million. the city is basically getting a gift of more than $10 million. the overall schedule for this project, above the museum and fire station is completion of the fire station in 2013. completion of the museum expansion in 2015. i would like to as representatives from planning, real estate, and the fire department to discuss this and we'll be available for questions. >> i'm john from the planning department, and i am excited to be here today. kevin will go over the specific actions that the planning commission tuck. i want to make three points about this project that we agree as a pretty exciting one. it is quite consistent with the vision put forward many years ago for the yerba buena area to

create a cultural district and the expansion of the museum, it's very consistent with that vision. we always like it when plans are carried forward to the future. that is exciting. and secondly, the transit center district plan, we are completing trans bay terminal. when you look at these plans together, it makes for a vastly increased and vastly improved public environment. unexciting part of the city for the downtown plan that suggests the downtown grow. thirdly, i want to make a comment about the design. the final design of the department has not been approved by the planning commission as of yet. we think that this design is very innovative in many ways, taking a very unusual -- not

only incorporating the needs of the museum, but increase public access to the site. it is a huge plus to tehe city. for a number of reasons, we are pleased to bring this before you today. i will ask kevin to address you. >> i'm kevin gai with planning staff. supervisors will lead to approve the zoning map amendment that resounds 76 hours straight, the existing fire station from -- residthe amendment is necessaryo incorporate the property and a to facilitate construction of the fire station.

it will revise them out to reflect the relocation of fire station number one. -- the map to reflect the relocation of fire station number one. the environmental impact report adopted findings under the california environmental quality act and the objectives and policies of the general plan. the commission also made a recommendation to the board of supervisors that they approve the request of resoundinzoning. if it's granted by the board of supervisors, the commission will review the detailed design of thesf moma expansion. i would like to introduce john updike that will introduce in the location of hunt street. >> good afternoon again. hunt street under what was

mentioned earlier is one of two city properties to be delivered as part of the exchange of parcels. it must first be vacated. that is the action of for you to consider a -- for consideration. -- before you for consideration. it is 30 feet wide. on the overhead, a look at hunt street. there we are, cross-hatched. it is disconnected from third and from howard . the street serves as a parking area from firefighters' first asian -- for station one. additionally, the street provide supplemental loading and valet parking and access to the

w hotel. there are no facilities or utilities in the streets. as the hotel and enjoys directory access elsewhere and as one of the improvement measures -- and it addresses and concerns about one of the uses of the third street easement area. sf moma is meeting the terms and conditions. in regard to other owners and proximity to the area. i recommended proceedings is it is unnecessary for non- motorized transportation. no public or private facilities are in place in the public interest and necessity are furthered by this. secondly, just for context, to clarify things, you may have noticed in this morning's examiner a shot of " was

purported to be area b to be vacated. this was not the area of hunt street. this lies beyond what this photo is showing in from third. here is an aerial shots, that view, was along this section. an area of the vacation is right here. we will see how it is disconnected from the rest of the grid. here is chief fields. >> think you for being here. >> thank you. i would like to tell you why san francisco fire department is looking forward to moving into the new fire station at 935 folsom st.. fire station 1 located at 676 howard st. is inadequate to meet

the safety needs of the south of market and the tenderloin area that it serves. first, the station is poorly located, located at third and howard streets which is congested 24-7. the station is too small. it was designed to house the arson task force. it had to apparatus bays and three pieces of equipment. two of them are parked in tandem. if the rescue squad were to get a call, the engine would have to drive out into traffic on howard street. the rescue squad would leave and the engine would have to back in. this causes an incredible amount of congestion. fire station number one is obsolete that when the 1989 earthquake hit, the doors proved inoperable. living conditions for that firefighters at the station are

unacceptable. that was designed for an arson task force of approximately three or four people and they have 13. on any given day. dopw estimated the upgraded $9.50 million and it would be too small and poorly located. fortunately the city would not have to make this poor and investment. sfmoma is constructing a new firehouse which the purchase. the new location on folsom is better for us but more importantly, it will enable us to provide better service to the sixth straight corridor and the tenderloin. those are the areas of the calls we have and it should be noted that fire station number one is one of the busiest stations in the nation. sffd and mom have been working together. it is site -- designed to meet

the expansion stations. once the station is completed, sfmoma will turn over the keys in the property will belong to us, the fire department and the city. supervisor mar: can i ask about this? >> the more fire, the more medical calls. we have had opportunities to meet our neighbors. we have been to clementine neckers, so -- cares and the south of market community. we had a chance to spend the afternoon on a fireboat with some of those -- the residences in the area of folsom street. through these meetings we learned our neighbors have some real concerns about how our operations are going to impact the day-to-day living.

the fire department is committed to doing all we can to minimize our impact while providing the best level of public safety to the community. for example, this project includes a commitment to signal controllers to give our vehicles right away at fifth street and sixth street reducing the need for silence and horns enabling our engines to run silently until they reach the intersection and they're on their way. we work hard to be good neighbors at all our stations and look forward to a good relationship with our new neighbors at the folsom street fire house. action will bring closer to groundbreaking. on behalf of the san francisco fire department, i hope you will echo the boad of the fire commission in it -- and support the action before you. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. we have the director of the san

francisco museum of modern art. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is greg johnson. i will let him know i was acting on his behalf today. i serve as the expansion project director and on behalf of the museum i am grateful to have the opportunity to speak to you today. we are a great deal -- a great deal of information has been presented and we're thrilled by the process and the ability to reach this milestone. we would not be here if it were not for the tremendous about overwork. this has been a fantastic partnership. we're extremely grateful for the efforts that have been put forth. you are familiar with the proposal so i will touch on a few highlights to present to you today. natalee, sfmoma has on average

650,000 visitors a year. a unique factor about that is almost 100,000 of those visitors come to the museum free. we offer free programs, free education programs and access for children from schools and so forth. the ability to expand our facility and grow and increase our programming for the education programs antelope more children and other groups to come in and attend the museum for free is important to our mission and the goal. not only will this building and the expansion allow us to display and showcase the fisher collection but we have a growing collection that is increasing. we've received 280 other gifts and donations. that will help us balance and strengthen our modern art program which will be one of the largest in the country. the proposal has benefited from a lot of great support from

public agencies, neighbors as well and the design the architects have worked on is we believe extremely creative and thoughtful of the neighboring area and as the director said, one thing that has been a key focus of this is to look at the neighborhood, to look at the transbay terminal, look around the entire area and engage the area around this building. it is not simply about enlarging a building for expanded our programs but is to engage in transformed the area. one of the most unique design characteristics is that someone could walk down third street and enter into the existing atrium, arise a set of staircases into what we're calling our new entry court and walk through that area free without paying, walk past a large gallery which fronts howard street and exit into howard street. the ability not only as i

mentioned from earlier but some of the free programs, someone can walk through the museum and engage art in a variety of aspects free is a unique trait which expresses the goals and vision of the museum. as i mentioned, we have a tremendous amount of support. we have been working with our neighbors in the immediate area as well as in the larger context of the district. we have been working with the meyers family who owned the building at 161 natoma. we provided clarification that was requested at our most recent planning commission hearing. we also have been working with management and the ownership of the w hotel to address how we can work with them not only during construction but after construction. and as described by mr. updike, the existing condition of the hunt plan, we believe our design will improve this condition

because the firefighters, the cars from the firefighters will no longer be there. we are extremely appreciative of the support we have received today. we're also extremely excited. this is a big moment. for the city as a whole. supervisor mar: this fisher collection is the reason for the expansion but there are other pieces and collections that are included that will benefit from the expansion? >> that is correct. supervisor mar: it sounds like a w hotel was using the lane for loading and valet services but you think the vacation of the street and other improvements will improve the situation for the hotel? >> today, the current situation is if you look at the photographs that were put up before, you see a series of cars along hunt street.

the access is across our property. without the cars, we would be cleaning up that area. supervisor mar: thank you. >> thank you. this diagram here, this is sfmoma. this is the existing building. the firehouse. this shows how a number of cars are parked. >> and the college building is owned by the museum of modern art? >> that is correct. you can see the vehicles traveling down natoma will have to cross the natoma parking pad then -- rather than across hunt street. because of the vehicles that are there. in the proposed condition, you

can see that the footprint of the building cuts across a portion of hunt street but the rest of the cars are gone. and clearing up the area in terms of access and turn around and so forth. i also have a variety of letters of support which i will provide you. no further questions? supervisor mar: i was going to see the website has a good video and also a lot of good information. it seems like a transparent process and december 1 is when the design will be unveiled by the architect. >> there will be something later this week. on december 1. thank you. >> that concludes our presentation. we're happy to answer any questions at any time. supervisor mar: supervisor wiener? supervisor wiener: i do not know if you would be the appropriate person. i know we have -- the w has

raised concerns. i think there was a last-minute request to continue the hearing. if you could maybe respond to those concerns and also -- have been going on for some time. >> the key point is in the additional land disposition and acquisition agreement. that the board approved last year. contingent upon these approvals. there is a clause that says the swap between the museum and the city does not close until the city is satisfied for access for the w. access it is being -- access is being provided. between that clause which we control and the fact the museum

building is built to continue to allow that access, we feel like we have a comfortable situation. the museum is talking to the w now and by the time the clauses which is -- we have to be satisfied as a city that the access was a program. even though you approve the vacation by your action, it does not go into effect until lancelot closes. -- land swap closes. the vacation would not occur. we are protected their and we would recommend moving forward. supervisor mar: i wanted to ask, the letter from the w hotel is

saying the vacation of hunt street will be to the detriment of the killer and pedestrian circulation. if you could go over that again, just why this is an improvement for their access. >> i am not sure if i am the appropriate person to go into the details. i do not know if john, do you have the diagram? i'm going to need someone with the diagram. supervisor mar: that would be helpful to what is through -- what is through -- walk us through. they are citing a provision that provides the city must maintain a strong presumption against the giving up of st. areas for private ownership for use in the relief shelby recommended which will result in detriment to vehicular or -- [unintelligible] other items as well. >> i may need help on the

details. just to make sure i explain it clearly. can i have the overhead? currently, if i am not mistaken, this is howard street. this is where -- cars will continue. they will continue to access, the w has its portico. they drive through the middle of the block and go to the parking garage. the museum is designed so that movement can continue. i believe if i am not mistaken you are looking at a cut away. the museum straddles this area and it would be driving underneath the building. that has been designed so that the w maintains its assets -- its axis. we will not close until we are satisfied that museum is providing the w appropriate

access into the future so that activity which is getting out into the brush -- parking garage will happen. it will be clear for this purpose and no one else will be able to get in. supervisor mar: it is for valet and loading? >> the rep may be able to clarify. that is how if you have a car if you are staying at the hotel, you have a car that you bring your car in that way. supervisor mar: let's open this up for public comment. is there anyone from the public who would like to speak? please come forward. it is three minutes maximum but we urge people to keep it shorter if possible. it could be first. i will have the names i have on

cards. christine ruef's, barbara miers'yers. >> i own the building that is on folsom street that will be the proposed fire department. my concern is i read the environmental impact that they brought out. they came back with saying that there would be soil underneath there. what i now is -- i ended up having to drill down to 45 feet. what i found with the -- what the soil engineer found is there is a stream running through that area. i end up driving piles, there is a different you can do your foundation. my piles, you drive them until you get the friction of the soil to hold.

i had to drive 45 feet before i could -- it would hold the ground floor with three stories above it. my concern is they did not address that in the environmental impact and the cost, one might cost him about it was 25% of my building. that would be similar to what they've fired apartment building would do. there will go and find it is not as sandeep. i bought a piece of land south of market. it happened to be a piece of swampland. that is what it is. i have driven piles in that area. >> is rebuilding on folsom street? >> is on shipley -- is on shipley -- it is on shipley.

they did a floatation. one of my concerns is how they will address this problem. it will move in the confession if there is never an earthquake. that is my main concern. also on this note, i saw this, they have beautiful pictures of the different areas. there is a one story house. it has been my experience, these people -- the tendency is to bring out what looks good. they do not bring it forth. the backside, last time it wanted to bring eight stories, there was a concern. my concern was the fire zone and the number of cars that go down that area. ron supervisor mar: thank you. next speaker.

>> if dinagood afternoon. i am representing the owners and of thew -- of the w hotel. there are three separate issues and a lot of issues to cover. you have are written correspondence -- correspondents. with regarding to the items on the agenda. you are relying on the environmental report. we have objected to that. we believe the eir even with the final eir is inadequate. specifically i wanted to talk about this. i wanted to make sure it is clear that everyone understand

my clients do not expand the expansion. we understand the value that will bring to the neighborhood. they do have some legitimate concerns and just because the project is popular does not mean that the city is not equally obligated to meet its requirements. it is under ceqa. and under streets and highways. talking about the vacation of hunt street, i also have a diagram that perhaps would clarify some of the issues. can i get the overhead? this is the area out of hunt street that you are considering today. this is the one that moma referred to. this is under an easement for the benefit of the public. that means that legally it is the public street. this idea that hunt street is somehow disconnected from the

rest of the street grid is legally incorrect. this is a public street. this is a public street and it connects. this is a public right-of-way as well. it does connect all the way through the block. this is a pedestrian but it is not a public right away. the idea that hunt street is this isolated section is not legally true. what that means in addition is the city cannot simply vacate. they must also take action and make findings. and that has not been done either. in addressing some of the issues that were brought up for the first time in discussion, the findings that the board makes in support of the vacation of the street has to be true if you make the findings, not true when the transaction closes. the strait is necessary and it

will be currently in use. supervisor wiener: if you would just finish. i am giving you more time. that means i am giving you more time. >> thank you. i appreciated very much. the environmental review as well as not examined the impact of vacating all this. it does not look at all the circulation and traffic impacts that will be caused by it. it assumes because evan improvement measure that is adopted and was not suggested that the access is going to stay the same or get better. there's nothing that causes that to happen. the w. hotel was designed and approved and built and operated on reliance of having a floating dock located right here. the only reasonable way to acce