a number of directions. a large number of dealers are from of town, across the bay. -- are from out of town, across

the bay. what you have on pill hill, as it is called, is a destination spot. if one wants to buy drugs, that is where they go. if someone wants to go to the pharmacy, right now, he has to leave the neighborhood. the particular locations mentioned by the appellant are particularly nonprofit or are specific clinics, elderly centers, and sector, some of which do not have a licensed pharmacist -- elderly centers, etc., some of which do not have a licensed pharmacist. expired drug services. commissioner garcia: i will save

my question for later. other people may have questions. vice president goh: i do not understand. you were talking about people having to leave the neighborhood. what about mom's? >> like burger king or mcdonald's across the street, but the services taken as a whole better offered by -- that are offered by mom's -- vice president goh: ok, so you indicated that there were certain potential by businesses. the first was a supermarket, and the second i did not catch, and the third was a pharmacy. >> a post office, just talking about services that are necessary for a vibrant

neighborhood. " vice president -- vice president goh: ok, thank you. president peterson: you submitted about eight letters in support of your project? >> that you received previously. president peterson: ok, i still did not feel satisfied about the origination of the project. >> apparently, that was an address issue. this has nothing to do with the laundry. the addresses to madrid 81. the permit was -- the address was 281. the permit was pulled. president peterson: other plans

for an adjacent laundry? the plants a been completely scrapped for the laundry? >> -- the plans have been completely scrapped? commissioner garcia: did i hear you say that there is no other licensed pharmacy in the area, so whoever operates mom's is not licensed? >> no, a retail pharmacy, a full-service retail pharmacy, like an walgreens -- like walgreens. things other than health products. commissioner garcia: thank you. >> thank you. president peterson: mr. sanchez? >> thank you. good afternoon, president peterson, members of the board.

scott sanchez, planning department staff. the subject property is in a zoning district which is commercial. a pharmacy is considered a retail use, and it is principally permitted in the zoning district. the subject application does not require any notification or public hearing. it was appropriately approved over the counter at may of this year -- in may of this year. there was a permit issued last fall for eight dwelling units turned into a laundry room, so this is a different project that i think was being undertaken at the same time that this private was in process, as well, so i just wanted to make that available to the board. commissioner garcia: mr. sanchez, how was this permit issued? >> this was an over the counter which came in in may of this

year. commissioner garcia: this was mentioned during the jurisdictional hearing. apparently, the police have weighed in on this and are opposed to this. do you feel it is necessary, i guess? issues like this get some more vetting? >> i understand the concern, and after the jurisdiction request, i did meet with the appellant, and this is a concern that should go to the board of supervisors, and there was a concern that the board of supervisors would be empowered to enact a moratorium on pharmacy-type uses within the district, and to my knowledge, there have been no efforts to enact such a moratorium or to have those controls, but right now, and the planning code, the pharmacy is a principally permitted use and would be allowed in this location. commissioner garcia: an sud?

but they could enact an interim moratorium -- >> they could enact an intra moratorium -- note an interim moratorium -- they could enact an interim moratorium. vice president goh: i believe i heard you say that the permit was issued in may of this year. the work was done in may? >> it is my understanding that there was a complaint about the work being done in april, and our staff investigated that it had thought that the work being done was being done pursuant to the previous permit to convert to the dwelling unit into the laundry room. there was no complaint made to build the department money -- building department -- there is no complaint made to the building department -- i think

there may have been confusion. i do not know for certain if work was being done on the pharmacy in april before the permit was issued. vice president goh: we heard that it was issued april 24. thanks. >> mr. kornfield. so we will move into public, it now. if i could see a show of hands of people interested in speaking -- so we will move into public comments now. the first person can step for than come and speak. -- come forward and speak. it would help if you would line up. and because of the number of speakers and the other items on the calendar, i believe it was

said that they will be given two minutes? please do not be shy. step forward. it would help us also if you could hand the clerk a speaker card either before or after you have done speaking. if you have not filled one out, you can fill one out afterwards and give it to him.

>> they call me m.j., and i take pictures of people who sell drugs in my neighborhood. you can see me on youtube anytime that you want under m.j. sqaan fran. we have people coming from the

suburbs, and the pills that they are buying our from the tenderloin. the statement that we need a full-service pharmacy, i really do not understand, because from walking distance from where i live, and i live on jones, there are seven, count them, 7 walgreens that i can go to, and walgreens even delivers, so i do not understand having to go out of their neighborhood. obviously, what i call a neighborhood is something else. if this pharmacy note opens, it is going to draw more people -- if this pharmacy opens, it is going to draw more people. every time police bust people for drugs, every time someone gets busted

for drugs, we have new people come in from the east bay. i live there. i will have to deal with whatever is left behind. i do not want to deal with any more people killing people over drugs. we have had two teenage kids killed in that area within the last three months. that is two too many. it is always over drugs. president peterson: thank you. next speaker, please. >> thank you. i am very unhappy to hear there is going to be one more pharmacy

with drugs for sale in the neighborhood. it is not very nice that we at our old age have to be afraid of going out on the street and be unable to do whatever we have to do because we are afraid that people that do not belong in the neighborhood will be there, trying to see what they can get. please accept our request. i am sure that we are all going to be very grateful that you are going to give us safety instead of more drugs. there are more than seven pharmacies around us from here to van ess. that would be like nine walgreen's. i do not think we need any pharmacy nearby. please listen to us and do what

we can. there are a lot of old people like me around the neighborhood and we need some kind of safety so that we can come and go as we need to. thank you very much for listening and please consider this seriously. thank you. president peterson: thank you. next speaker, please. >> good evening. my name is david elliot louis. i am here representing myself and central city democrats. i live in the neighborhood. our organization is based in the neighborhood. this business, mom's, is a business i think we need. the so-called seven other pharmacies is a walgreen's. that is increasingly a monopoly all over the country, state, and city. i think we need a little push back against walgreen's from

small business, one that would provide a higher quality of customer service and more customer attentiveness then a large corporation. we have let walgreen's make their profit, but why keep up the small businessman, who would create jobs, provide vital services to the neighborhood , and i think overall improve the quality of life? on behalf of central city democrats, i hope you will consider this appeal and allow mom's pharmacy to proceed. commissioner garcia: i do not mean to correct you, but you understand this is not about mom's pharmacy, right? >> if we can strike the record and change it to the right name, the one at 281 turk. that is the one i was referring to. thank you for correcting me.

president peterson: thank you. next speaker, please. please step forward. >> my name is chris fisher. i have had two cases of cancer in the last two years and lived in the tenderloin to route them. even at my tender age of 60 i have never had a problem having drugs of any kind delivered to me. to have another pharmacy put in place right there on that block would seem to me to be only inviting more problems. time after time, members of the community around leavenworth and turk go to programs and jails to address their drug problems.

on release, they find the rents they can afford are four buildings right back in the area they left. to increase the availability of pharmaceutical products for resale on that street is simply hypocritical and foolish. i would like to request the deepest consideration of the social considerations of this signal to the neighborhood. thank you. president peterson: thank you. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon. i am a new resident of this area but i have lived in san francisco for 20 years. i was living on south beach. so i am not new to san francisco. i thought i knew the tenderloin until i moved there. my commute is from turk st. --

where do i live? john street. my commute is right on golden gate, right on turk, left on leavenworth. this is in the morning and afternoon, and sometimes i go home for lunch. at every pharmacy i pass, there is a crowd of people upside. some seem to have hand signals for their customers. they are an intimidating group of people. i have to cross the street or work -- or walk on the street to walk to work or get home. i do not understand how people can understand the neighborhood. i can claim sheer ignorance on my part. i lived less than 2 miles away and had been in the area. i volunteer. i had no idea what it is really like on a daily basis. i would like you to take that in consideration.

thank you for your time. president peterson: would you care to state your name for the record? thank you. next speaker, please. >> good evening. my name is dina hillyard. we provide enhanced cleaning services to 605 properties in the tenderloin and work to bring positive improvements in benefits to the neighborhood. we welcome and support mr. forte in his request to open a pharmacy on turk street. we hope the community meeting attended by more than 50 community members which allowed him the opportunity to engage with residents and hear their concerns and feedback regarding his business. he also attended a board meeting where he discussed this