significant part of the city's infrastructure to separate the storm water so it has a chance to recharge our own water table. i think that's significant and it's an example setting for the rest of the city. and most importantly from my own personal perspective, it's a long-range plan that slowly over time creates more useable, open space. my own children have been growing up using park and playgrounds. and having more open space available to the public domain is an important part of building the social infrastructure of our city and making for viable communities. we don't live in suburbs where our kids play in isolation and playgrounds. they play with other kids and it's families and meeting other families that make for a viable city environment. for all of these reasons, i'm investing my children's upbringing, foundations of their very own future in this city and i urge this commission to invest in the future of the city by approving this plan. thank you. >> thank you.

>> my name is steve zeltser. i'm with the united public workers for action and peace and freedom party. first of all, i want to ask the planning commission what is happening on the attack on planners who have been harassed out of their jobs in san francisco? >> i'm sorry if you can limit your comment to the environmental impact report. >> this is the environmental impact. planners have been kicked out -- >> is that the environmental impact sflort >> yes, it has to do with impact. what is the impact on working class families in san francisco? has this documented the working class families who can't live in san francisco anymore, the working people, trade unions, hotel workers and teachers who will be kicked out of their homes? that's part of the environmental impact. >> you don't believe that the environmental impact adequately relates to that. >> this is not defending these people and say they should have their homes and keep their homes. the environmental impact statement represents the developers. that's what the environmental impact statement represents. and, frankly, the planning commission should be elected to

represent the community of san francisco, and not political hacks, not political hacks and developer interest who appoint you. that's what the planning commission should represent. and i want to say further about the question of where this development was taking place in san francisco, the environmental impact of the students of san francisco, the san francisco state university is spending millions of dollars buying out property not for working class students and at the same time they're attacking the students of san francisco state, working class students who can't afford the fees. this is an environmental impact about the development of this space for the people of san francisco. this should be a working class university and students should be able to go here. lastly i want to say as far as the environmental impact, their cutting off duty drivers today, cutting transportation workers and you say you don't have enough money. that's what you have to have a partnership with the developers. i say that's the wrong approach. why don't we start having a development like this in pacific heights?

why don't we have it there in pacific heights? you know why, the billionaires who are going to develop all of this live in pacific heights and they would oppose it. thank you. >> thank you. >> and you don't know any of us so you make a lot of assumptions. >> good afternoon. i'm byron kutz, small business own here and raise my family in the city. in terms of the environmental report, i want to stand here in support of it. i think it's comprehensive in the assessment of what this development represents. i think it goes to some of the key issues which is transit-based community. i think that's important. i think it's consistent with the citywide mandate. it also represents a diversity in housing, which was particularly important for this neighborhood. and another note on the historic aspect of the buildings, i want to say relative to what i was saying earlier, these current buildings are designed for an

automobile culture. and they're based around land use and water use that's inconsistent with what the city is trying to move forward with. so i believe that to reenvision this area in terms of transit and in terms of diversity, really brings the city forward into a future and into kind of more vital and more sustainable future. so thank you very much. >> thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is david mechanical. i'm the director of research and planning here in the neighborhood where i have been for 25 years. i'm here to fully support the certification of the final e.i.r. for the parkmerced plan. in reviewing the e.i.r., i found the nall sis thorough and complete. the plan provides a carefully considered model for creating a

vibrant, sustainable neighborhood. it's a well conceived urban infield project in my opinion, accompanied by planned street scape design that's will create an active public realm and terrific neighborhood streets that are consistent with the city's better street plans. i do, however, believe the e.i.r. is very conservative in its analysis of parkmerced as a historic resource since none of the buildings on the site are individually significant for their architecture. although the 1940's era planning and landscape ideas that represents are perhaps romantic or nostalgic, i don't believe the city should preserve and promote outmoated planning ideals. it's incredibly important for san francisco to keep making progress on adding diverse housing types within city limits. the amount of housing proposed and its carefully deployed density is appropriate and necessary to support a successful trans-oriented

development. the plan provides a nice ray of housing types to support a diverse population of current and future residents including young professionals, families, seniors and students. i urge the commission to recommend certification of the e.i.r. thank you. >> thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is william luddy. i'm a resident and small business owner in san francisco. also an architect specializing in sustainable design and historic preservation projects. i've reviewed the e.i.r., find it to be very thorough and in fact, as some of the other speakers have mentioned, somewhat conservative with regard to its evaluation of historic resources of this project. and i believe -- i believe there's a really strong link between the retention of the historic preservation on the one hand and creating liveable,

sustainable cities for the future. i think this project represents really excellent balance of those two elements. in fact i believe it will become -- it serves as an exemplary model for what's sustainable urban living should be in the future that will be influential around the country. i urge you to approve the e.i.r. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> my name is kathy lands. i'm a part of the parkmerced action coalition. a true vision of the future would be inclusive of the people who live here now. taking them and their children into the future, not exposing them and the students of san francisco state to 30 years of cancer-causing toxins in an uncertain future. please see parkmerced project e.i.r. pages 7 to 10 impact aq 12, aq 13, aq 15, aq 19 and aq

20. all of these say cancer-causing toxins are significant and unavoidable. the e.i.r. should not be recertified until these conditions are addressed and resolved. you have no right to expose part of san francisco for 30 years of cancer-causing agents. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, commissioners. my name is kristin and i'm representing the national trust historic preservation. the national trust is concerned the impact resulting from the parkmerced project are not receiving enough consideration in the environmental and plan regular view processes. we discussed these concerns in a letter to the commission dated january 28th and mr. aaron goodman has given you a copy of that. it's signed by six local and

regional state and national preservation organizations. at the root of our concern is the fact parkmerced without question a architecture and design resource of national significance. one of only four remaining examples of large scale, preand post world war ii residential developments in the country and one of the largest works completed by celebrated landscape architect thomas church. our colleagues at the culture landscape foundation who are national experts in the study of design landscape and help to institute the parks and services national landscape culture program believe parkmerced could indeed qualify for national historic lan mark status. the highest recognition afforded to historic resources in our country. the original vision for parkmerced may be underappreciated in san francisco today but the hiss tore ig significance of the property and its place in the national canyons and urban residential design is undisputed among experts. the national trust clearly explore of prefers the san

francisco decision makers select project alternatives that incorporate preservation of significant features of parkmerced such as preservation alternative fee presented in the documents.>> i am mike mueller. it is understood this qualify as

has historic resources and is one of four remaining large- scale apartment complexes in the country. we noted its did nothing to preserve the historic district and reiterated our concerns in july of last year. it would allow for greater density than under addition in all -- additional alternatives. alternative c for the hybrid have not been considered. the mitigation described to compensate for the district is

wholly inadequate. while we strongly believe there are alternatives, the plan may be approved very good -- may be approved. there are over 170 slated for demolition. the findings compensate for the near-total loss. this is important when considering the project with an estimated $360 million worth of public benefits. the resources allocated are placed in stark relief compared to the measures to relieve other adverse affects. guidelines require it to be roughly a correspond to the environmental impact. >> thank you.

>> i am a member of the board of directors and part of the park merced action coalition. the environmental impact report has a lot of problems. one is betting it does not give anything about real earthquake problems that i submitted already. here is another map that was also considered. there are 30-inch pipes, one down 19th avenue and the other

don parker said boulevard. -- and the other on park merced boulevard. these are things that the environmentally impact report has considered. it has earthquake problems and very little consideration for the other things we have learned the hard way that should be a matter for public concern given a lot of negligence on behalf of pg&e. i think you should start with a blockade of the project. -- wi

one of the vague sites is park merced. there are other places along the coast. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> i am on the borderline of environmental impact. i studied art and architecture at yale university for seven years. charles mohr was my professor. i also studied with vincent, who is called not only real cost as lecturer but the most authoritative voice in -- who is not only their best lecturer. he said, do not let them get away with its.

he referred me with a firm in chicago that has had a great deal of success and that is incredibly important that this beautiful landscape designed by thomas church not be destroyed. i spoke with an hour and a 45 minutes. he was astounded at things he had not seen. as jackson pollock said when somebody said he should sell the -- study nature he argued, i am nature. you cannot draw a credible and boundary between people and nature, so i support a huge population of sparrows and warblers, beautiful and rare birds.

there are chickadees, a flock of 25 goldfinches, and they are all there right now. my daughter move in when she was about eight months old. my son was born in park merced. we will not been able -- we will not be able to replace a place where children can play it safe of traffic. >> i am a jr. of high school, and i have lived with my family in an apartment in part of merced for 14 years. my brother was born and raised in our first house in park merced, and we were both raised in a wonderful environment.

we spent most of our time growing in a spacious backyard. i grew up with some children who have become my best friends, and i do my homework with the birds, and i think it is outrageous to deny other children that of bringing by moving them into a crowded new -- that upbringing by moving them into a crowded apartments. i wonder what will happen to done playground? i would like you to reconsider the uprooting of my home. thank you. >> i want to point out the

irony of local climate change analysis. that analysis is fundamentally flawed. it explains the greenhouse gas emission was adjusted for the guidelines, and they have no explanation for why or how they adjusted the inventory. the result is that it is not a significant impact it is extremely hard to believe given the level of density. this is summarized in a letter you already received. i just want to make sure you

have it. >> that would be great. thank you. >> thank you for limiting the comments to the eir, and you will have a chance afterwards to speak about the project. >> i am an acting president of the merchants association. there is a son variants for an exit from ninth avenue. that is crucial for the park's center and the merchants to continue to exist, and we would like to make sure it is understood how important that is to us. >> is there any additional comments on?

>> -- on the are? >> i have spent thousands of hours going over this over the last three years, and we have given a thorough review, and that is one part of the issues that are going on and are going to be mitigated by this project. i found the development team and the planning department to

really consider what is going to happen to the traffic situation if we just let it go common -- let it go, and that is what the study talked about, what happens to the traffic? when you are considering this common and please consider that isn't the largest impact that affects -- that is the largest impact affects san francisco. it is going to take many car trips off of people that would be driving into the city. it is going to create 5700 carpentry's if they take the light rail downtown. it is going to alleviate

congestion. i thank you, and i urge you to avert an -- to vote for cert. >> is there additional comments on the eir? >> i am an architect, and i have been a strong advocate for the present stage of -- preservation, and in the course of my research, i have never been exposed to any writing that would comment on park merced in the larger discourse very good -- larger discourse.

i want to remind thought audience, it was a far more significant project. thank you for your attention. >> thank you. >> i want to make some comments to us to move what is supposedly going to mitigate it. the building i live in went up in 1991, and i think it is evidence blackmun the sidewalks and things needed to be improved for pedestrians to be saved. -- evidence that the sidewalks and things need to be improved for pedestrians to be safe.

as far as muni service, we have had some cut. it does not cross second street and does not run passed on a weekend. gooi am not quick to assume this will be taken care of. look of the america's cup. goofolks of live on the east sie of town house the open space, and we will have it preserved so we have somewhere to get some breathing room while this is going on. >> thank you, is there any additional comment on eir.

>> i was not able to write these comments, but i have commented on the environmental impact of the project, and i want to encapsulate the for the record common -- for the record, and that this is not compatible with treasure island where there is new housing. this is the demolition of an existing neighborhood. it will also demolished large amounts of landscaped areas and trees common -- entries, which will increase greenhouse gases, -- and trees, which will

increase in greenhouse gases. once again, if this is recall, to be done properly, it needs to include analysis of where such density could be " closer to an area of -- could be " closer to an area that would not require demolition of several existing units and rebuilding of them. >> is there any additional public comments?

>> thank you for your time. environmentally speaking, this project would best be described as green washing. that is an industry term used to describe a project such as the park merced vision term, which uses the term green as a smokescreen to hide the underlying predatory nature of projects such as demolition and the development of park merced traded terms such as more usable open space are used to hide the inherent distrust of nature and non-conservationist, non-environmental underpinnings of this so-called park merced vision and plan. please vote no. >> any additional public

comment on the er? -- eir? >> this inadequately reviews the cumulative impacts of this particular project, taking into consideration the other area plans that have already been passed, which have on mr. google -- unmitigable impacts. this city is only 7 miles in breath, and what happens in one area will affect all other areas. they are inadequate in dealing with fire safety problems