let them have a try. supervisor chiu: 80. if we could have our next poet laureate -- thank you. >> supervisors, my name is jack. i am currently the poet in residence of the friends of the public library and also the member of a brigade. i have written a poem in support of the new library in north beach. i have been a resident of north beach for 35 years. how can there be a question of building a new north beach library? the mobilization of every scrap

of are sold to the demilitarization of all the we are composed of.-- every scrap of our soul to the demilitarization of all that we are composed of, more than the ñ or a museum, a public library is the most holy place of society that can be produced. a child entering the library with his mom or dad will 50 years later remember that event as one of the most important in his or her life, and a library unscrews the bolts in your brain and opens and unfolds the future for your note in the form of your own mind, -- unfolds the future for you in the form of your own mind.

this is a space that only in library provides with its special type of stillness, where one feels wow -- there is a space that only a library provides. [bell] i can look up a story, a figure, a batting average. what is anti-establishment backwards? what you cannot get on google, what you can only get when the silence of the library is in command, so we need another one in north beach for more kids and adults to have a sip of the silence, finding out that you are on the way. you always wanted to bury all lies and discover life's truths, and now, you have found you can

do it in the new library. [applause] >> wow. good afternoon, supervisors. i wish i could do poetry. i cannot sing, but i can shout. no landmarking the north beach library. and because i was a child when the library was brand-new, my brothers and sisters, my neighbors have lived in my small little street in north beach that is comprised of -- one block away. who was the other? oh, yeah, fred, the principal of the largest elementary school in

san francisco, of their principleals -- other principal. all of us were kids who lived on that one story. -- street. we all wanted to go to the north beach library, but it was too small already, in the 1950's, and there was not a children's section, nor was there a teenage section. in fact, some of the patrons were so concerned about it being a quiet library that they tried to shoo us away, so we never felt that even in the 1960's and 1950's that that library was welcoming. is it welcoming now? no.

not enough of the services are connected with the recreation and park department, which i think this new plan forms a wonderful collaboration so that children and their parents can use both. [bell] i also need to say that -- supervisor chiu: matter of principle, can you identify yourself? -- madam principal, can you identify myself? >> i am -- supervisor chiu: thank you, thank you, and i would just remind members of the public that we do have a two-minute rule that we need to adhere to. thank you. >> i am vice president of the library commission, and the

library wants to do a good job for the community, wants to make sure that we can provide the library service that each community needs. we have held exhaustive meetings that go back many years. it is interesting that the whole question of historic preservation was never raised at the beginning it, as one of the earlier speakers mentioned. the vast majority of people that i have heard speak at these meetings, and the vast majority that i have were today, are people who really want to use the library, and they are not trying to clean that there is some technicalities here. -- they are not trying to claim that there is some technicality here. it is a matter of how to serve the public best, and the new plan, which has been worked on extensively by really good people, studied at every stage by the library commissioner, does a beautiful job in an area

where space is really, really tight. interesting than 15 or 20 years ago, this same question was debated, and the planners in the library area of that time wanted to put a new branch on the trying, and some people in the community opposed it, so nothing happened. let's not have another one of these situations. that is just not a good solution. this board of supervisors is sharp enough and forward-looking enough not to want that kind of an outcome. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker, please. >> my name is june. i am a former president of a group, but i am representing the friends of choate -- joe

dimaggio u6hj÷playground. we have more than 1000 signatures here, and i will pass it on. in addition, i am bringing more than 100 more the reacquired this weekend. the neighborhood is overwhelmingly in favor of this new project. we do not want it landmarked, and i think you have heard all of the good reasons, so, please, do not live market. -- landmark it. supervisor chiu: next speaker, please. >> we are for the designation of the north beach branch. we recognize that the current library is not serving the needs of the community. however, with environmental review ongoing, we are not convinced this is mutually exclusive. it has been determined and eligible for the national register for historic places by the planning department -- it

has been determined a eligible. -- determined eligible. it is important to understand it will not be the building in its current condition. san francisco heritage has proposed a number of alternatives that would meet the needs of the community and work with the future of the library. as explained in our comments on the eir, we have proposed both a belowground addition and an addition to the north. neither of which have been considered in detail in the eir, despite the statement of city staff previously. the northern addition alternative was considered early on in the process but rejected and not brought forward for a detailed consideration in the eir. in our view, this hearing is to determine the eligibility of the library and not to do away with

alternatives. as we have stated all along, this would just mean that these are just considered fairly. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is karen, and i have been in north beach for 20 years as both a resident and more recently as a business owner, and i am here to ask you not to approve landmark status for the north beach branch. in addition to what i have just said about myself, i am also the associate architect and interior designer that did a renovation of another branch, another building which will be opening on saturday, so i hope that you will come see it, and that building is a really fine example of that office's work. i think it attests to the elegance of the plan that it was

very easy for them to expand that building and update it completely and add a new teen room and all of the services to the community with a very light touch to the building. it has beautiful light, views to the park that is adjacent, and it also has a very strong presence on the street, so it really was a joy to preserve that building. it really is a jewel, and if you want to landmark a building, i would say that maybe you should consider this one. the existing north street -- north beach branch is cramped and out of date. as many people here have a tested, it does not serve the community. it does not serve the disabled community -- as many people here have attested. it really would not serve the community any better, so i urge

you to reject landmark status for this building and allow us to build a new building on this side. supervisor chiu: -- on this site. supervisor chiu: before more speakers, let me call some more names. [reading names] this person already spoke. [reading names] >> thank you. good afternoon, supervisors. my name is -- i have two children who attend elementary school, and they are weekly visitors of the library at joe dimaggio park. i managed the renovation of historic structures, and the north beach library does not have the seenp< h

other library has and should not be landmarked. on october 25, i submitted a letter as to findings as to why the north beach library should not be late in march, -- should not be landmarked. the city has a right to exclude structures from historic preservation better of the same style but do not demonstrate the same definite details of other structures of the same styles. this is the case of responsible development. the north beach library does not have the same definite design that other libraries have, and other speakers are presenting testimony regarding that issue, as well. the existing library is not the vehicle to accomplish this goal,

and there is nothing in the design or structure that requires preservation. thank you very much. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, speaker -- supervisors. my name is -- i am a 23-year resident of the community. i have someone i have to pick up very soon, so thank you for letting me get in line. today, i am here on behalf of an organization that voted to support the new library. the middle school has students from diverse educational and economic backgrounds who depend on the library. approximately 6% of the students are chinese, 2 latino or african-american. many receive free lunch. they cannot afford to go to barnes & noble. under the no child left behind act, under the guidance of the new principal, they had better

test scores, but many are learning english as a second language. these students critically need the features of a new library, with an area for teenagers to welcome the into the library which a welcomed them to the library. i live in there -- with an area for teenagers to welcome them into the library. i live in north beach. in maybe gobbling/v h which children also desperately need. i am strongly opposed to landmarking the north beach library.

thank you. >> my name is chaudhry. i am a parent -- my name is audrinaa -- audrey. we are asking you to please not landmark this library. it is not worth it. however, the people are worth it. so we can all enjoy some books together in a clean and well lighted place. please do not abandon north beach. it feels that we have been abandoned and that if the library is man march, it will go down. -- if the library is landmarked, it will go down.

we are still here before you today to ask you to continue this process forward and to bring to was a new library and let us move forward in a living and vital neighborhood that we all love so much. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> my name is -- ibm opposed of the landmarking -- i am opposed. you can also located on a broader scale. on a narrow scale, the existing building has been altered significantly, and a couple of people talked about that. the main entrance was changed. the courtyard is now a tot lot, and something else was removed by the installation of a steel fence. if you want to preserve the existing library and make an addition, it would reduce a

significant amount of space. from a broader sense -- perspective, that is an issue in north beach. you can argue that the trying to would add more space to the project, but we have two example of trying go parks in north beach currently which are completely not workable -- of trying " -- two examples of triangle parks in north beach currently. i oppose this. >> ok, commissioners. my name is rene. i am a member of north beach, and i was a former art commissioner. i am here to ask you today to not landmark the existing building. p[sof would like to focus on urn

design issues surrounding the decision -- i would like to focus on urban design issues. torriente buildings -- triangular buildings, there are many historical examples of the along columbus avenue today. you are not going to want to walk your dog in a triangular park. they do not work for many things. the issue is really the quality of the open space. i think it was just pointed out that we have two triangular parks that are ornamental in nature. they are not useful. people do not go there. i would also like to point out that there have been some comments that i think

are misguided in inappropriate. one is the comment that it is always more sustainable to reuse existing. that is not a factual finding. there is no data on that. we only need to look at examples, like the removal of the embarcadero freeway, to see if you remove one structure, it can open up an entire neighborhood, and that is exactly what we are focusing on right now. removing an existing building, but the gain is tremendous. we get a much better neighborhood, so, today, please, ask you, please do not landmark this structure. -- i ask you, please do not landmark this structure. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is beverly, it i am the newest member of the san francisco library commission -- my name is beverly, and i and the newest member. i am very proud -- and i am the

newest member. we are extremely fortunate in the united states to have the system that we do. in the process of becoming acquainted with the system, i have visited all of the branches, but i have to say that i was shocked at the dingy, dark, cramped, but decrepit state of the north beach library -- in decrepit state -- and decrepit state of the north beach library, and i cannot see why anyone would want it preserved. we have preserved a great deal in our city. however, not everything that is old is worthy of being preserved, particularly in this age of community needs. when i visited the library, i listened to many, many folks that echoed what we have heard this afternoon.

mothers and people who live in the neighborhood, children who really havethat is appropriate for them when they visit the library -- who really have no space that is appropriate for them when they visit the library. i ask you to look to the future of san francisco, and that is what the new library is about. do not vote for the landmark status. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is kathy, and i am a concerned community member who has lived in north beach for 18 years, and i am also a librarian at the marine a branch. i am here on my own time. during the renovation of the marina branch, i worked at the

north beach branch. there is not enough space at the north beach branch to effectively serve the demographics. the restrooms are on the lower level, making it difficult for patrons, not to mention those who have disabilities. the north beach branch is dysfunctionate as a library, and i do not see how this will result in a functional library that will be beneficial to the community for generations to come. it cannot be easily adapted for effectiveness, not to mention accessibility. it is a wasteful use of the library preservation fund, and i would suggest that the materials from the north beach branch could be put to good use in the joe dimaggio master plan.

i urge you to reject landmark status. thank you very much for your time. >> hi, my name is mark. i am a has been. one thing i found out when she became a librarian -- i am a husband. i urge you to reject this landmarking status. when i was a kid, we lived in government housing. i think we had a carport that was bigger than this library. let's get rid of this stuff. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> i have come to bury the library, not to praise it. in the 50 years that i have

practiced architecture, i have watched a lot of buildings be trash, like this one is being trashed, but ms. drabble -- but mr. appleton -- i got a bunch of architects to try to solve the problem, and we have the same trouble the library architect had. it is hard to figure out. we finally hit it when i remembered when there was a building under the louvre. one of my classmates put a building under the palace of the legion of honor. when i got that in my hand, i tried to put an honest library underneath this lovely building, and you can put a bigger library under their with more expandability, more light, and

more everything that you can by doing what is essentially an obsolete building on the trying " -- on a triangle. we started studying what is changing in libraries, and, believe me, that triangular library is obsolete before it is built. >> things were said before, and i am going to stick to my script. i live one block from the north beach library. i have been there for 25 years and i wish to state that i am hardly in favor of landmarking it. here are some of the reasons. independent historians and the planning department concur that

the north beach library has high architectural, historical, and cultural significance and has the highest integrity of all of the applicants. the north beach library is eligible for the national register of historic places and the california register of historical resources, as well as thematically related multiple property listings. from 1988 until 2008, the library's structural report in branch library improvement program planned for rehabilitating -- and a branch library improvement program planned for rehabilitating the library. ;filling up a precious piece of

together with the magnificent trees, and adding to the wall, a columbus intersection, that will create a wall that goes across columbus, because the planned library is a two-story library and takes away from open space. thank you. supervisor chiu: thank you. let me continue to read some more cards. [reading names] i think one woman already spoke. [reading names] >> hi, on in -- i am the author of the multiple property statement.

this is the basis of the landmark designation for the more we noteth -- the marina and the north beach branch. they share the same history. that is important. landmarking a building is not about whether you like it or hate it. it is not about functionality or structural integrity. landmarking is about the building's importance to the interpretation of our history, and both of these buildings are not only important for their appearance, their architecture, but they are also equally important as the event they are associated with, and this is supported by extensive research. no matter what you do today, please acknowledge the importance of9c properties, as it may be the most information compiled on modern libraries in the bay