housing and except a downpayment assistance loan that is less than the maximum. in terms of negotiations, there were concerns about making sure the program would work, and as you had concerns about whether the program would work, the cpmc people had concerns about whether it would work from said it wanted to err on the high side in the sugar program would serve employees. it is the maximum number in terms of the downpayment assistance. it is not required to be at that level. it is at a lower level, then we will serve even more people and more households than the initial 145. so there is no fixed obligation to spend it at that level,

unless it is necessary. commissioner sugaya: thank you. i think you just argued against yourself, because of the program is so successful, then why create a new one? if there is a lower threshold of actual money at 100,000 or whatever it is now, it will go a lot further. lastly, i think the whole nexus that has been used to justify affordable housing programs for such things as offices and other construction is that it affects a lot of people, not just employees that are coming to the office building where who work an office building. therefore, it should be open to all san francisco residents and not as workers. thank you.

chairmapresident fong? : any questions with related to enforcement? >> at some point, when we get to it, i would like to offer an amendment to that. >>just simply to include the reporting to the planning commission. it would not be necessary to have our approval, just an informational item. i would just like to make sure that it is there. commissioner antonini: i am not sure if we will have a section that deals with the development agreement itself. >> if you have a question for staff, now might be the time. >> i really appreciate receiving

an answer to my question regarding a comparison between stanford university medical center agreement with that that is the development proposed for california pacific medical center, and i do not know if mr. rich can comment on this or if anyone could just answer if i am reading this correctly. the answer to my question was extremely good in detailel. even though the stanford project involved more square feet, it it appears the total contribution proposed in the development agreement with cpmc of 149 million. this is really instructive.

we're looking at housing and health care. they're looking more at transportation funding for employees giving them caltran passes to get to work. hours are much more heavily towards the things i brought up. if i am interpreting this correctly. i do not know if your knowledge of any other types of comparisons. >> you have given an accurate comparison of the tables we gave you. >> i think that is a really greareally important, and i hopt will be discussed in greater length this afternoon. >> any questions for staff related to project description? approvals? man? none? we have a very full day in march

that a public comment cards. we will hear from the project sponsor now. we will take a short track after break after that and into public comment acrobat. -- after that. ." >> good afternoon. it is good to see you again. this is the seventh time we have been here before you. 's we appreciate you have the opportunity current -- to consider, and hopefully approve this project which has unprecedented benefits for san francisco. this is not a typical the bill wouldn't project, a program to modernize the key health care delivery systems with the ultimate goals of saving lives and improving health. the project will rebuild and modernize the hospitals

at st. luke's and dvds. -- davis. it will integrate four separate campuses into a modern health care system with community hospitals that are widely accessible. it will respond to a state seismic mandate by doubling the number earthquake state beds here in the city. we will deliver unprecedented community benefits for our great city, and those benefits have been achieved through extensive input and years of hard work with the planning commission, health commission, and the city family, many of whom are sitting here today. the project will inject $2.5 billion into the local economy and keep our trades working, as well as retaining and growing permanent well-paying jobs in the city's largest economic

sector, health care. we will partner with dph in community clinics to serve a third of the patients come about 10,000 patients, who joined the plan as a result of health care reform, and provide critical capacity with the community partners to care for the poor -- to care for the patients. we are where this plan has its critics. after 10 years of planning and community engagement, we know a perfect plan is simply not possible. we believe this is the best possible plan, one that balances the needs of health care delivery with those of the neighbors and community. that is why today you will hear very strong support for our rebuild plan from many different sectors of san francisco. commissioners, i respectfully urge your support for this rebuild project that will improve health care throughout san francisco.

i will next be followed by david king from the smith group, and dr. ted kirsch, chief of staff at the st. luke's campus. >> if i could have a projector. mr. president and members of the commission, i believe you have a paper copy -- that is fine. i believe you of a copy of the presentation in front of you. each of the building is technologically sophisticated. designed to support a specific health care program, and this will complement the existing neighborhoods. they challenge our team. it is multiple firms. challenge the team to meet a couple of fundamental goals. first and foremost, to reduce the cost of health care and improve the quality of health

care through the new facilities by providing programs that really position institution for the 21st century. these are designed unsustainably. every building will seek lead certification. they are skilled and articulate it to fit into the neighborhood. they provide new and exciting landscaping and will be built to quality throughout. the first is an unchanged proposal from the building and site development use sulphurs in 2007. the building fundamental or urban design gesture is to enhance public access to an existing campus by linking street-level activities through the campus in new and accessible concourses. the building is composed of two different elements. there is a wood facade and various windows.

there is the continuous glass street level concourse that provides the view. the upper building is set back and turn that 90 degrees to the street. that bridges into the core of the hospital campus, so the past is available to the public and this building through the building and up the hill and into the original campus. there is a small corner card and that really accentuate the available lobby concourse entry. the upper floors are set back and virtually not visible in this particular vantage point. at vanass and gary, cmpc proposes to build a new hospital. the hospital is founded by a gary franklin medical office

building by cedar and hold. we work very closely with planning staff to understand and to apply the principles outlined in the better street plan. those guidelines really have served to inform the public realm for both of these blocks. we were pleased to work with planning staff and members of other city agencies and conducted seven public charette sais. what emerged for a couple of key elements that we the government and the public interest. cedar alley is being read imagined on cedar street. there is an entirely in closed off street drop off area within the hospital that spans from post street to gary street. there is applause on cedar street and medical office building. we are proposing to build -- to build parking lanes on post and

then uvaness to improve public . we a coordinated the building facades to support and enhance pedestrian environment. and in this view of the hospital we're looking south on vaness. post street is to your right. the hospital is divided. we have placed the bed tower on the southern extreme of the site along gary to the rear of the slide. that arrangement provides a number of urban design and planning attributes. planning the tower along the south minimizes the amount of shade and shadow onto the surrounding buildings. we are casting a shadow on to ourselves. by pushing the building to the south, it allows the lower podium to be more efficient. we are actually one floor lower across the podium, which

produces street walls on the majority of van ness and frankly -- franklin. these are actually lower than the existing buildings on the site today. this also improves the sideline, obviously from the neighbors to the north for the tower is more removed, and also the east and west with the thin shape of the tower is subdivided is easier to see by. the design of the medical office building has been completely changed. very much thanks to your comments from the informational hearings and working close with a stop after that. generally we feel comfortable with the direction this is headed. we have really responded to the strong line on the eastern side of vaness and separated the design of the medical office

building from the hospital. we believe having the own image is very consistent with the natural variety and scale. the main doorway has been moved to the center of the buildings. there is light colored concrete with a stone base that we think is consistent with the look of the avenue. cedar street is really completely redesigned. it is to provide as a pedestrian and are meant an entry plaza for the medical office building off of vaness. we're looking at the entrance to cedar street looking south. looking west, a continuous retail store front provided to enhance the streetscape. the hospital also contributes to that. there is a new retails for front. -- retail strotore front.

you can see the positive benefits of closing the parking lane. it will be a much safer environment we believe, especially of the crossings. as you move towards the corner, we get to the main doorway of the hospital. this is a very gracious pedestrian door wide. it does have a interior waiting area. obviously this will be a primary route to transit, and we think it is important that it be very usable. you have seen a lot of plans that are drawn plot. this does extend into the building lobby so it can next diagonally through. -- move diagonally through. slight 13, looking bendery looking from pole towaat gary d.

the windows you can tell are shaded appropriately and are altered to depend on the various exposures. the hospital base of stone glass is designed to enhance public space design. from the north you conceive the tower is dramatically set back. it is divided into 10 the panels. there is a small amount of vision glass and metal. we think that is an important part of making an ice, then it silhouette. the remainder of the podium is metal. looking west in slight 15 of the new at cedar street, you can tell the buildings are different, but we believe appropriate. they fit comfortably into the broader urban context and we think the building contributes to the neighborhood. moving to say it looks, the

redevelopment of the campus is really three elements. integrated medical office building. the hospital is on the west. the hospital on the east towards valencia and the new public hospital that is designed to recall the opening for the street that is formed between the new building. this will provide emergency services access to the hospital. this does create a scale appropriate to the existing building. we understand the scale of the townhouses is to be respected. a consistent brick base and it is an architectural concrete

shown and will tie the new architecture to the character of the neighborhood. the lobby, cafe, multipurpose room all our position to support the activity in the plaza. the medical office building shares that with the hospital. the same coloration and components are used. punched windows are used throughout. the new plaza will provide access, but to the hospital and the doorways. it is full of bounce, seatings, the louvre -- new landscapes and a multipurpose room. the public staircase goes uphill to the south to connect 27 st. in the second major doorway -- and the second major door way that provides access to emergency services.

the hospital and medical office building we believe will support a dramatically improved public realm. we believe these five buildings answer the challenge given to us. we think it will be great additions to the city. these buildings will provide the highest quality of health care, complement the neighborhood and be built to last. i would like to introduce dr. costed kirsch. >> good afternoon. my name is dr. ed kirsch, and i am a cardiologists and chief of staff. i represent the 350 positions on the active medical staff at the hospital. they in turn it care for about 300,000 residents who live south of market. i participated in the rebuild

st. luke's process for over six years. that started with the save at st. luke's movement, went on to the blue ribbon panel, and finally to today's deliberations. so today i want to speak to you about what i know best, which is not building buildings, but what goes inside the building, the delivery of health care, and what this project means to the physicians and patients of st. luke's hospital. i will be brief. the first is the association of st. luke's with cpmc has expanded our ability to provide health care at every level. we have a first-class medical staff, and the staff has been recognized as one of only 410 in the nation to have excellence and quality and patient safety. this is from the joint commission on accreditation and was given to us this year.

everyone knows we are the safety net for san francisco general hospital, and that results in taking care some of the sickest patients in the city. our ability to do so is enhanced by the association with cpmc. when we have a critical case meeting advanced care, we no longer have to call other medical centers and big them to take a patient. we can transfer our patients there without regard for ability to pay. the people of san francisco have been the beneficiaries. second is the ability to provide charity care. cpmc has been criticized for not doing it share. i want you to know the st. luke's medical staff has worked with the of the industry should to improve on this area. charity care means a patient who is uninsured, winds up in the hospital with a critical illness, and of the end of the

hospitalization, the medical bills are written off. what we have now done is designed a process that will allow physicians to provide collective, and it even preventive health care services for patients that are unable to pay come and we will do this with a point of service process, which will streamline the ability for us to provide charity care to patients. we will be able to expand our services to all the people in need in the community. finally, is the promise of sustainability that is offered. one of the great challenges to the city is an aging medical community and the inability to recruit new physicians to san francisco where salaries are lower and the cost of living and raising a family is tighter. and you say lukes facility -- and new at st. luke's facility will enhance our ability to

recruit and retain physicians well into the 21st century and beyond. so, looking back to 1871, dr. thomas brothers andoon open the. luke's hospital. and they provided the mission statement. the benefits refuse to none will be limited only by its means. before you today is a proposal that can help a sustained this mission. on behalf of the st. luke's medical staff, i urge you to vote affirmatively for this project and move it forward. our patients and staff need it and deserve it. we think cpmc is the way to achieve it. thank you. >> any speakers from project sponsor?

at this point we're going to take a short break and get into public comment, if that is ok with you. >> a brief question. for dr. kirsch, i was going through answers to questions about utilization at st. luke's, and it appears while there are occupants in skilled nursing, i guess your acute-care average has been 59 bids of the past 15 years. >> that is probably a reasonable estimate. >> we would hope as we rebuild we would be able to increase that if the need is there. >> again, we would like to see

an increase. i believe the hospitals plan is for 80 beds. that is an increase. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> ok. any other questions? [laughter] [inaudible] >> i think we are ok. >> mr. king it from the smith grou from the smith group. very well designed, and especially the medical office building, and i really liked the way it relates to the street, i was hoping anywhere you could strengthen the corners even more. i know there is great elevation changes that will come up post

and and geary. certainly anything you could do to strengthen that icing would be good. in terms of the cathedral hill hospital, i just would want to continue to work with staff on the mosaic part of the building on the southeast corner. that has to be done very carefully to make sure it is appropriate. i do not want it to be too buys. thasy. are really liked the building at franklin and post but a simpler, but it is to the rear of the building. the other thing i would want to make sure is the color of the glass is rich enough. i cannot quite tell from the renderings what we have in mind as far as the glass covers for the hospital tower.

>> on the lower portion of the building, we are actually using wood tones within the class system. we will come back and coordinate the actual metal portions to carry that came through. >> it looks like it was changing a bunch of different shades. i was not so sure how that would play out. it is the richer color at the lower levels and i think is really important. i think overall the design is really good. on st. luke's the only thing i would like to see is the treatment around the windows. it could maybe be more around the windows. whatever we could do to accentuate them a little bit more and give them more character would be nice. those are just my views. >> any other questions or

comments? let's go ahead and take a 20 minute break. we will get right into public >> the planning commission is back in session. commissioners, before we went into recess, we were about to start a public comment. public comment, as i announced, will start with a request for a box of tide. there were four requests. i think i initially responded in the negative to one of those requests, but given the nature of the day and how many people are here, we might want to grant the block of time also. and i have given you the names, but they should be given up to 15 minutes and no more. commissioner fong: ok. there are four blocks in 15 minutes. the first one is marian and wen will give thema time to come.

>> up. commissioner fong: the second one is john. >> , on up. -- come on up. >> good afternoon pat i am the vice president of programs with the san francisco community clinic consortium, and i am representing john, our president and ceo. he unfortunately is not able to be here this afternoon. i am here with three of the consortium's board members who will each have an opportunity to speak as well. charles, the executive director of the south of market health center. brenda, the executive director at the mission at neighborhood health center. and david, executive director of curry senior