of the operators and owners are here. mr. tang is a part-time city college student. mr. yu and mr. yao are workers in the local hospital. there would like to provide a safe and healthy environment, entertainment venue for use in the city. also, it would create job opportunities for the students. this location is accessible by public transportation. in the afternoon, from 2:00 until very late at night, it will be available to them. today, we also have the property owners and community leaders who can testify as to the job opportunities that this business

would create. i will not repeat all the material that is in the analysis by the staff member. i appreciate the effort in providing a thorough analysis of our proposal. i think my client has complied with all of the requirements as listed by the planning code. i would still like to address certain concerns that have been raised by the neighbors. first, we would provide utmost security for the neighbors as it is our intention to have a harmonious relationship with the neighbors and not to change the character of the neighborhood. with the parking concerns, as we have heard, they are already expressing, a lot of the parking concerns are on the block and my client is not at the operation

at that time. some of the people may prefer to park on the street. that does not require a fee, versus parking at the meter. we also have the businesses along ocean avenue, 7-eleven is open all night, there is a 24- hour fitness on the other side of the bloc opened very late at night. there is a pizzeria that is also open till 1:00 or 130 in the morning -- or 1:30 in the morning. we have restaurants along ocean avenue that are open until 11:00 in the evening. i have brought some photos so you can see what this building looks like. president fong: upside-down.

there you go. >> this is a very large building on the corner of ocean avenue and granada. any businesses that will thrive in this building is going to bring in traffic into the area. that is what we want. unfortunately, sometimes traffic does mean vehicular traffic in addition to foot traffic because we have public transportation accessible to the area. many of the students at city college will be going to be placed via public transit. -- to the place the a public transit. we have observed the place during the day and a lot of the meters are full. this photo was taken on january 10, two days ago, at around 12:45.

unfortunately, the digital camera has a time and date stamp, but not on the photo. meters are available throughout the day. also, this is the view of the building with the surrounding area at night. this was taken december 20, at 12:29 p.m. you cannot see very well, but it shows the building and also the parking around there. i just want to thank you for the opportunity that we will try our hardest to make this operation a success. we hope it will bring benefits to the never could and we would like to work -- to the neighborhood and we would like to work with the neighbors to make adjustments. we thank you for your time and.

president fong: speakers in favor of the project sponsor? >> i am sorry i was out of turn. i may citizen living in balboa terrace hall's association. i am one of those who responded to the original e-mail. i said, this is an acceptable idea for me. there are many in the community who do not enjoy tennis or golf. my only athletic activity i have engaged to in my life has been ping-pong and billiards, starting as a child. i should point out that i surveyed this neighborhood, it is walking distance from my home. i thought this would be an asset to the community. there was a few comments about the noise and the loitering. the only place i go to now in san francisco is the largest billiard parlor at geary and would -- wood.

i have never found loitering, noise, disturbance of the community. the last time i went there, at the adjacent table, i went with my son and his friends. he goes to uc-berkeley. there was a 90-year-old woman playing with her 62-year-old son. at that particular -- is called family billiards and they only have people aged 18 and above going there. the reason i oppose the decision by the mass of people you have heard who do not want it in the neighborhood, i do not think it will lead to rowdy behavior, delinquency, someone mentioned a scene from the music man about -- i do not want to sing it again, i cannot sing very well. as you know, trouble starts with 80 -- with a t.

i have never had knee problems with a billiard parlor. i should mention the queen elisabeth clay's billiards. mark twain's favorite pastime was playing billiards. he had a table and his home and spent hours of relaxation. to me, billiards is a former relaxation and skill. it is one of the things i can do well into my nineties. i look forward to it. i would intend, if it is built, to walk there. it is close to my home in balboa terrace. from my standpoint, this is not a danger to the community. i do not think there is any problem with people walking dogs or children. the activity would be inside the parlor. i would strongly recommend a yes vote for this addition to the community. president fong: any other speakers in favor of the project sponsor? >> good evening.

i am in support of this billiards hall. san francisco has only two billiards halls. he mentioned his family and one located at geary. it is very well-run. there is no crime. it is just a perception. i think there and billiards bring an average of -- and addition to business in san francisco that builders haul is one of the key small businesses that we need in san francisco. as he mentioned, there is going to be security. this owner is going 100% for the community, adding security where

other billiards halls do not have security. he wants to add security and cameras. as a small business, he is doing a good job. as a new small business owner. thank you. i am in support of this. president fong: any other speakers? if there are a bunch of speakers, you can't you up here. >> my name is shirley. i am a resident on ocean avenue, in a complex above where the cbs -- dvs going to -- cvs is going to be. i think this project is going to bring in job opportunities. having seen a lot of vacancies over the last five years, i am not opposed to having a billiards hall. i do not think it has a negative connotation and a lot of folks are bringing up. in addition, having lived right on ocean avenue, i have had the

opportunity to observe the parking situation. in my opinion, it is not as bad as some of the residents are speaking about. i actually entertain a lot in my house. folks come over. literally, the park right on ocean avenue, because you do not have to put money in the meter after a certain time. even during the daytime, it is relatively inexpensive. the other thing is that using the 24-hour fitness -- i live literally of stairs from there -- the noise factor is really minimal. really, i do not hear anything where i live. literally, i am speaking as a resident who lives right on the street. hopefully, might incite will help everyone to sort of get some real-life perspective to what it is like living so close to munich. i hear the muni more than i hear people.

-- some real-life perspective to what it is like living so close to muni. >> i am the executive director of chinese new cumber -- newcomer center. i hope you support the recommendation of the staff. our organization helps small ethnic organizations develop new businesses, business creation, and of creation. i hope this business revitalizes the neighborhood. this is the priority of the district. i am hoping this business supports the initiative. thank you and i hope for your support. president fong: other speakers in support of the project? d.r. requestors, you have a two- minute rebuttal.

>> speaking on behalf of the homes association, i want to clarify a couple of things, and _ the real import of our request to you. -- underscore the real import of our request to you. we are not against cool -- pool. the problem we have is the late night hours proposed for this. that relates to the parking. late at night, people parking in the neighborhoods are going to be disruptive of the neighborhood. as far as the position of the association goes, we are very concerned about the hours, the late hours. on this block, it is quiet. there is no bar. the bar is further east. this is a very quiet block. and we would like to keep it that way so that it is consistent with the immediately surrounding neighborhood.

finally, if you do elect to approve this permit application, we would ask the you impose conditions, but those conditions be related to the hours, that you restrict the hours if you grant the permit application, and that you incorporate into the permit the conditions which the product sponsor has volunteered, relating to the security matters, and also to ensure there is neither distribution or consumption of a call on the premises. thank you. -- alcohol on the premises. thank you. >> i will be brief. again, i want to reiterate that the major concern -- >> can you speak right into the mic? >> a major concern is the hours of operation. i would second his recommendation that if it is approved, that the hours a

restricted. the other item that needs clarification is regarding the parking. it is an issue. on ocean avenue, it may not be. i do not see ocean avenue on a day-to-day basis. in my neighborhood, the number of vehicles that come and go during the course of the day, doing business on ocean avenue, is significant. i think that will be reflective of what is happening in the terraces area as well. as to the other late night businesses, 24-hour fitness and the 7-11, they have their own parking. that is not something this would have. thank you. president fong: product sponsor, you have a two minute rebuttal. >> i have some supporters. we have signatures of merchants and neighbors. there are a number of people

here. i just wanted to show you that. today, i want to talk about why i want to start a business. i moved to the united states 14 years ago, when i was a kid. i was a teenager, and around 14. i am around 30 years old now. i had several jobs in the united states. most of them were low-paying and hard-working. that is how i made a living. after several years of hard working, my family finally saved up enough money to buy a house. it is a house that was built in 1941. it is what i worked so hard for. we want to start a family. at 25, i realized i was starting to get old, and my parents were

getting old. i want to start a business early, if possible. when you are 30 and are married, you probably do not have the energy to act and start it. i started a business in 2009 with money and borrowed from my parents, and it was successful. i started to realize that business is what i want to do for my future. me along with my partner -- we share the same goal in life. we know how important families are. we all have career backgrounds and are serious about doing successful business, even though we are taking a great risk in this economy. this is not just a business for us. it is a future for us. we have a lot of support to start the business legally. we spent a lot of time doing research and communicating with

the neighbors. that has added to our project. thank you. >> your time is up. president fong: thank you very much. >> thank you for your time. commissioner antonini: i think in the music man, the opposition was to pool not, to billiards. i guess they made a distinction. anyway. i live not far from here. i am very familiar with the area. i will agree that the parking on fairfield is problematic. let us allow the 27-and 11 -- the 7-eleven what this fall,-- lot is full, it is hard to get out of there. it gets a little congested there.

i know there was mention of 11 vacancies on ocean avenue. i am sure there are. regrettably, there was just an ocean avenue place that was very promising for a year and a half, and unfortunately they closed. that was one of the best in establishments on the street. we need more neighborhood- service establishments there during the day that would cater to foot traffic. i think they have a good idea with the billiard hall. i just think perhaps it might be better served further down the street, because you have all the residents who are going to be moving into the new structures that are being built down by the library, and of course you are closer to bart and other areas where people could jump right off and play billiards. it would be less reliant on having to take cars. i know there is the k, but it stops running earlier than

12:30. i think it stops a little earlier than that. anyway, that would be my feeling. i certainly would support the project of a different location. as has been pointed out, ocean avenue changes a lot. it becomes a lot more residential as you get past fairfield. the 7-eleven was probably poorly positioned when it was built years ago. it is smack dab in the middle of an almost exclusively residential area. it would have been better to have been a couple blocks closer to more commercial activity. anyway, it seems odd that you would have a billiard hall without being able to serve a call. i think this will probably come back to us in the future with another conditional use to allow for a call service. and i understand that. if you are playing pool or billiards, you probably want to

have a beer. it just makes sense. i would generally be in favor of a different location, although i really liked the idea they have. but i think it is a little too far. it is almost at the very end of the commercial strip. but i will see what the other commissioners have to say. comissiomer sugaya: if there are conditions of security cameras and a call -- and alcohol, i have a question. how early do you think you can handle the closing hour? i do not think -- i am not speaking for the other commissioners -- but i cannot support 2:00. if we back off from that our-- hour, can you live with 11:00? >> actually, no. we provide security and cameras and are not selling alcohol.

in order to make money, we would need to operate to the early morning. we would just make money in those hours. it is too difficult for us. >> i feel it is an evening activity. it is kind of like closing a dance hall at 11:00. commissioner borden: it is interesting, because you're talking about a pool place, and the way it has been characterized, i would think someone was opening a strip club. it was very interesting to me. they are talking about a place where people can play pool. assumption about people who play pool is very poor by members of

this audience, it seems. there seems to be a lot of judgment about the kinds of people that would choose to patronize a pool establishment. i understand your concerns with a medical marijuana dispensary. that is different than this project sponsor and project. i remember being a young person under 21. i remember in the teenage years, there are not a lot of places you can go. you can go to the mall. you do not have money to spend. you want to be out with your friends. what you do? you look for a restaurant to hang out in all my. it is a cool place. it is a central family place, because there are not a lot of places for people to go who are under 21. we want kids in the city. we need places for them to go. on a friday night, teenagers would love to go to an establishment like this. i think it is right. the gentleman who plays pool

described the place he goes to as family-oriented. if the place is not serving alcohol, they would not have to restrict the people that went into that place. not to mention that people admitted in the audience that there are a lot of children in that neighborhood. it seems there would be a need for places for young people, positive places for young people to hang out after dark. when i was growing up, people hung out in fields and got drunk because there was no place to go. i do not think you want to see kids drinking. i was lucky that i did not choose to drink, but a lot of kids did, cause there was nothing to do. they would wait for parents to go out of town and organize a party. let us be real. that is what happens when kids do not have constructive things to do with their time. i think this sounds like a great use. i do not think we should assume this operator has ill will. everything that represented to us sounds like they want to run

a good establishment. they will have cameras and security. when you go down to it, there are the two issues -- parking, which we are not going to deal with. that is not anything we could deal with. that is off the table. we are not the parking commission or the planning -- which are the planning commission. -- we are not the parking commission. we are the planning commission. restricting the hours -- it does not sound like there is a lot going on late at night, but i would like to figure out the happy medium. we recognize the project sponsor is not serving alcohol, which is a huge revenue generator, and are choosing to make their revenue of the pool table. i do not know if midnight would work for you all. that would at least meet the time in which muni -- at least the train stops running sometime after midnight. maybe that would be a good compromise. maybe we could do like we have

done on some other projects, where we put a condition in that it comes back to us after a year, and if there are no problems you can go to a later time. i think that could be a fair approach to figure out how we maneuver that, so we can recognize you for doing the right thing and at the same time, allow you that flexibility, assuming you are going to operate in that way. >> thank you for your consideration of the matter. in fairness to my clients, operating a business that is not generating a lot of revenues most of the day -- kids, like you said, need a healthy environment to hang out. even my kids, and juniors in high school, do not go to bed until 11:00 or 12:00 on school days, and that is pretty early for them. a place that is open letter would allow them to her basic environment to hang out.

-- that is open later would allow them to have a basic environment to hang out. commissioner borden: i do not disagree with you. we are trying to strike a balance. >> my proposal is 1:00 a.m. commissioner borden: unfortunately, that is not really the middle. commissioner antonini: we started at 11:00. commissioner borden: the middle would be midnight. the question is whether or not we can do something we have done for other establishments in the past. we have said we want a report at six months or a year, six months in your case. if there are no complaints and note issues, we would allow you to go to a later time. that would probably be the best we can do, because we really want to respect the community concerned and the nature of how busy that corridor is at this time. it would also allow you to build

up the trust and respect of the community so that you could have support of opening up later. the thing is, you do not want to go into a neighborhood where people are absolutely opposed to you. they will not trust your establishment and you will not do well. we are trying to make it successful for you. we understand it is not easy. you would do tenant improvements and build up the space. we understand that. at the same time, we have to respect of the neighborhood feels about the project and try to figure out a way to make it workable for the entire community, respecting how this corridor functions as it is today, and how we invite and allow your new business to operate without changing the tenor of the community. i would make a motion that we would approve with restricted hours to midnight, with a report back in six months. if there are no issues with the neighborhood, it could go to 2:00 a.m..

commissioner antonini: second. president fong: i would like to make a comment in support of the motion. i think it speaks volumes fed -- that you removed alcohol from the premises. that is the major money-making up of this type of business. this is billiards, not pool. so the vision of a table at the back of a bar is not the case. when you have multiple tables, this becomes a sporting activity, rather than something to do while you're drinking. looking at the volume -- there are 10 tables. i guess you are probably going to start with 6 and build up to it. if you put even two people at that table, that is not many people you are talking about. i do not think there will be gobs of folks, especially without food and alcohol. i am curious how we got a can of this club -- can this club --

cannabis club next to a day care. there is supposed to be a 1,000 foot perimeter. i will make a broad comment. if we want to revitalize parts of san francisco and some of us do not like big-to in corporate stores, we have to make it somewhat easier for young entrepreneurs to get going. i do not know how many businesses started at 25 become successful or not, but san francisco needs to look at that. we have talked the talk. we have to walk the walk and get behind that. i support the motion. commissioner antonini: thank you. i am not going to support. what i rea