opportunities and work alongside city officials, police to better the neighborhood and make it safe and clean. there are medical cannabisç stations that are in need of this service and will be well cared for by the service we will provide. they will be given to all organic has. we suspect lay -- now we respectfully ask the commission to approve this. thank you 3 much. >> speakers in favor of the private sponsor. i think actually we will hear the other dr. >> if i could respectfully request we do one at a time. >> no, we are going to do them together. >> the project sponsor.

>> is there another dr file? >>ç no, but there is on anothe, and we called them both. >> you have won the are filed and one project sponsorxd. >> you are right. >> excuse me. there are outside ers on both applicationsi]. >> i do not know whether to say good afternoon or good evening. i am one of the attorneys at 5234 mission. it will be two years but we applied for our dispensary application, the first in the neighborhood. i believe the first in a whole squadron. it would apply to all planning standards. we have met with the

government, the police apartment, local citizens, and this club will be run by neighborhood people. she will run its. xdshe owns the property, and she owns the largest tourist co. in san francisco. she knows what she is doing. we have done everything weç can to comply with rules and the safety and convenienceç of our çclientele last but certainly t least, we have hiredv: and they are well aware of thoreau's and the way to do it right. without any further ado, i would like to introduce my partner and a leading authority of medical marijuana in northern

california. >> good evening, commissioners. our office has been working for about a year and a half now, and we have focused on a particular objective. the first was to build an experienced team to operate treatment safely and effectively and comply to all laws and regulations. we were able to buildko a workig relationship with a consultant and a patient advocate, mr. wilson. secondly, we hired a security consultant who specializes specifically in security planning, staff training, and plan implementation. mr. bradley has planned a subsequent security plan, which he submitted. we have it available. it was also distributed to

officer mccarthy. both mr. wilson and mr. bradley are going to speak tonight, and we will be available for any questions you have. the second priority has been to reach out to establish communications and to take steps to address their concerns. specifically, we began with çmeeting with supervisor of a los -- supervisor avalos. we have met with him several times to update him and get him familiar with our applicant. we walk the neighborhood and spoke with merchants, neighbors. we attended the merchants and residents association meetings. iñt(we did achievement of the project at the association meeting. every day we did the treatment of the project of the association meeting here again we discussed our security plan and working relationship with sfpdym.

we agreed to provide patrols in and around the facility, particularlyç at the onset when there is concern until we are able to gauge the impact. patrols will be present in the éeighborhood and around the facility. lastly, we organized a meeting to give the neighbors opportunity to meet the applicant, and address any concerns. we send out this mailer, a 300- foot radius, which was sent to notify the neighbors of the application. at the meeting we had 22 attendees. there are five attendees in opposition of the project. the rest were ini] support or neutral, but primarily and support. weç believe this is the collectiveç resources and expertise to build and operate a

medical campus dispensary -- medical cannabis dispensary where it is needed. q tremendous volume of business, but if we get busier, we can expand their arrogant, which %ei ffi the street and prevent people from loitering and would make it much easier to regulate traffic. we respectfully request is commission not take discretionary review and approve the project as submitted. ç>> thank you. speakers -- your basic kind is up. good -- your basic time is up. a speaker in favor of the

project, and youç have three minutes. what's my name is a problem. i am a former -- >> my name is$ nathan bradley. it saved my life a couple years ago, which is how i got involved. i have worked with clubs as a consultant in oakland, sacramento, roseville. the issue and i mainly cover, besides public safety, is kids getting access to it zeroth. each employee is trained on the version measures. -- diversion measures. i will!qlways work with law enforcement. we will set up plants with the sheriff's office where if they catch someone everting -- everting medicine they will be

able to make sure that person gets removed from our database, and it is no longer allowed there. nbanother issue that was brought up was the camera system itself. çi work with people up north, d i amç going to meet with san francisco police department down here to verify what works best with video systems and editing systems, so if something does happen we can work hand in hand. when it comes to the violence issues,ççi] it( believe that y years. i believe a lot of the opposition is based on fear. if you look at issues whereç ty have regulated clubs,ç of oakld for example, i have talked with

staff, and they described in the area where they seei] a dispensy that has been licensed, they will draw a circleç around it d say this is a crime free area. çi believe if the dispensary is regulated and enough, we can reduce the amount of kids that can gain access to it. without this there, it is just salter high-school. i am here for any questions at all. ç-- it is just sold through wih their high school. >> my name is david abernathy. i am a medical marijuana advokaue who works around the state of california. my concern is medical cannabis movingç forward, so patients cn

get affordable, safe access. i want to make sure theyç opere legally and serve the needs of a to commit patients. ymñrwhen i first started working with the mission organic center team, i was informed a local neighborhood organization had voiced some resistance to the project. i went to a meeting andsspoke to them. the president informed me there was no support for the project in the outer mission community and no need in the neighborhood. i decided to conduct my own investigation to determine çwhether there was truth to the claims. if i have found these assertions pannedxdç out, i would have a immediately withdrawn and advised them to find another location for the project. after talking to members ofxd te community and attendingw3 public outreach programs, i found there was widespread support and t(excitement about the project. many localq

expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that all the san francisco has -- althoughç san francisco has mcd's, non-are accessible from that part of town. and many of their conditions impaired mobility. many were excited about the prospect of new jobs and added security. throughout my time working with the mission organic team, i have beenç impressed with their dedication and level of commitment toward the outer mission. they have organized free yoga in the park, park cleanups, and reached out to local church groups. the have made themselves available to discuss any concerns members of the neighborhood may have. çi would like to speak on behaf of someone who could not be here today, due to scheduling conflict, a police officer who could not attend the hearing today. he asked me to speak on his behalf to express his support

for this project. i spent a day walking around the neighborhood with him, talking to local business owners and employees. he found nothing but overwhelming support for the project and looks forward to making this one of his regular beats. i am willing to provide his personal conduct information if you would like to speak with him in more detail. i strongly encourage you to grant this team a permit to operate and thank you for your time. if i could make one additional comment, one ofok the people in opposition to the project said they would not even allow two starbucks on the(s@me block in san francisco. there are many such blocks. it is a completely separate issue, whether you would allow to separate copy shops to exist in the same neighborhood -- whether you would allow two separateç coffeeshops toi]ç eo give people a choice. ç>> i am speaking on behalf ofç

3254 mission. i speak on behalf of the largest çnonprofit that focuses on the access ofñr medical cannabis patience. -- patients. i have had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of dispenser is all over the country, in nevada, colorado, michigan. i will be able to take that experience in working with established and starting dispensaries and bring that here to help them with their community outreach, working directly with patients and the community, bringing not just the medicine, but services that they use. i work with quite a few dispensaries in the bay area that offer more than medicine. they offer counseling, yoga, çmassage, and acupuncture.

i will be able to bring that expertise to them. i have had the experience of working in banking for over 15 okyears, and have worked with thousands of startup businesses, seeing how they grow to become a successful business. i willç be able tow3 bring that experience to treatment as well, åçwith day-to-dayxd operations, hiring employees, doing inventory and cash control. those are some of the expertise i willç be able to bring. the team is trying to bring in experts in different areas, so we have a top-notch team. thank you. >> my name is jerome altman. i am the architect for the 3258 mission project. i will speak about the security system. çóin the course of working on this, and that neighboring merchants. security was a major concern for them.

my design for this, security was aç big criteria. it became the basis for how customers arriveç, and to the facility, and conduct business while inside. the front door of the facility will be locked at all times. regular customers need to show their id and their prescription recommendation letter prior to entering. nto the lobby and wait for the receptionist to confirm their recommendation. once approved, they will pass through another locked door into çthe act will dispensary. -- actual dispensary. after hours, there is a security gate which will close the entire facade. there are no doors in the rear of the building. there is one window to the

balcony, which will have bars on it. there is also involved located right here -- there is also a valut -- vault qlocated in back, right here. there will be manuals describing the security system, and they will receive initial training and follow-up on a quarterly basis. security cameras, which are shown as little red arrows, will operate 24 hours a day and record the information for later review, if necessary. we will also work with police to set up a system that is compatible with their system and meetsç secretary -- their criteria. they will coverç all areas, as

well as the rear. exterior lightingq will eliminae the front of the building at ñrçnight, at dusk. the lighting will remain on. there is an intrusion award -- alarm system whicht( will triggr at the front door or glass breakage, as well as motion sensors which will be monitored by adt on a 24-hour basis. if the alarm is triggered, the police and store managerç wille called. we feel confident that these security measures will deter potential crime activity. thank you. >> good evening. my name is philip schwartz. i am a patient that benefits

from medical marijuana. çi am a resident of los angele, california, and a member of sunset organic center. i am here in support of the mission organic center application. i will tell you from a patient perspective why the team may be sunset organic center so different from many other mcd's. t(i will also share the thoughts of other members who could not be here. as a patient who suffered from chronic joint pain, i chose this center for a variety of reasons. sunset organic center is clean and professionally run. the staff are friendly and the medicine is safe. the have a higher quality than many other dispensaries in los angeles. this is strong proof that the management team truly cares about the health and well-being of their patients. doing it right, as you said. although the sunset organic

center is not located in this if this neighborhood, i have always felt secure there. r>and the outside observer woud see the managementç has made every effort to ensure that patients can safely access their medicine. this includes a screening process that was just described for patients, and security control around the site by security professionals. in addition to providing safe and affordable medicine, sunset organic madison alsoxd provides health and wellness services to the community which are complementary to members, okincluding acupuncture treatmes and yoga. unlike many other mcd's, that are committed to assisting veterans or patience that live with chronic diseases, and offers a discount. in addition, they donate to local charities and volunteer their time to clean the neighborhood. the members of thei] sunset organic center are actively

involved and participate inç te collective democratically. i would like to share a couple of brief messages from people who would not be here. one member said they love the atmosphere. there is interaction with the staffç to make sure you get the right medicine for what you are being treated for. these managers understand how to make a community-based medical canvas dispensary that will support and improve the area around it. we strongly support this project. presidentç miguel: are there additionalçó speakers in favorie -- in favor? fif not, d.r. requestor, you hae

a two-minute rebuttal. >> i will pass on my comment. president miguel: each of the project's sponsors have two minutes, if you wish. >> there was one specific bit of information i wanted to clarify, in regards to the point that(tie executive director of tree med is not experienced in this particular business. çourw3 client in the second row founded a charter tour bus company in san francisco, and built it into one of the largest charter bus companies in san francisco. currently pays over $120

thousand in payroll taxes yearly in san francisco, with 50 employees. she is more than capable in her business experience. i think it speaks for itself. the transition to this type of operation will not be a problem for her. in addition, the property where treemed t(çis located is a fam- owned building. during two years when it was a vacant storefront, much like mission organics, there was a large graffiti problem. we have to go out several times to paint over graffiti on the storefront. i guarantee you onceç the security is put in and the building is renovated, there will no longer be any typemy of graffitiç on the building or ay type of i sort of the

neighborhood, but in fact a sb]ewel of a building which is family-owned and treated as such. president miguel: thank you. >> i would just like to reiterate a few things. i will not take much of your time. i know everyone is getting very tired. my primary concern here really is making sure that dispensaries operate in a way that is going to continue toç make this movement move forward. the people that i choose to work with are people who i think will live up to that. i left a much more lucrative industry in order to work in a nonprofit industry, helping people, because i saw patients who really needed this. and i feel the mission organics team, based on what they have done in losç angeles, and based on the work i have done with

them here in san francisco and the outer mission district, will really provide a great dispensary that will help push the movement forward. i also look forward to working together with the other team on toe sure we work together and coordinate to better improve the neighborhood, since we would be sharing it, ifç you grant us bh permits. thank you. xdpresident miguel: thank you. the public hearing is closed. commissioner fong? commissioner fong: i have been a supporter of medical cannabis clubs thus far. i think i share the frustration we all do, a littleç bitç, a concern these two areç on the same block. i share the same concern supervisor avalos does about

clustering. i dot( think these fit into the code that exists. but i am going toç ask that the board of supervisors or a higher body we examine the clustering aspect of these clubs. i am still not convinced of the benefit of having more than one on the same block. commissioner antonini:ç i am a little concerned also, because it was pointedç out that we are closer to the san mateo county line. i think while the clustering is not an issue we are supposed to look at, we certainly can look at other factors. there are, as mentioned, no medical marijuana dispensaries in i am concerned we may be servicing a population that is not part of san francisco here. i think we certainly have to, at the very least, make a choice. i think having two on the same

block, in my estimation, is not necessary. president miguel: without repeating myself in my basic thoughts on this, i do have to comment on commissioner antonini's statement. if we were talking not about a cannabisi] dispensary, but an ao parts storeç, and that type of business had been banned in san t(mateo county, we would welcome the taxes, the trade, and everything that would come into a legitimate san francisco business. çi have a difficultyç not loog çat it in that manner. whether i like it or not. to me,ç i cannot consider that argument. -- commissioner -- if --

commissioner wu? commissioner wu: i think it is important to equally or fairly applied planning code to all applications. çi am concerned about the fact that these locations are within i believe 150 feet of one another. for me, it borders on exceptional. w3q individually as projects that it meets the planning code. commissioner moore: is there -- a president miguel: is there a motion? commissioner sugaya: i think one of the difficulties for me is that in the previous case we have had experienceok with the project sponsor. and this is probably not a good reason to vote for or against. but it does influence you a

little bit, i think. and here we have two entities. one is from the dreaded l.a., but that should not be a factor. i am añr little concerned that they abandoned their operation in the face of supposed regulation. i do not know what the situation was down there. and then we have another project sponsor who has no experience, and is using a set of experienced consultants -- and a law firm that has dealt with a cpdlot of dispensaries, etc.ç it presents a slightly different pictureç. i do not think it is a reason to deny them particularly. but it is a little difference to ration, for me anyway.

-- different situation, for me anyway. commissioner antonini: iç think your chargeç as commissioners s to try to meet the needsç of medical marijuana patience -- patientsw3 in san frcé reasonable manner. having a dispensary that is geographically in this area, i think, given the number of patients and the prospect timothy -- and the proximity,çt would be like anything else. if you have a hospital that is fairly close, or medical facilities or doctors' offices, that is reasonable. i can see this as a medical-type facility. it is not like you are favoring one over the other. but i think you have to look at