however, since that time he's opened the tiptop market which if you look at the photographs that we've given you, this, i would give you, is the only real grocery store in the tenderloin. specifically, it has fresh meat. it has fresh produce. it has a fresh deli counter. it has sundries, and batteries, razors, and shampoo, and if you want a t-shirt, if you want jeans, you can buy it at the tiptop market. it's clearly a neighborhood serving business as defined by the code, section 101 of the code, and my problem here is couple of year or so my partner and i bought a restaurant in san francisco and the at 102nd and fullsome. this re raunt has been doing 100-some years but if we didn't have the right to sell beer or

wine, we would be out of business in six months. what is the difference with mr. rancini -- mr. rancissi, excuse me. it's exactly the same thing. he has tried to be a good neighbor and you will hear testimony from a lot of neighborhood folks and groups where he has provided free supplies, free beverages for those meetings, friendly with the neighborhood. there's a lot of people out in support today. you will see their name badges because he is a good neighbor. the issue is this, does the city want to serve or help neighborhoods serving businesses or don't they? now, the last time this was heard, interesting points were brought up about what are we going to do to help this guy. he is on the worst corner in town and there's still driem and the dollhouse theater is a porn

shop and at any given moment you go down there, 15, 25 people unemployed are hanging out on that corner. i am here to tell you this market without the beer and wine at least and probably without beer and wine will be taken out of business and you will have one more vacant store front in the tenderloin and more people hanging out front. i really don't think we as a city want that to happen. and i think this is the type of business we need to support. i think we are not going to get -- the dream of a lot of the larger nonprofits is to have a large grocery store in the tenderloin, but if we could put this on the overhead, the commission and through the partners who did a study on grocery stores in 2007 and basically what this report says is it's not going to happen. they're not going to go into a

17,000 square foot space at taylor or anywhere else in the neighborhood for the same reason that we have higher crime, low disposable income, street gang issues, poverty, they're not coming into the neighborhood. we have a grocery store now in the tenderloin. what we need to do with the city is support this gentleman and give him some city money on top of the beer and wine license. he is willing to go -- the request is to get rid of hard liquor and malt liquor and get rid of fortified wines and limit the space to 8% of the occupied space of the store. this is not going to turn tiptop liquor into a liquor store and at least the spirit of planning code 790.55 which defines liquor store, i don't think with beer and wine you have to call him a liquor store with 8%. thank you for your support of

this project. olague -- vice president olague: thank you. there is a community group that requested a 10-minute block of time and we always honor that if you request it. in the future if some of you weren't aware of that, that is the case. we will hear from central city collaborative first and then from the public. >> good afternoon, members of the planning commission. for the past five years i have lived at the s.r.o. at 64 turk street and been a tenant organizer for my building sibs december of 2009. i came before planning commission in december of 2009 to oppose mr. ransi's license to tiptop market. one of the reasons i gave is on

the half block i live, my building is sandwiched between a bar called 21 and a liquor store called tenderloin liquor and grocery. they already attract a significant amount of traffic that results in drinking and drug dealers and if tiptop market was to be successful in the efforts, our block would be even more chaotic. i did not see how adding another liquor store within our half block would prove that the neighborhood, especially given the fact when mr. rantsi used to sell alcohol, the police were routinely called to the store because of the insanity that took place outside the store. is it even a coincidence that the first murder of 2011 in san francisco took place on new year's day 5 feet from the front of his store? currently there are times i approach my building that i feel like moses trying to part the

red sea to navigate the maze of those congregating the building. and i can not imagine what it would look like if another store was allowed to sell alcohol. my question to the planning commission is this, would a planning commission approve of two liquor stores and a bar in business on any residential part of pacific heights or the marina? i think not. the fact we are here 16 months later having to fight this again is a small example of the forces the residents of the tenderloin come to when it comes to bettering our lives. this only adds gasoline to the fire of madness that is sadly accept and tolerated. this needs to change. i understand mr. rantsi has a family to support and wants to make a profit. however, the fundamental question the planning commission needs to answer, which is more important? his right to make a profit and pay taxes or the right for

residents of the taylor and turk block having a street that is free from violence and public drunkenness? if he is success nfl soliciting the i have a family to feed speech t planning commission might as well say the well being of a family who doesn't live in the tenderloin is more important than the quality of the life of the families who actually live in the tenderloin. most people seem to forget that the neighborhood is a residential neighborhood. the tenderloin is a residential neighborhood. there are four hotels on our block alone. for many this is permanent housing. we deserve better. sure, denying tiptop market a license to sell beer and wine will not cure the problems currently plaguing the residents who live on turk and taylor block. however, what it will do is make it easier for the city of san francisco to help us address these issues whenever the powers that be decide that the residents who live in the tenderloin are worthy enough of their efforts to make our

neighborhood more safe and livable. what i hope is the planning commission will look into what can be done to help him stay in business as a grocery store because having a grocery store plays a part in improving our neighborhood. there is a need for a thriving grocery store that sells fresh fruits, vegetables, and affordable grosse ris. however, the bottom sideline the last thing we need is another store that sells alcohol. in closing, a major concern of mine is where does this end? how much alcohol should a neighborhood be subjected to before we say, enough is enough? how will granting mr. rantsi a license to sell beer and wine help attract quality businesses to the tenderloin that will positively help improve our neighborhood? thank you for your time. vice president olague: thank you. >> i wonder how i follow this act. i am native of san francisco, steven kennis, and i volunteer

for the central city collaborative. i'm opposed to granting public beer and wine liquor license at tiptop convenience store. he say he is will only sell quality wines and no single beers. to crack dealers and buyers that penetrate that block aren't interested in buying six packs of beers and quality wines. as a recovering addict and alcoholic, i speak from a vast wealth of information regarding this. the very last thing we need is one more store selling alcohol in that area. when we do need is more positive businesses such as a laundromat, grocery store, that serves no alcohol, no wine or beer. this will help the residents in this community.

this will add to the misery a miser misfortune, so please deny this request. vice president olague: thank you. we'll open it up for general public comment. chris shulman by david addington and randy shaw. >> good afternoon, commissioners. chris shulman and i am speak at the request of the office of economic, formerly first development, and i was before you 16 months ago and we made the commitment to help support mr. rantsi with his new endeavor in not serving alcohol. i would like to just review some

of the things the office of economic and workforce development did to support mr. rantsi along with a conclusion on where things were left off. in july of 2009, one of the consultants who worked with the small business development center, now with office of economic and workforce development began engaging with mr. rantsi. they looked at a number of different areas, including a building facade improvements in which there was a funded healthy mural signage depicting healthy produce, sandwiches, and food offerings. there was some -- the building was painted as part of the improvement that the property owner made. security bars, there was a modification to them to discourage people from sitting on the ledge. there was also some removal of unused newspaper racks to help improve the visibility.

the consultant worked on merchandising with mr. rantsi with the visual merchandiser and work and the front window and removed miscellaneous signage. they worked with an energy audit and the department of the environment on the complete energy audit and modification and rebates were identified for a total of first year savings of approximately $8,000. the consultant worked with food offering and they have a complete produce selection, sandwiches, and hot food preparation along with meat and other offerings. there was work with him to successfully implement e.b.t., senior discount, and the consultant did help him apply for w.i.c. certification to use additional vouchers as forms of payment. however, my understanding is that did not ultimately get completed through training. and we also worked on advertising in local papers.

the report was that mr. rantsi was cooperative in making these i think thats and understanding that there is a large learning curve after a liquor store to the market, he did make an effort and is continuing to make that effort according to the consultant. at this time he needs to follow through with the w.i.c. training to offer additional currencies for the customers, focus on updating and maintaining, merchandising, open up the security gates daily and remain committed to offering fresh produce and food offerings. the consultant also did recognize there are a number of challenges that were crime related -- vice president olague: you can finish because i know this is very much related to the hearing of a year ago. >> thank you. i'm almost done. over the past year there has been a number of issues on that block and crimes and drug related and violence related and

the consultant noted that his location is clean, well lit, and he did install security cameras. we would like to see the police continue to or ratchet up their commitment to that area so that both his store and neighboring businesses and organizations can be successful. the consulta he was not available to be here today, and i may be able to answer questions if you have any. vice president olague: thank you. david addington. edward evans. i'll just keep calling names and come up when your name is called or afterward. it's up to you. >> i don't think david is here. vice president olague: i saw him earlier. >> i think he stepped out. >> thank you, commissioners. randy shaw.

i assume you got my letter to oppose this application. you can get beer and wine right next door on the same block. this doesn't serve any need that is unmet in the neighborhood. and what's interesting is how as fond a fellow as prior market may be, there are certain facts that when he ran the grand liquor, he wrecked the 100 block south side of turk street with 20 to 50 people every day and from the moment that site was closed, that is one of the best blocks in the tenderloin. that is a fact. you go to that south side of the 100 block of turk since the liquor store closed and you will see nobody hanging out. go to the tiptop market as i do regularly and there is always a crowd in front. so that's a reality. that is the facts. people say we can't have more vacant store fronts. we don't need those kind of businesses. there are not as many vacant store fronts as the dollhouse is in negotiation to open as a

theater. and if he needs to sell liquor, go to a neighborhood where we don't have the statistics that mr. crawford stated with 13 liquor stores within 1,000 feet of this one. this is not the place to do it. it is the wrong location. and it is true that the reason this historically has been liquor store uses prolive yating in neighborhoods including the uptown tenderloin that are not tolerated elsewhere and there are big source of problems for the exact reasons we have seen at grand liquor and will be intensified with a liquor license at the tiptop market. you approved the city place project which is a block from there and how are we going to get people to go to city place if you have the giant place in front of the tiptop market down mason street and approve the facility that they have started to go by 130 turk to be impressed at the work they have done and the doggy day care and

a nice, beautiful job of the exterior and that block has improved. also up not half a block from here, we don't need this use. there is this taylor streets art district the city is heavily invested in. how can you have a successful taylor streets art district when 90 turk almost at the corner of taylor you have this giant crowd in front of the tiptop market? this is the problem we face. and it is time -- i know the commission has been supportive of the efforts in the tenderloin and the fact i keep coming down and you keep showing us that the community is being organized and we're trying to improve things and we need to take a step forward, not a step backward by adding more liquor uses. thank you. vice president olague: thank you. >> good evening. i am the head of the association and i am here to speak on behalf

of mr. rantsi. he lost a business of about $200,000 and invested another $150,000 on the new location and is conducting a very good and clean operation over there. unfortunately, the tenderloin is the tenderloin. there are problems everywhere in the tenderloin. but mr. rantsi has been punished for no reason other than being in the wrong location. doing business as a responsible citizen. and he should not be paying the price for it. we would like you to look at his records since he moved to the new location. he has not had any infractions and never had any issues and he is conducting his business in a very responsible way. we would like to look at that from that point of view and from his right under the constitution to conduct his business anywhere he wants.

and grant to move to that location. we really appreciate that. thank you so much for your time. vice president olague: can you bring the microphone down? you got it, ed? thank you. >> my name is edward evans with community resources action project and also our senior disabled concerns committee. i'm here to get an approval for mr. rantsi to have a beer and wine license only. over the last 20 years he's been

in the neighborhood and works with community groups like mine and he gives people supplies for meetings and things like this. and the store there has canned goods, fresh produce, a full service deli that serves the people in the s.r.o.'s that do not have cooking facilities. you get hamburgers, philly cheesesteaks, french fries, all sorts of items. he has wide aisles that a wheelchair can get down. and people in walkers that live in the neighborhood. we have many seniors and disabled people that need this store. the rantsi family is very supportive of the idea of getting crime reduced in the neighborhood. he is constantly calling the

police with regards to some of the neighbors like myself that call police. he is not a police officer. i agree that we have had some improvement since garrity came on the scene, but we need more enforcement and prosecution and as far as that shooting that happened on the first, it did not happen in front of rantsi's store. it happened in front of the 21 club on taylor street. where the telephone box is. they were playing dice. beer and wine in this location is important to keep him open. if he is denied this beer and wine license, we're going to have another empty store front

with security gates on it. the fact that he's not going to have fortified wine. he's not going to have malt liquor. he's going to have six packs only. that you have to take home and drink it. a street drinker isn't going to buy a six pack. the six pack is for the guy that works every day and wants to have a beer in front of the television or with his dinner. the same thing with the wine. not going to be any fortified wines. no 40-ounce bottles. this is a responsible businessman. and he needs to be recognized. [bell ringing] >> thank you. >> my name is deanne hillard and i teem associate district manager for the north tenderloin community benefit district.

we do not support mr. rantsi's request to sell alcohol at 90 turk. the community worked really hard to organize around this issue the last time he was here to discuss mr. rantsi's upgrading with a liquor license. the commission ruled to not allow the transfer of the license and i ask you to uphold that ruling and not allow any sales of alcohol at 90 turk. the tenderloin is already saturated with places to purchase alcohol. adding another liquor license, whatever the conditions are on it, is not useful and it's not beneficial to our community. mr. rantsi is suggesting that the selling of alcohol at his store will prevent his business from failing. that tells me that the selling of alcohol will become a priority for his business. as a 12-year resident of the tenderloin, i find that offensive that he's suggesting a business model that relies on the sales of alcohol to be

profitable. especially given the realities of our neighborhood. there are successful businesses in the tender loin that do not sell any alcohol. i believe mr. rantsi with the support of the city and the community can be suck sezful without selling alcohol. please do not grant this request to allow the sale of alcohol. there is no added benefit or usefulness. vice president olague: thank you. mr. addington, we called you up earlier, so if you want to speak now, and you will be followed by susan brian, david elliott lewis. >> i'm sorry i am tardy and thank you for allow megato step in. i am david addington. i own the warfield theater which is right next to this site. and i absolutely think he should be allowed to serve beer and wine. the idea that he somehow is responsible for the mistruants

on turk or taylor street is completely misinformed. my offices look out over turk street. i'm watching the activity there and have 24 hours a day. i have seen it at night and in the day. and the idea that his ability to sell beer is going to affect that dramatically is just ridiculous. and if you are an inebriate, you don't mind walking 100 feet one way or the other to get a beer. that's the nature of being a inebriate. and we think it is a crucial part of his business. it's where i buy milk for my child and if we could, we'd buy a decent bottle of wine to have for dinner. but today you can't do that. i think he should be allowed to sell it.

like i said, we're right there. thank you. and again, sorry i was tardy. vice president olague: no worries. please come up. >> hello. i am susan brine. i'm a resident of tenderloin for 21 years. in a perfect world, we would have a co-op and we would have a happy people who like myself would bripg bring your own bags to buy bulk foods and all those good thing, but we've been promised a decent grocery store for a long time. and it just hasn't happened. now, mr. rantsi is offering food, produce, deli, and i actually went in there and saw where he proposed to put his

beer and wine and in the back so people would actually have to walk all the way back to purchase it and walk all the way to the front and under his watchful eye. so i think he's a pretty smart guy doing it that way. now, bristol farms is too upscale but it is a possibility for people to go to, but kind of hard. it's not a really a neighborhood place besides the nonunion. i ask that mr. rantsi is granted his beer and wine license. a man was a brewer before he was a baker. beer goes back to the mesopotamia era and wine does, too. so please consider it a food as well even though it's

technically alcohol. it's in moderation and with food, it's okay. thank you. >> hello, commissioners. i am glenden hyde and i have the pleasure of running for supervisor district six and i met a lot of business owners and mr. rantsi was one of the most forthcoming and one of the most generous that i had met. einstantly took me in and showed me how he had made improvements to offer food to take home for the residents and as well as complying with the need for fresh fruits and vegetables in the tenderloin. i think that he is an extremely responsible and extremely forthcoming person. i know he is helping many people and many organizations in the tenderloin.

and i think that with the tenderloin, keeping businesses open and especially businesses that do direct outreach and create situations that encourage the growth of the tenderloin and the stability of the residents, i think this gentleman should be rewarded this liquor license to ensure he can continue the work he does in the tenderloin. and as far as the people who would buy it, i would buy wine and with the arts district, i believe a lot of people would buy wine and beer there. and the people who are hanging out in front of his office, when -- or his store when i talk to hem, they have come in from oakland between 6:00 and 8:00 in the morning to sell crack cocaine, and i don't believe that they are there to consume alcohol. i think that the problem could be better served by opening houses in the