construction of the public. i have the article here. i will attach it to my presentation. fortress is being sued for over 500 trillion dollars for mortgage fraud and its role in the subprime crisis. president miguel: thank you. >> is that it? president miguel: yes. >> i have my remarks here. >> we're having some technical difficulties with the land -- with the main microphone at the podium. if you could please use the shorter microphone on your left. thank you very much. >> the evening, commissioners. my name is john. i am managing partner of the park merced shopping center, the only retail outlet that exists today. today i'm going to talk about being a merchant. even though we're also property

owners. there are 12 merchants there. we are doing fine, but now with a new shopping center coming, we need your help to make sure that we can coexist and survive. that includes the road at park merced, that they want to build from 19th avenue, but we need more help than that as possible. they're going to take a bus stop in front of our shopping center that brings a lot of people, use that boston out -- use that bus stop. we would like to see that relocated. we would like directions to our shopping center on this big property. and we just really need your help. our future is in your hands. thank you. president miguel: thank you. the other one, bernie.

>> ok, thank you. thank you for your endurance. there are two points to the performance analysis that need to be revised. one is we have made alternative proposals which have not been responded to for resident ownership of the project, second, there is the general plan compliance that protect social equity, which is your duty to conserve, such as cumulative impact of capital budgets that have not been properly done in terms of sustainability of our infrastructure, citywide, at to which they have made a partial move. there is a housing element to protect the long-term and permit below market residents compliance for the 90% of our

residents who cannot afford to either rat at market value to begin with. thank you. president miguel: elizabeth, vivian. >> good evening. my name is elizabeth. i am a small business under and san francisco, and i'm here to speak in favor of the project. i would urge the commission to move ahead with the initiation process for planning approval. the plan is both visionary and rigorous in its thoughtful approach to sustainable design and would be a model not only for california but the nation. that is a new neighborhood, and we have the opportunity here to move ahead and provide for their services to the entire city.

thank you. president miguel: thank you. >> good evening. my name is david. i am the director of research and planning at the california college of the arts in san francisco. testifying using my expertise and architecture and urban design. the plan and the design standards and guidelines provide a comprehensive and complete design framework for developments, and they provided care for the considered model for creating a vibrant, sustainable there. at park merced. the amount of housing post and its density is appropriate. the plan provides advisory of housing types to support a divorce population of future residents, including young professionals, families, seniors, and students. the design standards and

guidelines contained intelligent urban design line controls that will ensure the buildings are constructed and are of high quality and comparable with buildings of earlier phases. president miguel: thank you. >> good evening, commissioners. i have been a resident of park merced for 20 years, single- parent, raised three children, and it is a wonderful place for kids to grow up. i live in a garden apartment and i have no problems with the neighbors. my kids were allowed. we had no people above or below us and it was really nice. i just hope that you oppose this development because it will affect 9000 human beings will be traumatized by this, and i hope you really think about it and put people first and money last. thank you. president miguel: thank you.

nellie, christy, melanie. >> i am nellie. i have lived in park merced for 40 years with my son. i strongly oppose3 thank you. >> thank you. [applause] >> i'm crystal, i've been a resident of park merced for 20 years. my mother raised me single and my sisters have their kids and raising their families there. a lot of families living on a

fixed income. i'm wondering what is going to happen to the elderly if they get put in a high-rise. god forbid an earthquake happens and they can't escape, or if any -- what happens with all of the trees and the animals that -- that walk around. i don't want to see a tree replaced by a meter. it is ridiculous. i totally oppose this. i like misses hiss stark merced the way it is about a lot of history for my family and san francisco. thank you. >> thank you. >> excuse me, i need to ask all of you to refrain from clapping and so on during the proceedings. >> my name is nelly delgado. my whole family has two apartments in park merced. you know, i completely disagree in the demolition of park merced. i have my children there. my mom lives there, we all happy

the way it is right thousand. and they -- i can't imagine feel -- filling it up with tourists, more people. you know. park merced and also the streets around it. i completely oppose this -- the development. and -- with all of the tenants with what they have to say. thank you. >> michael, kathy lynn, ben. >> good evening. thank you for hearing us. i read -- my name is mike, i'm a long-term park merced resident and fourth generation born franian. i read the analysis report. i'm not a lawyer but it is clear the city stands to benefit from the project and and city and the

developers stand to make big money on this. that's probably why it is enormous scale. but also enormous, the economic impact -- that this community doesn't fit in a consultant's report and the economic diversity that is vital to this part of the city, last affordable area that -- by beautiful city, becoming an island of nhl theirs. we need -- millionaires. we need economic diversity and ethnic diversity in san francisco. i teach high school in the city. i can't afford what these condos and rents will be should this development go through. thank you for your time. can i submit somebody else's comments? >> yes. if you leave them, the secretary will take them. >> thank you. >> my name is kathy wince. i lived in park merced 50 years.

i cub mitted a comment on the c.r.b. report that physically this is not a good investment for the community. i have also submitted comments and proposition m that the zoning changes should not be implemented. it is truly sad and irresponsible that the city considers partnershipping with the project. it is a project that is detrimental to 1% of the population in san francisco who live here. thank you. >> hello, commissioners. thank you for your time. >> my name is ben. i'm an eight, to nine-year resident of the outer richmond district. i don't live in park merced but i'm here to support my neighbors who appear on the brink of losing their community. i want to speak on the housing element of the gem plan.

objectives and policies of housing supply. two main tenants of the plan state at the top of the housing element, that the city supply below-market housing be preeverybodied is and enhanced. that the existing housing be conserved and protected in order -- to preve the cultural and economic diversity of our preserve our cultural and economic diversity. i appreciate the reference to the well-being of the potentially displaced residents. it is specified in the housing element that these emotional and psychological needs be addressed and since they haven't, be done with the plan and start over. >> thank you. >> tin, karen, faulkner.

>> good evening commissioners, i know it is almost morgue. my name is diva -- almost morning. >> my name is diva lynn. i'm opposed to demolition of housing for fam loys in san francisco. i don't believe -- familys in san francisco. i don't believe this is a safe man. regardless of everything i heard tonight, there's nothing that can convince me this will be a safe plan. i think about what happened in haiti nearly a year ago when nearly 200,000 people were lost. i think about the heartbreak of the parent who is lost the children when china had a massive earthquake a few years ago. and when you put thousands of people in a situationlike that, it is going to have a disastrous outcome and here in the earthquake, even park merced left standing which should tell you something. little sun y0eu6b -- little

sunnyville was left standing. one of the buildings collapsed and the mar reap that nearly collapsed. i don't believe they could rebuild a new park merced. thank you. >> allani. >> good evening commissioners. i'm a park merced resident. i'm here to oppose the man. i feel that it is -- it is terribly wrong for all of the tenants in park merced. i think that -- i think -- much of the advertisement that park merced puts out about the urban place with a suburban space. yes, it is a very beautiful place. it is a fantastic place. and i think that tearing it down and leaving us homeless is very

wrong. i lived threw the teardown of the fillmore district. my grandmother's home was torn down in hawaii for -- for tourism. a park was made. so this -- this will be the third time that i have been displaced. i think it is wrong. i think it is going to be terrible. i know what the outcome is. it is going to be homelessness. thank you so much. >> thank you. all right. i'm a fourth generation san franciscan. i want to apologize for some of our residents that had to leave. they didn't realize how late this was going to run. we thought it was 6:00 according to the calendar. it turned out it ran late due to a lot of circumstances beyond anyone's control. i have a -- one -- one of the people that evident had, dennis norg ton had these things he like to have districted -- distributed to the commissioner. i would comment in passing, the wonderful economic projections

made could be -- could turn out to be very misleading. if you have an earthquake, a major one, liquid fiction could occur as it did in the tower. you could have a -- the pipes go. maybe it is a bad element but i watch on pbs the stuff on pompey and others. surprises can happen. figure out what it means. >> bomb garner, jim cook, mora. >> good evening. i'm a park merced resident. i'm here to support the project. i wanted to voice again my wholehearted support of the project and my confidence in the oversight process that i

witnessed here in the past three hearings. as -- as a current resident of the property i'm continually amazed how much effort they put into maintaining the 60-year-old buildings, if they're going to do half as much due diligence to create a new environment, i'm supportive of that. it is a great place to live. i amaude the efforts you're making to support the project. >> thank you. good evening. my name is jim cook. i'm a long-time resident. i support the project. it is going to be -- to be able to afford the affordable housing and the opportunity to own your home. and park merced will be a model the united states. -- as far as a safer community with improved access to better transportation, to public and private partnerships that maybe the only option in today's economic environment. you have an opportunity to make a historic and courageous vote and move this -- this project

forward. there have been hundreds of meetings that the -- at -- that the residents have attended. they been put on by the project sponsor and the time -- to time to act is now. don't let an opportunity slip through that is an opportunity for san francisco and america. >> thank you. >> good afternoon. commissioners, i hope you would clearly see a rebuilding of park merced is the best thing that could happen to our little part of the city. however, after listening to the -- the parties, i feel it is my duty as a member of the community to step up and express my thoughts and concerns. i know people are afraid, changes always scary but -- but if change keeps us from doing what we felt was right and best, then america wouldn't be -- what

it is today. and people like me would not have the opportunities to have the life that i have. one -- one can clearly visit the property and see that it is one -- once -- was a beautiful project but it was -- it was a short-term one. the property -- the proper materials were not used when it was built and the space was -- wasn't well thought out. i urge the commissioners to do the right thing here and help us out -- >> thank you. >> thank you. tony zhang, carol couples, vince boredy. good evening commissioners. my name is tony zang. i live in park merced. i would like to you remember you to -- the commissioners to listen to the residents, that want to change and move forward with the project.

so i -- i fully support the project. i have a -- a young daughter, she's required to go to another community to play as this are little family with children left in the community. instead, a bunch of people -- that have been there, things -- since 40's and 50's, well -- this is not just their -- their community, it is ours too. so we have the right to enjoy our home as much as they are over the past 60's. so i urge you to please, please, let this company to make our home a better one. thank you so much. >> thank you. good evening. my name is carol koppel. i lived at park merced going on

21 years. i always enjoyed my home and i say i understand why people have a fear and discourage the vision. however, these apartments are quite old and quite frankly have been very unsafe. i can only imagine what park merced management spends in a year on my apartment's upkeep. i do not see how they could survive longer. i'm afraid of losing a company that has been always honest and forthcoming with changes and improvements. let's be real here. something has to happen. park merced will have to be rebuilt soon. i hope the current owners are the ones that get to do this as they're the ones and -- they're the only ones that i have seen in 20 years who have shown care for the property, care for me, care for my future and for my home. thank you very much. >> thank you. hello commissioners. i'm -- i'm a four-year resident

of park merced. i believe that -- that -- like -- i have enjoyed my community. but park merced is getting old. in the past four years i lived there, i put in almost 100 work orders to have things fixed. the maintenance team has done a good job of fixing it. i feel like the time and resources to fix up the housing cob better spent and that it would -- clearly be more economically feasible if park merced was tore down and rebuilt. >> joel koppel, gene dorothy, elizabeth keith. >> good evening commissioners. joel koppel. homeowner of san francisco, my mom raised me at park merced. let me express my support for the project tonight. this part of town needs to make a green statement over long periods of time respect sustainable buildings makes

project more economically feasible. up front construction costs are off set by less energy consumption and monetary savings. these -- these can in a couple of ways play-pay for themselves. not only is this good for the environment, it is good for the wallet. afterward park merced will be a more attractive property, will have higher occupancy rates and this will result in a more successful project. i urge you to move the project forward, thank you. >> thank you. good evening. my name is gene darcy. i'm a third generation san franciscan, i'm approaching my 19th year of living in park merced. i have read all of the e.i.r., attended just about every informational meeting and hearing. i have weighed the pros and cons of a long-term vision and after speaking with various stake holders, i'm in support of the long-term vision. while i love for park merced to remain the same, i realize that would not be economically

viable, nor environmentally sound. i also raise my three daughters in park merced as a single parent and a middle school science and math teacher in san francisco unified. my salary, i can never afford to buy a home in the city where i was born. and where i -- i hope to live for all of my life and -- until i die and so i need a rent controlled apartment. i also have a 26-year-old handicapped daughter who gets no assistance from the government. and i fear that if this plan does not go forward, that -- that park merced will not be a viable place and will -- will parcel off. >> thank you. >> good evening. i'm elizabeth keith, i'm onnie 17th year at park merced. i'm in support of the project.

this is a great opportunity to be a part of something that keeps the future and our limented resources in mind. the new rico friendly takes the residents in consideration and plants and animals native to the area. the plan to recycle the water is important to our future. i believe park merced takes into consideration the disruption of new construction as well and has a plan to separate it out so it is not just happening in one location. if people are concerned about having to move because of their age or being disabled, i am so willing to help them move and i hope my neighbors are too. i think people will be more satisfied than they realize and the owners have promised affordable housing. as one 0 -- one of my fellow neighbors has said, a chance to create a better community. >> maurn egg bar and mary ann

miller and ellen goodman. >> good evening. my name is eveningburg. i lived in merced since 1993. i'm 100% opposed to the project. the city claims that they're -- there are public benefits to the project. how can the city claim that making me and the other 8,000 residents of park merced -- sick with cancer by exposing us to asbestos and other substance that is we know are in the building being demolished is a good thing for all of us. the fact we will be subject to construction noise and other air and water pollutants for the next 30 years of our life is for the public good, according to -- to the e.i.r., asbestos is not part of the e.i.r. and is not --

nor on the draft e.i.r. how can asbestos not be an essential part of any environmental report is beyond my comprehension and one of the most absurd statements i ever heard. as of july 99, merced was 196 acres, 4 blocks and 3,487 rental units. the planners have not taken into consideration that blocks one, two, five, six, 41 and 42 are part of town houses and parking spaces that caramel partners sold to san francisco state university from 2000, 2005 and -- realty was the landlord. thank you so much. >> can i give these comments? >> yes. >> i'm speaking on behalf of mary ann mill war is not able to stay longer tonight.

she's -- she's a board member of san francisco tomorrow and she is. >> you could submit her comments. >> i'm submitting her comments right here. now go to my minute. gardens are for people. thomas oliver church wrote that book. i don't think that anybody so far has even discussed that. the loss of open space, the effects of the loss of this landscape are irreplaceable. you cannot demolish a national eligible site and not assess a value to this to the people that are living there. they're losing way more than anything that is being discussed in this developer agreement or in the financial analysis being shown to you. the principles of unity and function and simplicity and scale were part of that discussion. gardens are for people. sitting on the dock of the bay. i hear when i think of the developer agreement, it is not

about the bay anymore, it is about with making pun. wait a minute. what happened to the landscape and character of the city that we have? are we going to lose it, throw it away? let somebody clean the slate and start from scratch. i don't think that's appropriate. >> thank you. barney larsen, cynthia, car roeschy. >> good evening commissioners. i'm artie larsen. i lived at park merced for 14 years. i support this project. i noticed in the consultant's report that it indicates this project will have a significant positive economic impact throughout san francisco and that includes 1600 new permanent jobs and 159 million in subsidies for rent controlled replacement apartments. these are real benefits for real people. there have been over four years of meetings on this project, the

land lord made 250 presentations to residents, residents of other neighborhoods and other interested parties. i haven't been to all, but i seen the project change over time. i been listened to by the land lord and the architects and some of my ideas have been included in the current plan. in chicago they say vote early and often. i -- you have listened to us late and often, i thank you for that and i encourage you to vote yes on this project. >> thank you. >> good evening. i'm cynthia with the san francisco preservation group. we're concerned your considering the amendment with the maps and general plan and approving related infrastructure improvements. in advance of the issuance