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tv   [untitled]    April 6, 2012 9:00pm-9:30pm PDT

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thank you very much. president fong: project sponsor. >> good evening, president fong at commissioners. -- and commissioners. we're seeking the nine-panel antennas at this location due to the increased capacity needs of our network to appear -- address the growing usage of data and voice on the at&t mobility network. we have worked with the staff to make sure that the panel antenna are disguised as best as possible so they are less intrusive to the passers-by and they can be seen from the street on one side of the building. they are hidden in faux smoke chimney events. thanks to the staff for their hard work on this. president fong: thank you.
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is there public comment on this item? >> i have one speaker card. >> i am mike ross, i am here for -- i am a next door neighbor, i own the apartment house next door. i am in a residential area. i am a narrow alley away from the site. the condo association is opposed to any kind of construction on the roof. they understand it will block their view. and they are arguing on aesthetics. they understand their concerns about their health are not relative to this -- relevant to this commission. the head of the condo association would be here
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if he had not had to leave to los angeles. my concerns are that although technically, there has been a compliance with the historical part of this building, it was built as a hotel to house visitors to the 1950 pan-pacific exposition, there has been no real concern about the historical part of the building for years. the landlord is putting new bands of on top. they're very noisy. this latest one is wide, unpainted, galvanized metal. without any concern for me despite my pleas to help. we're concerned, my neighbors and i cannot this is getting to be too much of a mass of stuff on the roof and it is destroying the historical part of the city the enjoy through their windows across to get a view of the city
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when they come home at night. my neighbor's upstairs are concerned. the condo people are concerned and the neighbors going of both sides of green street are concerned. i have not had any of that concern being worked into the discussion so far except for -- to discuss these things. they will be very large and they will block view. they will block the light into my garden. when i spoke to the owner about this when we found out about it, he said not to worry. he will make sure that they're put on the south side of the building. not blocking antibodies field. and it would be quiet. we did our research and we find from the schematics that we down loaded the there is three spaces on the top of the roof that would be carrying these antenna
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which is not what was promised and it has gotten the neighbors across the street very concerned. i am concerned also as an occupant across the alley. not only with the new events -- vents, they would lessen the amount of sun that i get down there which is small as it is. president fong: thank you. is there additional public comment? seeing none, -- the public hearing is closed on that item. commissioners? commissioner sugaya: move to approve. commissioner antonini: second. >> the motion on the floor is
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for approval as proposed. commissioner antonini, aye. commissioner borden, aye. commissioner moore, aye. commissioner sugaya, aye. commissioner wu. that passes unanimously. you're on item 11. item 11 is case number -- the case for 501 connecticut. ever -- a request for review. >> for -- before you i present a request for discretionary review. this building permit application proposes a change of use from an existing 12,000 square foot -- 1200 square-foot commercial ground-floor space which was an eating and drinking
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establishment to a child care facility as defined. this project is at 501 connecticut street at the corner of 20th street within the nc2. the commercial neighborhood zoning district. planning has received dozens of e-mail and phone calls in support and opposition. the male is in your case report. i would like to submit additional e-mails and i can hand those to you. commissioners, those requests cite the following concerns regarding the proposed change of use. one that would affect the commercial district by eliminating a foot traffic and eliminating future employment. the proposed space is ill suited
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for a child care facility and will result in a failed business the presence of vacant storefronts will affect the viability of the district in question. the conversion to a child care facility directly conflicts with the first priority policy. the planning staff has reviewed the report and proposes -- supports the changes. this is a use that is permitted under planning code on the ground floor within this district, allowing uses that are permitted by the planning code provides entrepreneurs certainty in investing in san francisco and that district in particular. a child care facility can attract families from within and outside of the site vicinity to patronize existing merchants,
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provide beneficial activity to the district in question. given the retail uses in close proximity including retail grocers stores and eating and drinking establishments, it is conceivable that a parent dropping off or picking up a child could stop to purchase goods or services. it is adequately suited for a child care facility of the proposed size and defers to the regulating body of the state to particular -- determine whether this meets the requirements for out died -- outside activity. there is great com -- demand. it is reasonable to assume that any child care facility would succeed and to contribute to the vitality of its surroundings. the proposed project meets the intention of the general plan including relevant sections of -- such as the commerce and
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industry element. given these reasons, staff recommendation to not take discretionary review and approve the project as proposed. this concludes the presentation. i am available for questions. >> if i can ask all of you who are standing here blocking the door, creating a fire hazard, if you are standing because you intend to speak on this item, can you move to the other side of the room, please? otherwise, we would ask that you take a seat in the room. >> the d.r. requestor, you have five minutes. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i'm keith gold sstein and a member of the eastern neighborhood cac and ihavi have
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with don potrero hill for 30 years as a can figure from my -- i have lived on potrero hill for 30 years as you can figure out from my accent. we have worked hard over the years to improve the retail environment on 20th street. three years ago, we moved the festival in an effort to revitalize the area but the street still lacked viable retail businesses. i want to point out that members have been strong supporters in and we're not opposed to child- care when it is cited in the proper location. we discussed this issue at length and we did not oppose the use lightly. we discussed it in general meeting contrary to the project sponsors claim the agenda at was sent out to our members, the topic was on the agenda. there were 45 attendees where this was discussed, representing 31 local
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businesses and there were no [unintelligible] opposed to the petition for the year -- a d.r. we do not want to see the district loses its vitality. it is integral to the health and vibrancy of the 20th street district. in the same way that mayor lee sees twitter as anchoring the revitalization of mid market, we see this to revitalized -- revitalizing a commercial district. 501 connecticut street was an iconic locations. we saw people come from all over the city to sample the famous images that were named by
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feminist icon and bask in the views of the city outside the building. the place was often packed. i would not go there to stand in line for sandwiches. that led them to patronize the other businesses on the street. there was a community hub. we need another hub at that location and child care does not provide that. the proposed 28 families would be the same 28 families visiting delegation. twice a day, five days a week, pulling up a white zone outside. children would be delivered to their cars and they will take off, there will not patronize the other businesses. even the operators of the daniel webster preschool have stated they think this bill should be used as a retail space. child care would have to employ the dining establishment and provide employment for 50 or 20 people. this is the prime and ideal
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location for a thriving retail businesses or an eating establishment. its use as a child care facility will add to the demise of 20th street as a viable commercial corridor serving the residents of potrero hill. i will cede the rest of my time to the honor of the good life grocery. >> no, there is no ceding of time. you either use it or lose it. >> speakers in support of the d.r. >> hello. i'm one of the owners of the good life grocery which is located across the street and half a block away from 501 connecticut street. i am on the executive board of the merchants association and i voted for opposing the change of use and filing this d.r. i did not come to this lightly
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but i may have come to it far more emotionally. what happens determine if we could keep the grocery alive and that decision is in your hands. 501 connecticut represents almost 25% of the available retail space. we are a small commercial corridor, just two blocks long but at one time, we had as -- a drug store, a flower shop, two cleaners, and two kurdish restores and hair salons. there was always a library and a doctor's office across the street. there was a reason for people to stop and shop at 20th street. 501 connecticut was always the center, the intersection. it was once a butcher shop worked for almost 30 years it has been klein's deli, always
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popular and always busy. the -- we made an investment in the building we read, putting everything we could beg, borrow, or put liens on to open our business. we were fortunate to find the retail space to rent and we read this on 20th street to this day. our store is 1200 square feet. approximately the same size as 501 connecticut. we employ 20 people and the popular deli employs 50 -- 15 people. 400 customers came through klein's in their 12-hour day. we always have had a consistently good business after 5:00 p.m. is during the day that has been the problem. our morning starting as early as 7:00 a.m. -- is filled with
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the delivery trucks. they create traffic and traffic hazards and our staff has to be there even though our customer count is low. we have held on tenaciously through the years. 20th street was torn up for a while. and then wholefoods opened eight blocks away. we anticipated all this but when klein's closed, that was a big deal. shopping habits were shifted. since then we have been anxiously awaiting anotherancho -- another anchor tenant and it has not come and will not come with this proposed child care center. even with its changing rules and regulations, san francisco has been [unintelligible] we urge you to uphold the d.r. that is before you. president fong: thank you. other speakers in favor of the
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d.r.? >> i am michelle menendez. i am the treasure of the merchants association. i own a business. i see the inconsistency with the project of 28 families coming and going but also the documentation says we will mitigate the traffic by creating a white sound and -- zone and special procedures for pick-up and drop-off. there is a claim that 28 families can do on the spot purchasing. i do not see that possible when you have a white zone the does not allow you to park and it thereby helping them get in and out quickly. that is detrimental to the businesses. it does not create foot traffic and foot traffic -- foot traffic is vital for commercials on. it should remain a neighborhood
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establishment. it is important for the vitality of the other neighborhoods serving retail businesses. please take into consideration this is a two block area so it is extremely small. as mentioned, there is not a dozen locations available. taking one away that is iconic and the anchor is detrimental. thank you. president fong: thank you. next speaker? >> i am a parent on bertran bourhill. i would be a target audience. the reality is the space as it is now bill, it is not safe space for kids. i would not necessarily want to have my children there, just from the confines of the space. the local park that is nearby, you would have to walk through a dangerous wooded area that is between the top of the hill and the project and the park.
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i do not find that to be a safe alternative. second, there is another business opening up, the church two blocks south. it is putting in an application for child care center in preschool. they have a much larger space, larger indoor and outdoor spaceg further south on potrero hill. lastly, it affects the safety issue, it is a soft floor. i am not sure what they have done in terms of upgrading the building to accommodate the earthquake standards around that. it is already built out. they already have the permits in place, i guess. i do not see the added reinforcements for that. and just to reiterate, 24 families, i was one of those families when we were much younger. i guarantee i did not have time to stop. i'm going to work so i am dropping off the kids. white zone would be great. i pull in and out.
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this is different from having three mealtimes are having other possible traffic there. -- or having possible other traffic there. >> good afternoon, hon. commissioners. i have lived on potrero hill for 21 years. 22 of those three blocks away. having served on the board of appeals, i understand the thoughtful process you go through to make your decisions. decisions that have little or no effect on you personally but make an enormous impact on the quality of their residents -- the residents in the neighborhood. this policy exists for good reason. studies locally and nationwide have shown a vacant retail buildings can affect in many ways. one of the vacant store's
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biggest impact is on their neighbor. when one closes, it hurts shops left behind. this is something i learned firsthand as a child. my single mother who founded and operated a small business always complained when another store closed. even if it was a competitor. i want to let you know there are several of a speaking. we have quite a few other people have come to express their concerns silently so you do not all have to listen to more of us and i would like to ask them to stand up, please. ok. thank you. in addition who have -- to the people who have taken off work to come here, there were a lot of people who could not do so. jolie jackson, and -- julie jackson, an eight year resident.
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stacy bartlett, an 11-year resident. she is a founding member and director of the potrero caridad daniel webster, and not perfect -- not for profit school. she is concerned that this private for-profit school will not deliver the basics many of the residents need. many live in public housing and they cannot afford a fee-based school. other people who support us in this is lillian who lived in the neighborhood for 35 -- 40 years. linda park has been there over 40 years. rob cohen, 19 years. all these people, most of them real letter so you received
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something from them -- wrote a letter so you received something from the mall. i want to ask you to consider this discretionary review. this is not a good place for this preschool. we need something retail there. thank you. president fong: the speaker. in favor of the d.r.? -- next speaker. >> i am representing [unintelligible] i was a previous tenant. >> can you state your name for the record? >> to make a statement, the location is not able to have a ktichen -- the kitchen.
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this area around here is a false ceiling, it goes from there, there sis two possibilities. >> you can move the microphone. >> there is no problem with the exhaust. and these are the -- they also have [unintelligible] for the kitchen. i do not know. i think there is the -- one way
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out. it was not possible to put the kitchen. she got the small business administration loan. which was different from what i had. she signed a lease, her mortgage is at 1231, 2010, and proceeded to evict me from the location. thank you. president fong: thank you. >> good afternoon. i have lived on potrero hill for 33 years. i have the property next door, a
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victorian that was condemned. i built a fence between the east fence for this property, when this property was a meat market, and then klein's came in and helped that commercial corner or commercial block. it became a community magnet. it was a hanging out place. these are hard to do. he had plans to put a deli in there. this kind of use i found i could not agree with the planning department less. i think it works against the commercial use in a small lot. we need to -- a place to hang out there to activate the area and that is what other businesses that have been there did before. somehow, the uses have been
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misguided recently. i do not think we're going to work in the long run. that will mess up the rest of it. that is about it. thank you. >> executive board member of the merchants. the project sponsor's claims said it is prohibitive to open up another eating establishment. klein's was there for 30 years. it went under. i had a deli ready to come into their. they never wants responded. -- once responded.
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>> hello, commissioners. i am representing myself and julie jackson, an architect and parent who lives on the hill. there is a letter going to of salient point to can review during the rest of the testimony. one. echoing what is in the letter from julie, you need to understand how insufficient space really is for child care. we can go in and out about the details about the licensing board. and 75 square feet of space per child but the picture might help. as an example, what you see here is this is a picture of the potrero kids at daniel webster. a substantial amount of space in
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front. another image of the same thing. so much open space, it does not sit on the camera screen. here is the future friends of potrero hill nursery school that julie jackson design. this is a substantial amount of open space. and that is what is being constructed right now. it is very small. less than 300 square feet. it does not get a lot of sunlight because there are taller buildings on either side including the subject space. not not only to rotate them throughout the entire day, this is what you rotate them into. the other point is as much as i don't want to disagree