minimizing risk and controlling traffic. thank you. president olague: thank you. >> hello. good afternoon. i am confused parent. my son is starting at the high school this fall. i have many, many times gone the wrong way trying to go to payless, mervyn's. i am the one waitperson. i have been in many many lots. i do applaud the open discussion on let's get the one-way traffic blowing and make -- flowing and make office depot accessible. she was talking about

integration in the community. they do not want to shake hands with us on the subway. they are not opening their doors to give our teachers gift cards are any thought of appreciation. please honor the high school students beating they are part of the neighborhood. they want to come shopping. please open their doors to us. i hope payless or mervyn's or anyone else in the neighborhood would shake hands with the students at our school. thank you. president olague: thank you. is there any additional public comment on this item? >> my name is jim wilter.

i am directly opposite the parking lot entrance, and for many years, i watched the old sears sign -- not a very attractive sign, but it did not bother me. you have got to have the height, because i know i do not want to have to dodge a sign -- a driver trying to redesign with type two small. i support the project. and thank you. president olague: is there additional public comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. commissioner antonini: thank you. i have a question for the project sponsor in regards to the sign at masonic and o'farrell, which staff is proposing to lower the height, but i assume your preference is

to stay with the 35-foot height on the sign? >> yes. commissioner antonini: i wanted to clarify that. i agree with what you are saying. i'd like to support the project sponsor actually on the various items that came up. i think we have conformity in subjugating the blade signs along gearty as was presented to keep that one main shopping center sign the predominant sign, which it is the only one now. i think those things are fine. as far as the windows, and the decorative elements that were introduced, i do not know that we need to allow these windows to be visible. first of all, i understand the windows cannot be opened anyway because most of the merchandisers have i asked for

the ability to use the space for merchandise. so, he will see these blank windows there you cannot see through anyway, which is not attractive. they are not attractive when they were first built, in my opinion. i think the pattern there as presented by project sponsor would probably be preferable to nothing at all and seeing these painted-out windows, which is all you will be able to have, because i think contractually, you are not going to be able to have open windows and show the inside of the store. so, on the height of the signs, i do agree with the 35-foot height on the directional sign at the corner of o'farrell and masonic that announces the center for those coming northbound on masonic and i support the 15-foot directional signs for the reasons presented, that being a one-way street. very hard to make your decision

as to which it lot to get into, and when you to get into the wrong lot, it is difficult to get from one store to another. i had the experience of last year where i found street parking in december, in the evening. the lighting was not good. i was trying to get into best buy to buy a a giants world series video for some friends for christmas, and you could not get in. there was no entrance on geary and masonic, and i assumed there would be 1. there was a lot of exercise going up the stairs to wear best buy was. anything you can do to make it easier for people, not only on pedestrians, but for vehicles to get to the right places, there will be a lot less people searching for parking. this can be done in a peaceful way.

the fact that the signs are higher does not mean it is less desirable. i would support the concept in general, and i would ask that we go ahead and approve as proposed by project sponsor without staff modifications at the height of the signs. president olague: commissioner fong? commissioner fong: thank you. i will take a littl different approach, commissioner antonini. i think we all looked at the sears site. my personal experience with that left-hand turn is the cars parked on the street would impede you from seeing which lot to go into. if we are serious about the parking spaces, if we shipped the parking spaces down, that will give more visibility

turning in. i am ok with the proposed 15- foot, 17-foot signs. i would propose maybe a 20-foot larger sign. i honestly think that would probably be an improvement for the building and the landscaping, that the overall visual nature of the building is better and folks will have an easier time. those are my thoughts. i think that is all. thank you. commissioner moore: i am very glad the project sponsor did some work and was able to present some visual solutions. i was talking with him earlier in the week. i was very much opposed to the approach, because it was just the same package as it was two or three weeks ago, which i did not approve of. however, i think the

presentation about be modifications for the building appearance, facing the major streets -- i do believe that turning the signs to what you are showing, a singular sign with letters applied is the right way to go. in the corporate identity will come from on board support it, what is really a grass-roots solution. turning back the building, i think, is extremely important. mr. miller, a could not see on your slide -- as to whether you were suggesting -- on the corner of masonic? you are showing this turn back into -- do i still see letters on there? i thought i did, but in not quite sure what you have in

mind there. >> yes, we did a singular color. we did have a tenant lettering, as was previously proposed. the only change today was related to the colors of the screen's. >commissioner moore: we would like a uniform color, but he would still have distinguished letters? >> the design was for three tenants, yes. commissioner moore: this is not applied to the window pane itself? this is suspended in front or in rear of the window? >> the screen would be in front of the window, actually mounted on the building, and the tenants sign it would be mounted on the screen. nothing would be mounted on the window itself. >> it is the same design. it is just the colors are changed. it would cover the area, and that is the fact. it would cover the same area. there would still be signed on

at. the proposal is rather than having the yellows and the oranges, it is a series of great tons. commissioner moore: i can live with that. it would be nice to have silkscreen on the window itself, but that is probably asking too much, huh? i think one of the problems has to do with parking on the left side of the street, as commissioner fong pointed out. i think it also has to do with it the signs being set too far back in the property. have you explored whether to move them closer, towards the street, towards the sidewalk side? >> the position of the signs we have shown are relatively close to the edge of the street. that are pretty much close to

the edge of our property line. we put them as close as we can. so, the exact distance of each of their sons would still have to be determined. we tried to -- we tried to move the buildings closer. commissioner moore: it looks like roosevelt to me. is completely suburban. it is taking a city street and making it like a suburban driveway. is something i have a problem with. is there any way we could study and help the developer move those, to give them at a lower

height, which i am strongly opposed to? >> that was my concern as well, that they be more in keeping with the character of that st.. we can certainly replace them -- commissioner moore: the second problem is they come massively 15-feet higher. taller signs on transparent legs so you can see the buildings beyond. so i would suggest the department pursue the lower sign category and find a way to help the developer sum up something.

>> if i may, i think we share the same concern. we do not want people driving around the block the three times. clearly, the signs are needed. it is just a question of how tall they need to be to be visible and where they are placed. commissioner moore: 1 in coming into the driveway and see the signs, visible or not, and i am not wearing glasses, if i passed the intersection, so to speak. should these signs be announcing the driveway, rather than marking the driveway? that is another way of doing it. a different approach to sign inch. -- signage. i prefer the former to the latter. i do not wear a glasses driving. that is another alternative we could work out with lower signs anyway. >> can i jump in with a

question? it is on signs. can you have signs overhanging the sidewalk? cracks in the public right-of- way? no. -- >> in the public right of way? no. commissioner antonini: just to push the street out? >> i do not think you can. you know better than i do. >> as with regular businesses, we have limits as to how much the suns can project over the sidewalk. -- signs can project over the sidewalk. commissioner antonini: we are considering a special assignment district. can we have something -- we're not going to resolve it today, i can tell. but this can follow along the lines of commissioner moore saying, that this can follow along the pole lines, overhang

the sidewalk and come out further? maybe as commissioner moore and commissioner miguel indicated, having it come prior to the entry? i am quite open about how high these things are. commissioner moore: i have a sense that everybody supports this standard to be realized and 60. is just a question of -- it is just a question of detail. of course, we wanted to be there, but i do not wanted to be a fallback. i wanted to be exciting and looking forward. is there anything you want to add to this? >> only that anything projecting over the sidewalk is subject to

the encroachment permit. there will still be the process in place. commissioner miguel: it is the all important sign age. i was going to suggest putting the scion prior to the opening, actually. so you can see it sooner by however wide that opening is. but at the far side, i think it would give you the few seconds of extra time to come in. i know you have a question of size of lettering and that type of fame. it would be very handy and not

uncommon to say that an era of this way is for this location and an air of this way to what is coming up next -- arrow this way for what is coming up next. if they want business c, it is coming up. they haven't missed it and they know where they are. those things might be explored as well. as well as the main building signs, as commissioner moore mentioned, i think they look much better now than they did before. i think the non-coloring is a decent comprimise. i was going to the material, and

on the summary, i was noticing on page 3, the proposed ordinance would allow science to be added at a future date. i was not quite sure what that implies. -- what that new lane implies. id doesn -- it doesn't say that. >> this sign package does not include that signed the they are suggesting we allow the special

sign district. if the special sign district were to pass, as it was proposed in the future, it would be unallowable sign. as long as it meets the prescription. >> what you are acting on today is recommendation of the ordinance. you actually are not of proving its. -- approving it. commissioner miguel: i didn't know if it meant a change up. >> the intent was that if there were hot pedestrian entrances, we could do that. commissioner sugaya: the whole

thing seems backwards to me because we have to design and then we craft an ordinance. it seems ass backwards to me. i agree with most things the commissioners have said, but i don't like the lettering on the screen. i hate the screen to begin with. i will make a motion anyway. i will make a motion to approve the special sign district with the following modifications, that the masonic sign not be taller than 20 feet. i don't want to set a high.

do we have to have the ordinance? >> [inaudible] president olague: no taller than 15 or no taller than -- i don't know if you can use that language or not. commissioner sugaya: i think the commissioners understand that we like to have more work and going on between the project sponsor and staff. and a preference is for something that can come out on the sidewalk if it is possible.

it is much slimmer, like a column. the projecting signs, and isn't that right? the copy is by staff. i'm going to include [unintelligible] the large lettering on the screen itself. president olague: i think everyone was good until the last piece.

do we have a second? >> without a second, the motion dies. president olague: i will make my comments brief. i like where sugaya was going, but i am not ready to accept the last part of it. i think a lot of the comments that we may hear, -- we made here regarding the fsaesthetics, i like the way that there is a more subdued approach to the size image -- signange. -- signage. i used to live by terra vista, that neighborhood.

the issues around the parking lot can be very confusing. another thing that is confusing, it is a 1-way street. i am not sure what can be done to inform people or alert people to the fact that it is a one-way street. that is just a thought. maybe at some point, someone would think of a creative way for making sure it is a more prominent piece of information that people who drive get. there are people that end of the runway or go the wrong direction all the time. it may attract more shoppers, and we see an intensification of traffic. just in terms of safety. i know the neighbors are concerned with people going

through the neighborhood. i think it is needed because of this kind of a confusing place. i think i generally agree with what people said. i am not so married to the height because there has to be some way of alerting drivers there. commissioner antonini: i am going to make a motion that is very similar to that of commissioner sugaya, to repeat the sign entry sign at masonic be limited to 20 feet. that the four-blade signs along gary b of a size shown smaller,

and that copy be vertical. that the decorative screens have muted colors. if the directional sign does not exceed 15 feet with a movement towards narrowing of the lakes with better placement. perhaps it may allow of low or high. that would be my motion. president olague: that does include working with staff. commissioner miguel: i do not think the screen should have any color.

what a single land tone is nearly invisible? >> maybe we can clarify what we are dealing here today. >> the screens are not considered a sign. the correction of a conditional use is to continue to work with staff. does the wall side applied to the screen? -- sign apply to the screen? president olague: commissioner miguoore? commissioner moore: i would like to be particular attention being given to screens like

floating elements. a frames are attachments be invisible to the front elevation of the building, it can be easily done. they are quite capable of doing that. i would agree with the commissioners that he tonality of those letters be very much blend wited with the building. it is an exact contradiction of what we are trying to do. commissioner sugaya: i will support the motion. i just did not want to compromise -- anyway, never mind. >> you have a motion on the floor to approve this

recommendation. you have some modifications, a slimmer basis. i'm not sure of this. i think it's muted screen colors. president olague: that's what i'm hearing. >> you wanted the placement and visibility of the science, you watched the staff to continue working. commissioner antonini: aye. commissioner fong: aye. commissioner moore: aye. commissioner sugaya: aye. commissioner miguel: aye. president olague: aye. >> that motion passes unanimously. president