what is happening here. vice president miguel: thank you. if you wish, you may just come up in whatever order you want. >> commissioners, besides myself, i represent the parents from the hebrew academy who like to bring to your attention so we have been involved when this change was made and instead of four antennas in different directions. on the school which i assume is going to financially save the school in the future, but besides to have all of this stuff, we don't approve this project. vice president miguel: thank you.

>> hi, i'm also a student at the hebrew academy. the last time the commission saw a case advising the hebrew academy and the bureau of jewish education to try to negotiate a compromise. as far as the organization goes, this isn't the first time there have been disputes between jews. during the period of the hanukkah story which all jews will celebrate in the coming week. 27 years is almost as long as the hebrew academy has been negotiating with the bureau of jewish education over one thing or another. the hebrew academy is in the unenviable position of being the only unorthodox jewish academy in the area. i travel two hours to get it. allowing the bureau to put up antennas will allow a huge financial loss because of the

significant number of parents who would withdraw their kids. that could threaten the future and we appeal to at&t and to the members of the planning commission. please don't put up these antennas. >> good ann, commissioners. i'm the co-president of the city council of hebrew academy. in second century rome, a man was executed. wrapped in a jewish scroll and set fire to. his death prolonged with a piece of wet wool placed on his chest. you may say a man needs to die a agonizing death has commented a horrible crime, nothing of the sort. he taught the bible. percentage accusations the roman invoked on the observers of jewish law. the romans forbade the spread of jewish bible and judaism

itself. we come to december 2011. nothing of this magnitude is happening or being proposed to happen. the parents have no other choice but to take their kids out. this is a hindrance of the spread of judaism. i urge you to err on the side of caution so it won't be interrupted. vice president miguel: thank you. >> good afternoon, planning commission. in the 1900's, the first act of blood shed against jews were carried out in the red army. attacks, it was so harsh it was difficult to count the loss of jews. it was determined by the theories and practice of the communist party. religious freedom and wanted to practice judaism. they couldn't thank god. thanks to america policy for religious freedom, we have the

hebrew academy, the only school in north california that offers jewish opportunity the opportunity to study jewish culture and how it feels being a jew. it cause many of the friends to live because parents are afraid of the installation. you may ask, i do not believe in san francisco. it takes up to an hour to drive to the hebrew academy. you may ask why aren't there any other good schools in your area? i have made good friends during the five years i have been here. i ask you, planning commission, to not allow the antennas to go up for hebrew academy offers orthodox jewish studies. >> can you state your name for the record? >> i am olga. >> thank you. >> good ann, commissioners. i'm the co-president of the hebrew academy. the planning departmentives zoning around balboa and 14th avenue as an r.m. 1 residential

neighborhood under the city's telecommunications service, facilities sitting guidelines on r.m. districts are the favored locations which is the lowest of the seven levels preference listed. locating this type of industrial commercial facility, the residential neighborhood. simply put, it is an industrial commercial use that is incompatible with existing residential uses. the only reason why schools, hospitals, and places and worship are identified as preference one is because a loophole was inserted in the 1996 guidelines for the wireless industry. this succeeded in preference one category with public structures like water towers, bridges, smoke stacks to the category of public use structure which includes libraries and health care centers. the undue influence of the wireless industry on the city of politics canned hide the fact that the at&t facilities. please deny this permit for

this location, thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. >> good ann, commissioners. under federal law, at&t is required to prove that the jewish education society building location is the least intrusive means for addressing an alleged significant gap in its gap in the richmond district. however, at&t has not mentioned the alternative of network of poles in the richmond district. in fact, there were 43 such antennas located throughout the richmond district, some are available to be shared by multiple wireless carriers including at&t. in the map that i'm showing here, it shows the antennas in the richmond district which was created using the department of public work inventory of wireless facilities and the rights-of-way. they are operated by companies and can accommodate more than one wireless care carrier.

at&t uses the antennas which has been confirmed by contacting the networks. without full discretion why it can't use the existing network in the richmond network, at&t did not meet its burp burden of proof. thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. any additional speakers? to reintree dues myself, i'm the secular principal of the hebrew academy. briefly, i would like to report that over the past month, the academy and the bureau of jewish education has a very good base to the point where the only remaining issue is the remealation of the lost revenue from the school of which i can say there is already lost revenue. i understand that the b.j.e. cannot afford to contribute towards this and that at&t has

refused. the weight of this decision, therefore, falls to the commission. section 303.1 of the san francisco planning code for conditional uses states that the proposed user feature will provide a zone that is necessary or desirable and compatible with the neighborhood or community. since the installation of these antennas on the roof of the b.j.e. has a potential to destroy the school, this installation is clearly not desirable tore compatible with the community. on this basis, i urge you to vote against this proposal. thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. >> is the overhead on? ok. i'm laura and i'm a parent at the hebrew academy. i'm here again to object to the antenna installation at 6601 14th avenue. the neighborhood is a unique

neighborhood in this overhead. it has beautiful homes from the 1920's, the hebrew academy, the russian orthodox church, apartments all surrounded by a beautiful green belt. the bureau of education itself is a 1920's building with a beautiful facade. we are learning about historical preservation here. i have strong objections to proposed at&t antenna installations. objections run a different range of concerns, very strong objections. people who go to church and school in this neighborhood have a strong attachment and are spending much of their unpaid time to defend it. is the overhead on again? i see. let me show this exhibit. this can be seen from the street on balboa here. the neighbors are dismayed that the antennas are going in and we respectfully ask that the gap in coverage does not outweigh the potential downfall of this project. vice president miguel: thank

you. >> hi, guys, this is my second time. i'm a parent of hebrew academy. i'm objecting to the antennas. this is the first time i'm wearing these glasses, i need it. it was interesting to me. i spent a lot of time at city hall. i finished jury duty a day ago and one of the things we talked about is we have to prove that he was guilty within, without any reasonable doubt. so i thought to myself, this is the same kind of thing, if you have any reasonable doubt about this where you know that it might be some potential of harming some kids then, you don't want to take that responsibility upon yourself. as a matter of fact, one of the jurors that was sitting next to me was working for verizon, the company. i was asking about this. he is said, you know, you're just the person i want to talk. he said, i'll tell you something, it's very unclear, but you definitely have the right to question and worry

about this. that's all i can tell you. so here i am and again reasonable doubt. and the last time -- vice president miguel: thank you. are there additional public speakers? >> ladies and gentlemen, i'm humbled to stand in front of you today. i was said i could have three minutes. i pray to god that the one minute is my little clock. but i won't be able to finish this, finish behind you. we plead with you. i'm simply only a mother. this is a classic case of david and goliath, what at&t may do many good things, it is clearly the big goliath in this case. our school has been in business the past 42 years barely able to survive financially. no computer lab to speak of, yet it has consistently been able to produce academically

excellent students with moral values, human ethics for 42 years straight. ladies and gentlemen, small businesses must be supported, protected and shared they stay in business. it's frightening to see that the city and economy would look like if small businesses are not supported by you the city. dear people and god forbid, it is not the best location for at&t antennas. they're just not needed, not there and not at that location. with the parents, the neighbors, with the children that spoke all last month we ask you to please stand with our public power and courage -- vice president miguel: next speaker. >> to just say no, continue next speaker. >> my name is jerry, as everybody else, i have a

daughter to goes to the hebrew academy. i'm just going to continue what the previous speaker has said. we ask that the he can members and servants of the city to please stand with us and have the courage to do what is morally and ethically correct so we can go home to our children and say thank god, we live in a democracy and remind them that they and their voice matters, that the city officials heard you, they care and do what is right in the best interests of its residents. we ask that you remove the antennas that have been installed without anyone's knowledge or approval back in 1997 and deny at&t installation of any antennas next door to our kids. thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. >> i have kids at the academy. i'm going to continue. these antennas do not go up at

this location for every party involved. look so bad in our beautiful city. investors will be happy to donate and support their causes. you will do the right and morally ethical thinking, our kids will be safe and happy. we the parents, neighbors will sleep better at night. they will continue to do what they do best and one day an investor will support them financially. it may be even a powerful that will give back and help the underdog. thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is morgan and i work at the hebrew academy. i also have served for three

years as an electronic and engineering training sergeant in the army. as the academy director, this will cause the school financial damage and loss of current and future students. on a personal note, as an educator, i am shocked by what i'm seeing here today. it seems we forgot we have higher goals than money in our pocket and a price tag on our kids' head. as an israeli, i am heartbroken and very sad of the action of the jewish education and at&t. most of all i'm ashamed that we are today fighting for the only orthodox school in the bay area against a fellow jewish education institute. thank you for your time. vice president miguel: thank you. >> i put 42 years into this community fighting for survival against tremendous odds. mr. sugaya, maybe you heard

this name. the leaders and students from lithuania, the germans were murdering everybody and he was handing out these 6,000 visas to survive. he is my rabbi and he performed at my wedding. all i can tell you is you vote, you give them antennas, you must shut the school, you will do exactly the opposite of what's his name, sugaya did. he saved jewish lives even in san francisco. i'm here because of mr. sugihara. my rabbi was saved by him and half of israel are being taught by jew in japan and the shanghai community. you give the antennas, you must

shut us down. if you vote against it, you might go down in history as this giant, check him out on wikileaks and see what the japanese people did for us and the chinese in shanghai. we are fighting for jewish survival against tremendous odds. the jewish community does not support our tradition or education. i'm begging you do not give us antennas to shut us down. we are the only orthodox school for 400,000 jews. you heard these kids. i raised them. i put 42 years into this community. vice president miguel: thank you, rabbi. are there any other speakers? >> i'm david, the c.e.o. of the bureau of jewish education. with your permission, since i'm the sole speaker on behalf of b.j. -- vice president miguel: i

cannot. >> ok. just a few points. we have great respect and esteem for the rabbi and everything he has done to create that school. we certainly support the school. we have no intention of harming the school. we have worked with the school over the last month with the request of the commission to see if we could come to an agreement. we have with at&t's support significantly changed our proposal in a way that we believe is not going to harm anyone at the school and is supportive of the view that there is really no radiation going to be beamed toward the school, so the earlier testimony i think was based on the previous configuration. we have removed the antennas closest to the school.

the remaining antennas are going to be pointed away from the school. as far as we can tell, there is no substantial change from the status quo. thank you. vice president miguel: thank you. are there any additional speakers on this matter? if not, public comment is closed. i'm going to start this one off. first of all, thank you to everyone for heeding my consternation a month ago and actually talking to each other. that was pleasing. i will compliment the rabbi and the school on raising students, teaching students who are excellent in expressing themselves. that doesn't always happen with high schoolers having had many in my family and having taught high school debate. i understand that.

that being said, i totally disliked the comments that likened this action, possible action to a pogrom because that's not what it is. and i think those comments to me as a jew were totally out of line. they really rangel. -- wrankle. i appreciate that our director is working with the other departments involved to try to find a new protocol. we -- the entire city or certainly the official city bodies have been pushing for this for some time. maybe it takes a while, but maybe that will happen. the only specific comment i want to mention was someone

said that there was no public process for the original installation of the antennas in 1997. i have personally spoken to someone who was on the board of the jewish education at that time and there was a great deal of interaction between the two institutions and the board before that was allowed. so there was a lot of public reaction at that time. i think that katherine who basically is head of school put it very succinctly and many of the other speakers said the same thing. what we're talking to here is not a planning issue that is what should be before this board, but a revenue issue and

that is not within our -- that is not what we are part here today and i'm not going to make any comment on it as i have no idea where that is going to go and i don't think anyone else does either. i greatly appreciate at&t's involvement in the discussions in this one. i think it was proven that given a month, changes could be made and things amealated as far as possible. i know it's going to be more work, cost more money, involve more city time for that matter in order to procedure with the full program. but that being said, i would move to proceed with the new

configuration. oh, i can't do that. you're right, i'm the chair now. >> it was interesting because this week on the news, they were talking about arsenic in apple juice and that the expos you're of and it will be dr. oz was the first person to bring this to light that is arsenic in apple juice and other scientists said that's not true. it was found to be true. there are no levels of arsenic in apple juice, there is not much to be done about that. the sad thing is that everything in our food system, our ecosystem we find out daily with new studies and new information that things aren't maybe as healthy or as helpful as we like. the problem is what do you do? do you stop? do you say i won't ever drink apple juice, i won't drink the water. it just becomes one of those

endless battles. the sinse in all of these areas is unclear. the only way we can operate under is the science that we have available to us today. the truth is we all are being exposed to antennas, there are obviously none in city hall, but there are other sorts of wireless -- there are in city hall there are all kinds of wireless antennas about us all the time and it's just reality because we're in a city with complicated topography and when we have had these multiple hearings around cell phone antenna sightings, we found that because of our topography, these cell phone antennas are needed every few blocks which is really startling, but then i look at the ipad, the iphone, all other kind of tablet devices, droids, computers, wireless network systems and so on and so on, you know, a lot of small businesses anymore, they don't even have to have a cash register. they use a wireless, the new

squared system or other sort of products that are wireless to allow them to take credit cards. we're moving in an age and we're living in an age where we probably, i imagine everyone in this room probably partakes in these sort of devices and so we all say we want this and we grab for it and we go for it, but the consequences of that lifestyle that we have all chosen to be part of is that it requires infrastructure and infrastructure is antennas. nobody likes antennas and everybody time we have an antenna hearing, everyone talks about the health risks and we only have the same data that we have had for a while on it and, you know, we hear that wireless antennas in your house may be more detrimental, who knows? but the point is we can only operate on the science that exists today, the f.c.c. regulations, and our own preference for locations which this happens to be. the other thing becomes a fairness issue. every time we have had one of

these cases, people have come before us and said the health issue is the same. and so how do we say, oh, you people who we approved the antenna last week, we have determined that your health, this next group's health issue, their health is better than your health? you couldn't even get into that game of deciding that this health issue, this group of individuals' health issue is better than this one's. i don't want to be in our business. that's not our business luckily and i think that's a dangerous position to be in and for us us, it puts news a fairness factor. we have always looked at the planning issues of our guidelines which says this is a local preference, one site. what we asked for in the last hearing was to go back and look. and i think with the removal of two of the four antennas, the two antennas that face the school and the only ones left are the ones facing away from the school seems like a really good outcome for what was --

what has been needed in this situation. the truth is, i can't say that there won't be a proposal for antennas around the corner, across the block, because it might be just and maybe you wouldn't notice because it's not on your building, but the point is that this is a constant issue that is evolving as a problem within the city, but i think we all have to look into ourselves and decide if we don't want these antennas, then how do we live our lives in a way that don't require them. i just think that that's something we all have to ask ourselves in that sort of place. we all say we want -- we call complain about oil companies, but then we drive cars that require oil and take flights all over the world all the time. i'm not saying that makes people bad. i'm just saying that the reality is that our decision-making doesn't always support what we say our priorities are and i think that, you know, really to affect change, we have to make

those sort of decisions. i know that we had, as we said before with these antennas, at&t will make sure and i want to make sure we request this in this case that they go to the school after the antennas are installed, it's exactly to the first speakers comments and take readings and maybe there is some sort of -- i know the bureau had some conversation if they thought it was detrimental or the levels are too high, maybe you can work that out here. there is a way to take readings in the building after the antennas are installed. i don't know if they would also look at this independent consultant idea thing that came up earlier to talk about it. that's for you all to decide. in an earlier case there was something an independent consultant comes in to look at the data about coverage maps. i don't know if you want to engage in that. from the standpoint of what we asked to be done a month ago and what has been accomplished today, i can say that it's been done.

i think that, it's very hard from the land use standpoint is this the land use, is this the site for this? it says it's a local preference one in our sighting guidelines and the health issue is not one for this commission. i have long advocated for the health department to have hearings on cell phone antennas so the public can understand how they find the public exposure limit to be what it is and make that determination, but that is something that i can't, i don't have privy to make a decision based upon. so i understand that people don't like it. they're not happy about this. again, the real choice rests with the bureau of jewish education that can always make a different decision because, just because we pass this conditional use doesn't require them to do it, but i think from our standpoint, we have kind of exhausted the issues that we can on this point. i just, i just would say that