right now. this could become a mural for booker t. washington. but we break down this massing and this fifth floor really can't be seen from the pink house here. and then addressing the rear yard, we have planners that surround the backyard and we're going to soften that with privacy screens, maybe bamboo and also, once again with the channel glass, this has an s.t.c. rating of 42. which, if off loud noise that starts at about 08. so coming through 42 wall. f.t.c. rating of 42, will end up with a rating of under 5 5. this will be a significant improvement from what's there right now.

so -- any questions? president chiu: colleagues, any questions? any final part of the presentation? time is still ticking so -- >> good evening, supervisors. i know many of you have seen enough of me over the past few months, but booker t. is really trying to move into the 21th century by dealing with the need that are in san francisco right now and in our strategic planning session what we figured is that there was a real need for transitional age, youth, housing and support services and we have a unique opportunity to be able to provide the services and programs and housing in one spot. we have assembled a group of feel -- people, including youth radio, first place for youth. and this is just the award that

first place for youth just got for the wonderful programs they do and the successes of those programs. i'd like toe introduce the board share and booed member at booker t. julian davis and larry griffin to go through some of what the planning has been for this and where we come from and what we're trying to do in moving into the 21st century. >> thank you. i'm julianne davis. i'm board chair for the community center. the effort? has been providing services since 1919. historically in response to jim crow seggregation focused on the black population but also in recent years, others.

this has never really been a debate about one story ore about nine united states. it's about whether the booker t. washington service center could have a stainable development plan. the at nitch building reduced to four stories with 41 units, would cost an unsustainable housing unit that this city cannot afford. the opponentses the no seem to care that that would leave the commission strapped for 10 years. that's the kind of thinking that led the world into fast ball crisis and also the kind of thinking that has priced so many people out of the decade since redevelopment. booker t. washington center has

been severing this exune community uncommunity's needs for at least 100 years. ironically some of those people have called this project manhattanization. it's the very definition of our fran values. a correctistic of misnaffings the opponents have provide you with is there's not a single supporter of the development who lives within a block and a half. hires a letter from one support irwho lives 68 feet away. i have here letters from supporters in the immediate and surrounding neighbors that i would also like to summit for the record. our opponents' assertion that our gym is just for preschool, that is also worse.

it used for recreational activities and activities during our youth during the school well. the agrarningte we reached with drew scool for the use of the jim provided us with funding for amp school and team programs that. arrangement should be applauded, not tremendous rided. great great partnership also provide tutors. the winner of the peabody award this year in broadcasting will have a new study. the vast majority's of the foster youth are returned to places out of san francisco. youth services have also -- always been a big key. after extensive study and planning we were -- we are determined to add an on-site supportive housing component in

partnership with first place for youth, which has offered a continued track record of success. we'll help them roster and grow into healthy and productive members of society. we urge you to deny the e.i.r. and to adopt the presidio special subject use direction. will you thank you. >> president chiu, members of the board of supervisors, i'm being left with 25 seconds. i'm a native san francisco can born and raised in the person decision and i first went to booker t. center as a small child in 1962. my father volunteered there and coached basketball. it's an integral part of this city. i have three second. i'm also -- >> thank you. president chiu: thank you very

much. we'll hear now from members of the public that wish to support the project sponsor with regards to either firming the certificate certification of the final e.i.r. or the conditional use authorization. first speaker, please. >> supervisors, my name is steve suzuki. i'm the executive depror of asian neighborhood design. we're a non-profit drain organizations. we have been doing this for 30 years. the proposal that's before you, aztecal architects and planners, we believe that this development is to be supported and it's an excellent design for the you are man fabric of the times in the neighborhood and we feel that it would be -- again, what it is providing is

necessary necessary for the neighbor. we serve emancipated foster youth and the need for permanent and affordable housing. it is cribble to provide this as a stable base for their lives. for our organization we speak in opposition or we have to be denied any appeals and to approve of the project as is. thank you. >> hi, supervisor chu. i don't recognize too many of you but i used to come before you representing the public health department. i'm not retired and i am an enthusiastic supporter of the booker t. washington community service center, i was born in san francisco, went to san francisco schools. i've lived almost in every neighborhood throughout my 61 years and i think this project

really to continue to promote the values of san francisco if a -- san francisco, in-- em-- encompassing diversity and sever serving people where they really need it. and furthermore i just want to point out that booker t. washington has been a wonderful emblem and cymbal for all of clavement so i urge you to deny the appeal and support the prodge. thank you very much. >> president chiu, supervisors. rsjita davis. developer of affordable homes here in san francisco for both first time home buyers but also for families who need supportive services. i really urge you to support this project and deny the appeal. i was also on the community

advisory board for the housing element, the part of the general plan, and through many months of very rank rows discussions about the future of housing in san francisco, it was clear that there were certain neighborhoods who felt that the affordable housing responsibility should only be in a very few neighborhoods. and they would love to talk about victorians, and as the owner of a victorian, i have to say that there is this wonderful part about that. but we also have to realize we live in are 21-century city. we're a phone callal point around the world and i urge you to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people, who are in one of the most expensive cities in the world and take on that responsibility to provide services and support

services that provide for them. if you -- thank you for your time. president chiu: next speaker. >> thank you, board. my name is alexander cotton. i present the league of young voters, also known as the league of pissed off voters. i'm here so that the league can lend our voice to advocates at booker t. and other youth advocates throughout the city to support the project in its 5-unit form. 5,700 youth in san francisco are at ric -- risk of homelessness every year. these are folks who are leaving the public education system or cycling out of the foster care system. i wanted to set their struggle tonight into the larger context of the state, california, the state in which public education is under attack and cuts are

threatening to eviscerate certain services in our and i in other cities around the state. tonight the supervisors have an opportunity to win a small battle in that larger struggle. the neighbors in this project would like to ask you to compromise and move down to 41 instead of 50 units, but every unit of affordable housing -- every single unit of affordable housing that we can create in this si is a victory. every unit is a life turned around, perhaps saved. every unit represents money saved for the city in the long run. so though the neighbors would like to ask you to lower that number of units. each of those units is a fiber in a larger rope, which is woven whooo! into that larger safety net. though they'd like to ask you to sever nine of those strands,

i would like you to ask them to keep them whole. thank you. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> thank you, mr. president, spoofers. my name is arnold townsend, and tonight i'm representing the san francisco e.o.c. where i serve as president, and the naacp of san francisco write serve as vice president. dr. amos brown, who just called, is out of town, fortunately. i'll try to be just as quick as i can. let me say that one of the things about living in san francisco that never seedses to amaze me is that dwrour -- ceases to amaze me is that you're always amazed. you're always surprised. when i finally think there's something that will come up that will have absolute anonymity.

once again, amay want and surprise. i am surprised that we are even questioning abandment over children over maybe a few feet and over maybe some extra cars in the neighborhood. that is the most amazing thing i have heard from in ages. we just got a report that children and families are abandoning this city left and right. now we take children who have no families to take care of them, to help and support them as they grow into adulthood and if they're going to be supported, it's up to our institutions to do it and now we tell them go out on the street -- or whatever you go, let somebody else take care of it. i know it's politically incorrect to talk about racism these days.

people always want to claim that you're playing the race card but i'm old enough to know that race ain't a game. but i will say that my daddy taught me a long time ago that if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck. brothers and sisters, you got yourself a duck. thank you. president chiu: next speaker. >> good evening president chiu, sfrmplets i'm andy with the san francisco bicycle coalition and we support this project. we applaud the intensification of uses that this project brings. desirable uses and that is well-supported by the transportation aspects of this project. it is located in a site well-served by transit and sits at the intersection of two major bicycle grufmentse the

project provides almost no parking for cars. we think this is a very worthy project on that basis and the intensification of uses will be supported by these transit resources. this is co-heernlt with planning code and the city's larger policy goals. here we have a chance to live up to our aspirations for housing. additionally is provision provides place to store 80 bikes. and on that basis again, the coalition is very supportive and hope that you'll bring this project forward. thank you. president chiu: next speaker. >> president chiu, supervisors. my name is sam. i'm a nearby homeowner close to the project and for 20 years i've been the head of drews school. our students and speechers have

interacted with booker t. in an array of service and educational projects and i'm very proud of the sustained relationship that we've had. i'm also very proud of the public. very open relationship that we've had regarding the gymnasium that we share. in my mind it's a wonderful example of collaboration between two very caring institutions. today i'm here to urge you to deny the appeal before you and to support the project as it exists. i would suggest that there are two main areas for us to consider. one is the reality, the very real need for this project. booker t. has faith li served our unit -- faithly served our community for well over 50 years, addressing the needs of all ages. people right out of high school. it's given an array of services, including vocational

training. in computers there's an exciting new opportunity in youth radio as well. the housing that's before us is about transitional age youth, foster care. the needs there are very real and have been arctic lated to you. the sbeg active -- integrity of leadership is the second one i'd like you to see this project through. i've spent churnings out of most weeks of those 20 years off and on at booker t. i have to say that the leadership, whether it's the board, the current executive director or the hands-on staff that's there truly are remarkable. they deserve and need the support that they're asking for. this is a group that's proactive with a vix of caring. they're very responsible, very communicative with us as neighbors. it's a very intelligent group and incredibly respectful to their clientele and the needs

of our greater neighborhood. what is before us is an organization with solid leadership trying to address the very real needs of an often group of disenfranchised group of our city. it will be a wonderful decision to our city and ultimately i would have you believe that it's the right project for the right reasons at the right time. thank you. 6 >> good evening. my name is jenny perlman. i'm here on behalf of the board of trust knees on the little school. we urge you to support is booker t. washington project. we are a neighbor located at lyons street and we believe this project would be good for the neighbor. recently the little school has been investigating the possibility of opening a second childcare center at the booker

t. washington project. the idea would be to have a mixed group of families and to serve the children of the parents of the children at booker t. washington. we believe that you should support the development of this project, as the little school does. booker t. washington community center as you know and as you've heard from many people tonight has a long track record of serving children, family, youth, and immigrants in the neighborhood. the little school stands behind ensuring strong neighborhood institutions that be be viable and add a vibrancy to the neighborhood and have the ability to thrive for the long term. in addition, we are excited about the possibility of a new childcare center at the booker t. washington site.

this would provide needed services and also childcare to san francisco and specifically in the western addition. we believe that this would provide more children with the opportunity to receive the essential foundation for school readiness, long-term check achievements and a range of possible social and emotional outcomes that research has shown preschool does provide. this is especially true for underserved young children that may be a part of this new booker t. washington childcare center. many over, a core component is is creating a core community that values different life experiences and we believe it would bring important diversity to the neighborhood. thus we urge your support of

the project. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> hello, board. i'm john chapman. i'm here to approve -- got nervous. i'm sorry. i'm going to speak from my heart, honest limit i was homeless for about a year and y'all should approve this because it gives children and people my age a chance to honestly better themselves. if you do not approve this puts more people on the street and more foster child children just like out back without a chance or a fighting chance. so you should approve this four stories, six stories, or five stories. to be honest. y'all should do it. regardless. that's all i have to say. >> mr. president, members of the board. i'm brad paul and speaking today as a father and

individual with over 30 years of experience in housing and land use policy in san francisco. i support this project as currently proposed for economic reasons, humanitarian reasons and design reasons. on the economic side you've heard that lowering this increases the operating losses. while i appreciate the mayor's office of housing offer to cover those losses i agree with commission erron miguel who said i understand what the word "covering" means. it means you're taking that $500,000 or so away from some other deserving project to make this work. we can't afford to do that. on the humanitarian side, that's nine fewer projects each year but over the life of the project, that's hundreds of fewer kids who will not have their lives changed for the better because of this. these are kids that are at the greatest risk of homelessness, of ending up in jail.

with the income they're going to have they can't afford cars. they will take one of the seven muni lines that serves the site. but i think the biggest reason to support this is the consequences of the so-called compromise which would severely come mice the project. this is the third plan on this site. we didn't see the other two earlier. the first plan was 65 feet, 72 units. that was compromised because of concerns with the second project, which was 55 feet but very boxy. that was compromised so what you see here, which is the third project. it's sull. ed back and it's 50 units. it's not only -- the top floor is much less than the floor below and the fourth floor has important setbacks that would go away if you lopped off the

top floor. 60% of today version is at 55 feet or more. deny the appeals and support in project, already the second compromise. it's a better design, has less impact on the neighbors and it saves the city $500,000 that it desperately needs for other affordable housing properties, maybe in your district. thank you. >> good evening, supervisors. my name is jeff kaminsky,. i am a district two commissioner and a youth commissioner and i urge you to please reject this appeal. i stand before you today a week away from the end of my term, my first foray into politics and over the past 10 months i have often been frustrated and disappointed. it is appeals like these that

really perplex me, as this project looks to help many youth who are often overlooked by our society. as you know, this project attendance housing for -- contains housing for transitional aged youth and they rarely get the assistance they need to be successful and stay off the streets. this project cowlingd change the lives of many youths. yesterday at the commission we held a hearing on transitional aged housing in the city or lack thereof and it was or very apatient that these youth desperately need this housing. i ask you to please restore my faith in this city and our government and start changing the lives of san francisco's youth for the better. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is ave and i'm the legislative affairs officer of

the san francisco youth commission as well as the author to have book in support of the booker t. facilities. it was unanimously approved in a hearing we had yesterday. i'd like to submit copies to be on the public record. thank you. in 2005, the commission approved a resolution that recommended that the mayor create a task force to study and make recommendation on the issues that face san francisco youth between the ages of 16 and 24. he did so and it was this task force of experts from dozens of different agencies and nonprofit organizations that found the disconnect need to overcome the multitude of challenges that face them, they need an increase of affordable housing. i'm here today because i believe and we at the youth commission believe that the need is as great as ever. the unemployment rate for youth

is at an historic low. the incarceration rate for this age group has nearly doubled and the rate of homelessness is 65%. they say it's a higher rate of criminal activity than any other no grarving in the city and none of this is fair -- their fault. these are kids that have had the odds stacked against them from day one. i find it hard to see that has a legitimate reason for not approving it. the bottom line is the positive impact this would have on the struggling and otherwise homeless united states. there's no way this issue should even be up for debate. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisorses. my name is leah and i am the chair of the san francisco youth commission. i along with my colleagues stand in support of the booker t. washington housing project

and their commitment to helping the city reach its goal of providing 400 new units of housing by 20 15. another we are only a quarter of the way to reaching this goal, without the booker t. washington project we as a city are only taking steps backwards. i strongly urge you to show your support of fran's -- san francisco's young people by denying the appeal and supporting the project with its 50 units. if you choose to approve the appeal, i ask that you personally tell the thousands of homeless and marginally housed youth that someone's deck view or the possibility of being shadowed is more important for them having a home for the first time in their transition into adulthood and their part of the fabric and future of san francisco. thank you. >> good afternoon. my name is jose. my name is jose. and i was born and raised in