state, and very few examples of these libraries survive intact today. finally, i would like to leave you with a quote from 1952 of what librarians anticipated for the future of their building. convertibilityin -- invertibility. its large, open areas can easily be converted to commercial purposes and will have a good resale value in the future. i am here for another 20 minutes or so if you have any more questions about the history of these buildings. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> supervisors, walter park.

so many comments are well made and heartfelt. i am a member of an organization of about 15 disability organizations, a member of the board of directors, which is a law firm that deals with these disability questions, currently a member of the appeals commission in san francisco. i am not representing that group. i would like to underline a comment that was made by somebody in a wheelchair, who testified earlier this afternoon against the landmarking of this building, but who also asking you to act today. i would like to underline her comment that the time to act is now. there has been a very lengthy public process. i appreciate that process. that is the way we do things in san francisco and the way we should, but it is time to make a

decision. i hope you would make a recommendation this afternoon. as a founding director for the mayor's office on disability, i took a thorough walk through of this particular library to look at it for possible modifications as part of the plan, -- even with any modifications that i can imagine, including those which are expensive and we probably should not make, there are spaces in the library which cannot be used well for people with disabilities, including children with disabilities. the bathrooms downstairs are a horror. there are enormous problems, and i hope you go toward supporting the construction of a new building. i would like to underline the comment by the woman who said she cried when she learned that barnes & noble notwas about to e

closed, and i would like to recommend that she and her son, who read 1.5 books while he was waiting to speak, they have done a great job this afternoon. there was a lengthy, detailed letter asking many specific questions, but they came to the council and blew them off and in many ways created quite a problem within the community for their lack of attention. thank you. for yours. supervisor chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisor maxwell, and members of the board. my name is joe. i am a husband but we have lived

in the neighborhood for the entire time we have raised our family -- that we have lived in the neighborhood. our girls are now in college. they learned how to read and the library. that was on the main floor, which was accessible. they learned how to roller skate and ride bikes. for years, the site where the current playground is has been altered slowly over time. supervisor chiu: if we can have the projector, please? >> this shows the pool, open to the sky. i am not sure what is in this corner, but i know it is not the library. recently, when it was time to determine whether or not to condemn the triangle and deal with one who wanted to build condominiums there, there was an architect who was also a fellow at an institute, and in his design, he recognized the

importance of the back corner of the park. in the middle of the playground between the pool, where parents could watch them splash at the same time they were playing with the younger ones in the playground, so kids could be doing multiple things, and mom would have total control. this is all 15 feet below the cornerj. ojoe dimaggio deserves a place in this park. the community deserves a modern library. new bathrooms that meet ada requirements, with an elevator that takes everyone to all levels of this. even when the library is closed, and our neighbors and residents and visitors alike -- a loud and

neighbors and residents and visitors alike -- allowing neighbors and residents. supervisor chiu: thank you. if there is anyone else who wants to speak, we are running out of cards, so please line up. >> this is paid for by the taxpayers, in every dollar we spend -- and every dollar we spend should go to the taxpayer and community. this is not the children's nursery rhyme.

enough computers. there are only three computers. i asked you not to landmark office during good we need a new library. -- i ask you not to land mark this. we need a new library. >> i represent the north beach neighbors in part.

at our may 10 neighbors board meeting, the man who oversees the library spoke, and they voted to recall our support to the proposals of the new library. the north beach reaffirms that they are demolishing the current library, relocating on the trying galton -- on the triangle. the draft environmental impact report has been challenged. the reason it has been challenged is because of all of the misinformation. everybody here wants a bigger library, including the north beach neighbors, but if you are

going to take away one substandard library and give us another substandard library, it is not worth the money we are going to pay for it. this is the new library they were putting up. i've put up a new design. this is a huge library, but it is also a triangle. there is only 2% less than the library we are dealing with today. i would suggest, please plan to mark the building. fix it curren -- fix it. it could make a better library.

>> the remaining cards i have -- [list of names] everyone else should please line up. >> have been the pta president at st. peter's school. that engine now but my son is in high school. when i was five -- when he was 5 i was doing these things. i am proud of the way the city has done things, but i would like to say the only non- unanimous conversation was that done h -- at the hpc. those are the only three people whose votes have been registered against the parks commission,

against the library commission, and everyone else. if those votes are over rhoda -- over written, i would like to say i think you should treat it like a london bridge. it is somewhere in the southwest united states. someone who likes this building should take it away at their expense and have a landmark building. it is not the first time it has happened, and it will not be the last time. i am very happy about the new library, the new playground. speaking of geometry, a triangle library is interesting, because this was both on the exact model of a tennis court.

i urge you to please not land market, and peru -- landmark it, and proceed with the plan. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors during your -- supervisors, i first came in 1982. they are trying to hijack a process that has been produced after many years from diligent individuals. alternate designs were configured, and the library was looked at in many different ways. everything had a gain or a loss. some individuals are trying all the angles to kill this project.

these individuals did not come to life in the beginning but have come forward now. the most significant arguments are that the library is a historic resources and must be preserved. i read the definition, and i thought it was great. i, too, have knowledge of these things i attended school at an economic organization. since the existing library is not an architectural gem, it is at best a building that represents cultural heritage. the automobile and the expansion

has very little to do with the turn of the century neighborhood filled with italian neighbors and the blended community. please allow my children to enjoy a new facility as my children have now been raised and gone through living with that library for their entire childhood. >> i am a resident, a user of the library and a former member of ovenbird library board. i oppose consumer -- i oppose this. the library was not included as

being significant -- significant. it only came up as the plans for the new library were made. i would support landmarking the marine and branch. this is a better example, and it is a better building. thank you. >> my name is julie. i am here to talk in favor of the park. we have been talking about libraries. our library needs to double in size. our playground meets the minimum requirements. the playground was small because it is very dense. our library is small for the

same reason. 50 years ago and now the city plunged library on a playground the preservationists want to magnify it that problem by doubling the size of the library, taking away more space than making the playground less usable. three years ago the board of supervisors gave us a great opportunity in allowing us to acquire the playground. we came up with a terrific master plan that makes the best possible use of the playground. we converted 4000 square feet of trying go into 12,000 feet of open space. we can change it with a new playground that will really meet the needs. landmarking is only thing in our

way. many prominent architects opposed landmarking. the preservation of community is divided, and they have only a one-vote majorities to recommend it two commissioners have things to say. they called its a hell hole. now these are commissioners often voted to recommend grand -- landmarking. we hope you will give us a chance >> i am here today as my capacity in one of the longest standing neighborhood organizations. i am here to testify in favor

of the northeast who library. landmarking the library but certainly in favor of expanding, making it accessible, bringing it up to code and having a truly 21st century, state of the art library during but based on consultations are board members have had with -- state of the art library and. based on consultations we have had, we believe the existing library can meet those standards and is more expendable than a new one on the trying go, which is limited space when you consider they are proposing to take up a portion of mason street to build it. i think what is before you is to look also at the professional

reports. i want to point out that both of the reports were approved by members. allahs prepared her report as part of the -- palace prepared her report as part of the -- alice prepared her report as part of funthe eir. i want to states that they have been very involved for a long time over -- as you recall almost seven years ago the city initiated actions. i just wanted to point out it is clearly set forward in the final condemnation. it was not condemned for a city building, and we cannot support

the city doing exactly what we fought so hard to prevent. >> linda. i go to that library of maybe once a month because of the readers workshop, so i am familiar with the area. if we had anything like the resources the people of that neighborhood had, we would consider ourselves lucky. i am again tearing down the building for a number of reasons. one is that little trying go. if we had the possibility of that little green triangle, we would never let it go. it is important for pedestrians, for buses, and it is important for people who might want to go sit there theory good -- to sit

there. there is a nice trying goal that was part of the square before the street went through. we would not want to get rid of that. i wish we had something like that. there is often true on both sides. what needs to be done is what supervisor mar will be very familiar with. it is gorgeous. they kept old library, and they put on an admission that is very modern. they go together, and it is just perfect. although the library is not very accessible and convenient, there is a wonderful big recreation center where the meetings have moved around to. right there on the site.

this meeting space is accessible any way, and i understand their plans to expand the playground. it does not make sense to take away from the softball field and build something unsustainable. we do not have to knock down every building, throw it away in a landfill, and start over. >> as an architect, i can safely say i agree with everything everybody has said, that all the interests can be achieved. looking at the larger library, preservation, all types of work can be achieved.

they are not mutually exclusive. the environmental impact took comments, so the responses have not even been started. some of the comments provided included items provided in your package, including these nine options. preservation, low level expansion, they can actually gained 3,000 feet of library space. i do not think anyone would dislike the. contrary to the statements, there is a plan that shows how the plan actually decreases. it is not clearly explain to

many people in our neighborhood. they satisfied no interest in our neighborhood. i grew up with the north beach library, a playground, and there are a lot of nice things that need to be saved. thank you. >> good afternoon. i am recalling how the neighborhood fought to acquire through eminent domain.

i still support the position. the planning department case report found they are eligible for national and california registry. both agree the library is eligible. the interior of the current library is lacking in space and amenities, but it can be renovated to bring it to 21st century standards. if we can do this for less money sooner and provide jobs, i would like to remind you that landmark status would not kill the library project no matter which project is built. i would also like to tell you i

have been in north beach for 51 years. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i want to thank you for taking the time today. this project is 124th of the citywide projects that are providing new or renovated libraries across the city. it is one of the largest public works projects that have occurred in the city, yet today i am thrilled the great majority of conversation has been about the people that use that library, and in 23 other neighborhoods, people are celebrating getting the branches

they have envisioned and they deserve, and we want to see the same thing in north beach. this branch said you see before you comes as a result of the huge amount of input you have seen today. when this one through the master planning process, we took it to the president of the board, who wholeheartedly endorsed not only that it was a great use of civic space but also because it was such a wonderful combination of collaborative work among the various departments with the parks, the library, and it was very much the voice of the people of that neighborhood. i would like to end with a short letter from one of the citizens who could not be present today.

it says we strongly support the creation of a new north beach library, a beautiful as addition. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am here to support the landmarking of the marine of french and north beach branch library. i think it has been unfortunate -- landmarking of the marine french and north beach branch library. i think it has been unfortunate that it is between deciding between a bad old library and a new good library. missing from the descriptions is a possibility of a newly renovated library that would also be expanded and solve many

problems described. i hope you will pay attention to the focus. i believe this will be a landmark prior to this. it has said the preliminary plans for north beach. there was no demolition contemplated for north beach. it is to seismically upgrade the structure, make them acceptable, and add program space.