they would work in changing the height and bulk of parking and funding for affordable housing. what they can do it in getting further concessions from the developer and board. our growing coalition will now put our energies and attention on the referendum on the november ballot so san franciscans can have their say about this outrageously out of scale, completely unnecessary, gated luxury development on our historical waterfront. thank you very much. supervisor mar:. mr. paulson. >> i will give a truncated version of what i said to the board last week. we represent tens of thousands of workers and over 100 unions in town, not just the building and trades workers but teachers

and firefighters, janitors, maritime trade. and want to reiterate our labor council -- i want to reiterate our legal counsel, we do not weigh in on projects but we are unanimous in moving this tragic forward. i should note i was elected to this job, i am on my eighth year. if there is one constant i have heard about all the different policies and development project and the different things you have to deal with, one thing has always been on the plate. i believe there has been a thorough vetting of this project. a lot of work has been done. everything is ready to go and i am urging this committee to move it forward as well as the finance and the full board to move this forward. i know there are discussions about the community benefits pieces but i hope you get to a place where you feel comfortable about that. i believe this should go forward

right now on behalf of the labor council. thank you. supervisor mar: i will call a few more names. >> i am an architecture and urban design educators at california college of the arts. and want to make six points in support of this project. rarely do you have the chance to get a preview of the project sponsor's ability to deliver high-quality project in a given neighborhood but in this case, you have to do was walk across the streets to peers one and half, three, and five. this team needs to -- knows how to deliver. if your not sure, what further down and visit the amazing up

here 24 -- pier 24 photography center. every waterfront city has built quality projects. they provide a backdrop for access that is so important and vital to these unique cities. if there is one spot where you would build a building to transition to the edge of the financial district, this is it. it is the right place for this kind of project. third point is density. even though the zoning law loss 600 units across the entire site, the project includes 134 in order to give over blocks to win three to recreation and open space with heights below 35 feet. even though the zoning allows a 34 foot high roof, the project modulates its height and steps back from 59 feet up to 136.

even though it eliminates surface parking lots, it replaces that parking underground. the back is now the front like these other sites along the embarcadero. this has the opportunity to make the embarcadero and world- class boulevard. thank you. >> good afternoon. i object to this whole project because it is totally unnecessary. we have open space which i created at free parking we do not need it anymore. it is seriously flawed and violates all the rules and the height is obscene. we do not need 132 feet. 84 feet was out of line credit should go to 40 feet away the rest of the embarcadero has been set. there is no set back from the building. it goes right to the sidewalk.

it does not connect the bay with the land which is another violation. i could go on and on. the obsession with cost must end. we do not need the underground garage. i defeated a garage at carry part because it was not feasible. we have plenty of parking at the gateway. he even offered a parking space there, there is plenty of spate -- space in the gateway grudge -- garage. it isnot -- is not lucrative for the port. it does not need a jackson street entrance and exit because we have exits through washington and we have exits and access to broadway. we do not need that thing opened up to skateboarders and rowdies and all kinds of stuff.

we need the peace in that area. it is nothing more than a tenement. i will explain what a tenement is. it is a building smack up against another building. all it needs is a fire escape and we will have a tenement. only a high rise tenement. please reconsider this whole thing and throw out. it is not necessary. we can do better development at the corner. it is too congested as it is. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon. i am here to express my support for the proposed project. as a local business enterprise and partner as well as a 20-year resident of telegraph hill, i am fully supportive of the proposal. the project design, excellence,

character, scale, and urban planner will considered and will be an important contribution to the waterfront and well-suited for the embarcadero. the architecture carefully supports the guidelines of how a city should step down to the waterfront. it offers a three tiered scheme that makes the transition from golden gate housing to the waterfront, embracing the recommendations from planning. this mairs how a land form states -- mirrors however landform steps back from the waterfront. because of the new pedestrian corridors, ground-floor retail, accessible open space, a health center, and underground parking, it will bring a much-needed urban vitality to the district and will strengthen our city as a walkable city. the city shares the galvanizing platform of sustainability in healthy living. 8 washington promotes a vital,

active, and healthy use for the waterfront. to support this project is to look forward rather than backward. showing our future as a bible, liveable waterfront city. thank you. supervisor mar: thank you. next speaker. >> that afternoon. i -- good afternoon. i am a member of the board of san francisco architectural heritage. i am speaking as a active member of the architecture community. i have been following the development to see how the design would respond to the surrounding neighborhoods and to the character of the embarcadero. i am happy with the results and i would like to register my support for the project.

anyone who has walked along the western edge of knows that this section needs ground level uses, not parking lots. to live in it and make it safe and engaging for visitors and residents. the value of extending jackson street and pacific avenue to the embarcadero cannot be underestimated. from an architectural perspective, the height is in keeping with the character. a step down from the center to the waterfront and they provide the definition to the western edge of the embarcadero that it desperately needs. i wholeheartedly ask for this and i hope you will 2. supervisor mar: thank you. i will call a few more names. next speaker.

>> i am here to support the project as a design professional. i teach design at the university of california at berkeley and have been living and practicing architecture for several years. and lived in chicago for many years and when i moved to san francisco, i was surprised at how inaccessible to the public the waterfront was here. i feel that one of the highlights is it allows the public use of the park space and retail that will enliven the streets and the project. the addition of a public walkway from jackson street toward the bay makes the waterfront accessible. -- accessible to everyone and brings a high density in to a site with a lot of access to public transportation and allows easier commutes to work and shopping by transit while also

providing bicycle and pedestrian access. the height of the project allows for more residents, while the stepped-down envelope respects the adjacent to conditions and the greenspace and retail along the street provide a permeable edge which will bring together the rest of the community, so i wholeheartedly support that. but it's -- chair mar: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am architect and a principal in a firm in downtown san francisco. for years, i worked on the embarcadero and am familiar with the challenges it presents. i am pleased to be your on behalf of the individuals who have worked for years to support the development of the waterfront communities. coststo be sure, -- to be sure, this does not belong there.

we deserve to find new and re- purpose uses or the urban fabric, and the water's edge needs to continue to evolve with dignity and grace. change is difficult, but acknoledgement. such bold steps are needed. at the end of teh day, -- the day, it is a template. regarding site design and public-pedestrian activities and access. after comment, two mixed use buildings now stepped back from

the embarcadero, with mixed use benefiting the public including gowns -- ground-floor restaurants, and an aquatics center and more. parking will be provided for the public with the added benefit of bicycle parking. and let's not forget the many units of subsidized affordable housing. thank you. chair mar: thank you so much. next speaker. good afternoon, supervisors. i am in support of the 8 washington project. this will be part of redefining the waterfront.

this is a collection of disconnected pockets of spaces, remnants of a demolished by way, and not yet contributing to the newly defined relationship between a world-class city and its waterfront. this addresses the dramatic height difference between the and bargainer -- embarcadero center and the buildings. by consolidating these and stepping down towards the embarcadero. on the density and streetscape, there is the terror -- terracing scheme. this is on the west side of the embarcadero, where we know that

urban spaces are prone to fail without people. combining copy shops and restaurants with public open spaces would ensure the streetscapes at various times of the day, and lastly, the existing athletic center could move into the new one, supporting the relationship. on a city scale, this would benefit from the public spaces that replace these. and this contributes to a larger urban experience. chair mar: there is about 30

seconds to go. miss? >> good afternoon. this is out of baby. this is development. we respectfully request a project. if you look at the district with this project, we will know that the height is actually not an issue. this is a local business enterprise. 8 washington is sincere.

for businesses and residents, so i urge you to support this also. chair mar: thank you. i am going to call a few more names. [calling names] ma'am? >> my name is marcie albert, and i am here on behalf of quite a few of my neighbors. i do not have to tell you what the design is. you know all of that. and we urged the subcommittee to grant the exceptions needed and pass it on to the board, and we urge all of the board to get it going. chair mar: thank you. mr. collin?

>> we have been doing this for six years as the project has evolved. first, we have to commend public staff for doing this. they have done this city proud, and it is a credit to the city, the work that they have done. i remind you that the heights are one half the height of the closest residential building at golden gateway center. this is one-quarter of a height of the nearest commercial center. embarcadero center. on the question of the financial benefits, we would note that $11 million to find affordable housing is analogous to a 25% inclusionary rate. this is especially with the demise of redevelopment. this could be leverage significantly to provide a whole lot more. the mayor's office of housing is

effectively broke right now. and in spite of the months of heated rhetoric, what is before you is a simple choice. it is what happens to the seawall lot. it gives to the city enormous design changes and benefits proposed in this project, or should be preserved as a surface parking lot? it is a big project that does all of these things, or its days as a parking lot for a long time, and that would be a disastrous choice for the city. please approve this. they keep. chair mar: mr. terrio? >> i would like to thank them for giving us these height

limits. that process went on for several months. someone was going to be dissatisfied in the end, no matter what, as is the case. , what they have presented is clear and elegant. i would also suggest that supervisors cohen and mar that both neighborhoods are already well equipped with hills. please approve this. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is michael mckenna. i were present local 6. i would like to state my support for this project. i think it is well thought out, well designed, with the lowering of the buildings. i understand supervisor chu's

concern. 20 years ago, when the last study was done, there was a monolithic freeway that ran across that area and turned those buildings backwards toward the embarcadero, and i go there. i was at the port commission, and i know that if i can drive there, it is a back alley and a vacant lot. it is causing the light, and it is underutilized and does not serve the city. this is a terrible use of our waterfront. our ability to get their, so as you come down along the embarcadero, we do not have demolished lots, and we need to

move this project forward and bring more vitality to the waterfront that we have and bring it to life more. chair mar: thank you. i am going to call a few more names. [calling names] justin, manny -- >> that afternoon, supervisors. i am with the sheet workers. i am in support of this program. i urge you to move it forward. this is to revitalize this portion of the waterfront. so we ask you to move this forward. thank you very much. >> get afternoon, supervisors. this is in support of the

washington project. we believe this is a significant improvement. this has pedestrian friendly, publicly accessible open space, and aquatics center, ground- floor retail, an underground parking. the heights are appropriate for the area. the project sponsor has made adjustments for the design and scale of the buildings, and given the proximity, the scale of the project is modest and appropriate. we would also like to note that these sites are responsive to what came out of the embarcadero design study, including as it draws closer to the water and nears the park. it is important to notice that 8 washington's proximity will

encourage visitors to a bicycle and walk as opposed to making more car trips. this will help to reconnect the city streets. and this will include an improved experience. this is significant for the city's effort for affordable housing. on behalf of us, we urge you to support it. chair mar: next speaker. >> hi, my9 bridget my name is bill. i have been here for 32 years. i wanted to states and numbers about land use and what you were doing there. sunlight. sunlight. there is space already.

this will be reduced to 21,000 square feet in the aquatics center, which is a reduction of over 7% of where the sun shines. where did that number come from? and this makes it sound better for presentation purposes. what does that tell us? you should look at these numbers that are being presented to you for judgment, and then there would be other types of representation like this. lastly, you get a chance to change the law to allow this

project, just because you have the power to make it legal. it does not mean it is right. chair mar: thank you. >> i am appearing before you on behalf of the ferry building. this issue should not be before you. i will not repeat some things, leaving them for another day. today, i am here to talk about the continued failure of the city to honor its obligations in connection with the proposed 8 washington project. for years, the legacy of the ferry building has transformed it into the jewel of the san francisco waterfront.

and the city also had a parking agreement assuring parking to the ferry building and its merchants, dedicated parking that is now located at seawall lot 351. the projects remain inconsistent with that legal commitment. in essence, the proposal is to take that seawall lot, the dedicated parking, dedicated to the ferry building, to build a project. support staff only recently met with eop to discuss these matters and still has not had a proposal to meet the obligations. we request the committee not act on the process at this time.

there is nothing about this project that is currently proposed. for the breach of the parking commitment, risking the vitality of the building. chair mar: thank you, mr. grisham. there is one last card. if there is anyone else who would like to speak, please fill out mcarn and come on forward. >> i am a longtime waterfront watcher. i do not think i have to repeat of the things about this step down, how attractive it is, how it totally concurs with the northeast waterfront planning study. what i want to focus on is the public trust land swap. it is extremely difficult for a site as small as this and as

small as most of the waterfront northern embarcadero lot to provide the state lands of required public access, while at the same time having any kind of a financially viable proposal. because this project combines trust and not trust lands and provides a land swap that gives the state lands commission the public access, open space that is critical to the waterfront, it is something that is extremely difficult to do. i do not think you have to worry too much more about some of the other northern waterfront parking lots. it is so critical with the state lands commission.