>> a good morning and welcome to the meeting. i'm joined by supervisor carmen

chu and we will be joined soon by a supervisor olague. could you please read item number one? >> a liquor license transfer. the club will serve the convenience and necessity of the people of the city and county of san francisco. commissioner sugaya>> the applih the alcohol beverage control seeking a type 48 bar license for 46 street located between stephens street and jeffrey street. the california department of

collett beverage control seeks a determination from the board of supervisors as to the approval or denial of this license. police calls for services from december 2010 through december 2011 were three calls. this business has been closed since march of 2011. police reports from that same time, no record. the premises located onslaught 210, high crime area is this -- defined as 215 police reports are more in a plot. what has 3255 police reports recorded for 2010. this is approximately 15 times the high crime area definition. the applicant premises is located in a high crime area. the premises is located on tracked 176 points 01. the population is 5756. on sale license authorized for

the track is 21. active on sail license for the track is 54. the premises is located in an end to concentrated area. no record of the california department of alcoholic beverage control for letters of protest. no record with the california department of a beverage control. since march 30, 2012, the san francisco police of department has documented a 11 letters of support. this police plot is the highest crime area in san francisco with over two dozen incidents directly related to alcohol and over 300 incidents related to narcotics in 2010. it is well known that licensed establishments have the ability to extract activity by drug buyers and sellers. this plot, specifically the in a

block of six street has had one of the highest crime rates in the city for several decades. a 2011 police department operations order describes the sixth street corridor as being plagued by high level of narcotics activity. this attracts individuals who are responsible for a high percentage of violent crimes which occur in the southern district, including assault, robbery, stabbing and shooting. as a result, extra police resources, including the violent crime task force and tactical units were detailed to the sixth street corridor during july and august of 2011. single resident occupancy in the area are sponsored by the city through public health to work with their clients to break their chemical dependencies and addictions. adding a new licensed establishment contributes to the problem and appears to work

against the city's efforts. specifically related to the premises is a 14 unit residential hotel, the oak tree hotel, located adjacent to at and above the applicant premises. the entrance is less than 1 foot to the entrance of the applicants premises. to illustrate high volumes of police calls, there have been 34 calls for a services at the oak tree hotel in 2011. the city and community have worked tirelessly to at a police substation on sixth street to bring a more permanent presence of officers. in new licensed premises will contribute to a greater number of intoxicated people which translates to a greater number of victims and suspects. in conclusion, the san francisco police department has gone to great lengths to combat violent

crime on sixth street. in recent years, thousands of personnel hours by southern station, the violent crimes task force, narcotics detail, gang task force, the tactical company, and various other units have worked to keep this blocks a for residents and merchants. in the recent granting of an abc license which were strictly conditioned, still resulted in crime and high volumes of calls for service, granting this license will not only contribute to the crime problem in this community, but it will also go directly against the intent of the laws promoted by that abc in order to maintain safe communities for merchants and visitors to our city. this application is opposed by southern station. alu recommends denial of this liquor license. supervisor elsbernd: thank you very much. any questions from the

committee? does the applicant want to take any response? then we will going to public comment. >> mr. chair and supervisors, i recommend -- i represent omg lounge. i have been doing this for 25 years and this is the first time ever that i have had an applicant with so much public support, not one neighbor in opposition, not one neighborhood group in opposition. in fact, the only opposition we have today is the san francisco police department. in terms of the neighborhood, i know it was on tv a number of times when perles went on to the corner of sixth and market and the mayor was down there for the ribbon cutting. i would call your attention to the letter from the managing partner and an owner of pearls because i think she sums it up well, that alcohol is a problem,

this is a high crime district, however, haven't won more storefront on sixth street is going to stop the momentum that is growing. urban solutions has done a great job cleaning up and i know that because i'm one of the founders of urban solutions. i know six street pretty well. if we keep doing the same things over and over, that's called insanity. if we keep leaving storefront's vacant, and this is the only person that has tried to read this place for two and a half years, and it has been a bar for 40 years, there's a board of appeals decision that let the license come on and let an entertainment license continue. this has been publicly that it before the city agencies, and i would ask you do issue this letter of determination, that it does serve the public convenience and necessity of san francisco. you'll hear a lot of support today and you have today an

opportunity to create history. there are 5 million south asian people in the united states. there is not one that south asian gay bar in the united states. this will be owned by two gentlemen who are clear- identified and saturday night at this bar will be a gay bar. other times, it will be a lounge. there are 75 feet away from the burning man building. their 150 feet away from. if you want to put a high-tech along that corridor, it seems disingenuous to say we want you to come in here, but unlike manhattan or other places, we don't want to have a convenient places where you can come and have a $10 cocktail after-hours. if you look at the pictures, you will see not only does that have amazing community support, but

it will be a beautiful lounge. it was a beautiful lounge before. this is the place where future bars, it was their first bar. the license that is on there now is tied up in litigation and that's why we had to bring in a new license. this has been a bar for 40 years. to speak of the high-tech workers, one of the main business people was one of the first engineers at netscape. now they own a number of very successful nightclubs and lounges and the one that was in that location helps the neighborhood. just like modern art has helped that corner, i live in a neighbor head and i can tell you it is hoped that corner to have the security on the corner and totally transform the neighborhood. i would request this

determination. i discussed this morning a draft of possible conditions. this is basically what was issued on the corner of sixth and mission to the monarchs are in the last few months -- the monarchs bar in the last few months. thank you for your support on this application. supervisor elsbernd: any questions for the applicant? let's go now to the public comment cards. we will give everyone two minutes. i will read these randomly. excuse me if i mispronounce anybody is named. -- if i mispronounce anybody's name. [reading names],

>> good morning, supervisors. i'm the president of the market business association. i think it's disingenuous to make claims that things habib worse because this bar is opening. as the applicant said before, it is going to attract the south asian community that does not have a place to get too. when have you ever heard of the southeast asian community causing problems like drug abuse and all? i fully support this bar and it's going to bring a whole new type of people into the area. you will see that much of bat activity going on with the abuse of drugs. it's much better than a liquor store. with a liquor store, anybody can walk in and buy liquor.

they're not going to be catering to those sort of people. i urge you to please support this and approve of this letter of determination for the liquor license for this bar. i think this is one of the nicest places you're going to see in the south of market. south of market is a diverse area. we would have a whole bunch of different nightclubs and bars. we have everything down there and this adds to it. thank you very much and please support this. thank you. >> good morning. i speak to you as a clear south asian woman, as a technology worker who has been employed in the south of market area for over seven years. with this club opening, i'm looking for a place that i can call my own, just as san francisco is a city i can call my own. this is a place where we will go

to sit, and talk, and laugh, where i can go of my co-workers after work to have a drink before going home. this is a place that will be a community respite for us and something i support. it sent to my friend support. i believe the people who have been working in a south asian community and queer activism have made such a difference in our community. this is yet another way they are hoping to make a difference in bringing our people together, and that's why i support them. thank you very much. supervisor elsbernd: next speaker please. >> i am a 16-year resident of the city of san francisco. 19-years ago, i moved across the country to find a larger southeastern square community and actually found one in san francisco. i speak for my personal level.

you can see from the gray i have been around for awhile. we're very excited in the community to see that two of our very own people have decided to put their money, quit their day jobs to really make this thing happen for us. i understand there is a past to sixth street, but the city is looking for a different future for six straight, especially that block. i may bicyclist and i commute to work. oftentimes at 10:30 at night, i'm riding home on market street and is not pleasant. but i think they are about the future of sixth street. i wish them well and i hope you as a commission will look at them as being part of that future and taking us to the level we want to get to where we can stroll sixth street like people stroll down valencia

right now. all of us know it's a new immigrant area. a lot of new immigrants come to that area and south of market is full of technology folks that would really support coming to a south asian bar in their work area. i hope you will continue to look at it as a future, part of the future as it -- part of the future of san francisco as opposed to what the past was bringing to it. thank you very much. supervisor elsbernd: as the next speaker approaches come i will read some more names. [reading names] . >> good morning. i have lived in san francisco for 14 years. i have an office on third and market and as a gay southeast asian person, i would support this part because i'm very familiar with the area and --

support this bar because i'm very familiar with the area. i think it invites a new type of clientele which is probably not going to be drug abusing people. my friend has lots of experience in running a bar, and if anybody can do it, it will be them and i'm an absolute support of this establishment. supervisor elsbernd: next speaker, please. >> i am a friend of the applicants applying for the alcohol license. i'm from merced, calif., a very small town with a lot of mathematics and drug dealers. at the same time, i've worked at a gay bar in modesto. i used to work about 45 minutes it would take to drive to work and back. the reason why is that it was a safe zone. in merced, there's not a lot of

drugs, but i could work on my family's farm were pretty much a place of want. i have a lot of family and connections up there, but the reason why is the bar in modesto started out as a little tiny bar next to the hotel that the city would put the homeless up with extra rooms. it was the number one spot in modesto that was known for drugs and the reasons they want to close this place, to not let them have an alcohol license, it turned to being a gay bar, that's when i stepped in. we had to protect the lgbt community in the valley. there was less drugs because the scene and cleaned up. the gays have turned it into a very clean, welcoming environment.

there was no security guard by the time a year-and-a-half came up because lesbian and gay bars are known for safety. we are the people who will be going to this bar. you think any of us are going to be selling drugs or doing drugs, i know the majority of these people and i can tell you from personal experience from knowing them for so long that none of them would. i believe the main issues with drugs and alcohol is not from the people going to these bars paying $10 for a hot cup cranberry. [tone] -- for a vodka cranberry. i will stop right there. but i am in support of this. supervisor elsbernd: next speaker, please. >> good morning. i made a business owner and i own a bar in nob hill. when i first applied for a beer and wine license, there had been

an existing one but it had lapsed and was an empty storefront. we ran into similar opposition from the police department in north beach. we eventually figured out the best way to go around it is established some conditions to open up what was before an empty storefront and create jobs and create a space where neighbors could go where nobody even walk through before. i'm not an expert in crime in this city, but i have lived here long enough to know that sixth street is already crime-ridden. the way to solve it is not best served by blocking an application by law-abiding citizens to are going to create jobs and clean up the area and bring some lighting, but maybe come to an agreement, may be establishing conditions like the

ones we had. there were some way things that could be done rather than just saying no. are the streets being patrolled enough? you have the numbers. the store front has been vacant for about a year. we don't know what's going to happen when this new place comes in. these will be professionals that will be coming in. they will be spending their money there, generating revenue for the city and state as well as creating employment for the area, so i hope you will support it. supervisor elsbernd: next speaker, please. >> i'm the co-chair of the world's first and oldest groups supporting the southeast asian lgbt community and a commercial real estate appraiser, so i know my properties. last year, we received

recognition from the mayor who proclaimed a day on september 10. on september 10, he received commendation from the mayor in recognition for his tireless work for the community. he worked to oppose all forms of discrimination here. i met them about 15 years ago and they're both pillars in the community. he's a well respected businessmen owning a bar for over 20 years. the other man is a community organizer following his american dream. i've never known him to shy away from any individual has reached out for help. when the is not on the board, we can reach out to him for any

help we need. he is currently on the board of national queer asian organization which works on our behalf with federal government. omg will provide a safe place and the need -- a feeling of home for thousands of square southeast asians are marginalized on a daily basis by the larger square community. i have lived in the sixth street for about 20 years now and usually try to stay away from six straight. was recently, i see the fruits of your labor with the redevelopment of the mid market area with the indian research center on sixth street. i urge you to vote in favor of omg and bring this much-needed space to san francisco. you will have our thanks. supervisor elsbernd: as the next speaker approaches, let me read a few more names.

[reading names] >> i am the executive director of the california music and culture association. we represent a wide coalition of nightlife and entertainment, businesses and individuals. we fully support this transfer. we held our members to a high standard of operation, food and security practices. people involved are the coalition operate under the guideline of best practices which include security staff and certified and appropriate ratios for security to patrons as well as anything else that might be necessary for special circumstances, including security cameras, extra lighting and things like that that are appropriate. club omg is absolutely included

in this. we hold ourselves and then to a very high standard. we support this transfer because we believe it will not only be a great asset to the neighborhood that a great asset to the city of san francisco's culture overall. we encourage you to support this transfer. thank you. supervisor elsbernd: next speaker, please. >> good morning. i'm with a public space project management company in san francisco. our work includes managing your by buena gardens and missions for park and providing services for many community benefits districts. we interact with a lot of members and we have been advocates for the central -- the new substation. we provide appropriate

activation for our neighborhood and work to bring art through this central market. we have community guide said assist with some of the issues, assisting people with sobering centers, making sure they're safe in the streets are clean. one of the reasons we support this application is because we have watched the business revitalization under the auspices of the redevelopment agency and urban solutions bring a new crowd of people to 6 street. what that has done is not displace anyone, but make those who live there feel safer. i support active businesses who will bring that sort of activation to a stretch of six street that has been crime- ridden. anytime we bring activation, the problems are lessened. i have known these men for a number of years and other business model and i know there are in danville quite well.

i want to end by saying i just lost a friend from the square community and south asian community who died of aids in 2012 because he did not have the community support to come out as a victim of hiv. anything that provides the kind of support this bar is suggesting to provide for that community is critical to avoid that. thank you. >> good morning. i am the eye doctor at 716 street and i have been there for five years. i'm very sympathetic with the police. that helped me tremendously. i understand their feelings. what i would like to say is when i'm in the office late with my wife, there's a complete change of ambiance on thursday and friday and saturday nights.

we have young people coming out and going to these clubs who are well dressed and the alcoholics and drug addicts who were there all day long sitting on the street, congregating, making noise seem to disappear. the whole street changes. when mark came, the head of security there and those people -- when monarch came, it was a wonderful thing. when these clubs are active and when they have good management, and i know this new place will be a wonderful place for people, you have businessmen coming into the area, i have gone into monarchs to have a drink. i see well-dressed young people coming and its a marvelous thing and i hope you will approve this.

we have been trying for months and years to get decent businesses into this corridor between market and a mission and have been very unsuccessful. the best thing that has happened is pearls, the next fashion cafe, and we have another vacancy on the east side on a corner of sixth and market. we need these kind of businesses and i hope you will approve this. thank you very much. supervisor elsbernd: a few more names as the next speaker approaches. [reading names] >> i'm here for the next item number. some of us you just called up are as well. supervisor elsbernd: anybody also like to speak on this item, please line up in the middle.