do, which is be approved and i ask for your support today, continued support. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> my name is mark bruno, a supervisorial candidate in district 3. i've lived in that district in north beach specifically since 1982. i find it funny that the last speaker spoke of the need for development to create community, because it's a wasteland, near fisherman's wharf or the embarcadero. it's not a wasteland. i've worked with the homeless for over 12 years in in a neighborhood. i work for st. vincent de paul society and a volunteer for them. i'm a member of the golden gateway club. i'm not a tennis player. many of us who go to that club are not tep tennis players. we pay $145, which by the way is less than the cost of going to

the public pool in north beach every day. let me repeat that. if i were to go swimming every day in north beach i would be paying more money, i would have less access to the water. but let's not talk about somebody my age, 52. let's talk about all of us as we age. this city has an aging in place policy. i work with seniors. they provide the heart, memory and culture of so much of the city, so much of the communities that we want to honor. and the people who are seniors use that pool. they don't use the tennis courts. and as i get older i'm going to use that pool. it's a rare day i go to that pool and don't find someone next to me spimming who is over 80 years old. is that person's life less valuable than somebody who wants to get a big project. we have that community, please keep it intacts. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker please.

sir, you can use either microphone. >> tom gilberti, 2,000 -- apartments. height does matter. if we can get the overhead maybe we can see exactly what we mean. real estate development on steroids. maximize profits. does the city really need million dollar condos, more of them, for their tax base? if that's true, then we're in trouble. the south -- the southern states, once upon a time, were dependent upon plantations and slaves for their tax base. they have changed. we do not need, really, more million dollar condos. we can -- how about some condos mixed with cost of living apartments, lower income homes,

and section eight, all in the same floor, all in the same building, with the community. if you want to see a warm and fuzzy development in the city, walk down king street, by the baseball stadium, and see what a row of apartments and condos look like, almost like wil shir boulevard. it is not warm and fuzzy. a new time is coming, people. let's get with it. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> hello. my name is nick messakian, a member of the telegraph hill. i wanted to speak of my support of the current project. i am -- wanted to share the opinion of a younger professional in this city, and also as a resident in the same

district that the project is occurring, how important the development is for current jobs, as an individual in the construction industry, i've seen the downturn in the past couple of years. it's important that this progress keeps moving forward. and work continues, and it's not continually held up. i followed this project for roughly seven years, been a part of town hall meetings, and seen the involvement that the the developer has had with the community, and understand all that has gone into apiecing it. i'd also like to point out the 11 million that will be going into affordable housing development for the current project design. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name is patrick o'sullivan, a resident of north beach, local 22 carpenter. i've worked today about 12 months in the last three years.

jobs like this come along and you approve it and we've just got to keep it moving along for us. we need the work. this has already been approved and we're back here again. i think it's good for the whole community, for the working man. that's all i have to say. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon. i'm sarah stocking, i'm here -- today i'm going to wear several hats. i'm president of the jackson square historic district association, which represents both merchants, building owners, and residents of the jackson square area. i'm also a merchant in jackson square, i'm a resident of jackson square, i'm a member of the club, and i am a frequent users of the embarcadero as a runner three days a week. in all of those capacities, we support this project and we urge you to affirm your previous decision.

it's a great project, one that the city will benefit from, and that has extremely broad based support. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. tim pollen on behalf of the san francisco action housing coalition. we're entering our seventh year of support for this project and nothing's changed. it's a simple land use question you're facing. should lot 351 be put to use in the proposed way that brings the the -- benefits to the city, including 11 million to provide housing affordability, or should it be preserved for the next few decades as a surface parking lot. we should not be surprised that the opposition to this project has found it with two of the largest commercial real estate companies in the u.s. who, for solid business reasons, would prefer to have a parking lot, as well from a nice older retired

couple that can write a check for $140,000 for petition gatherers, to protect the views of their condos or their condo. and also from the members of a private and swimming and tennis club and friends of telegraph hill who have said no change is allowable in our neighborhood. what unites them is a belief that san francisco is better served by preserving this land as a parking lot for well into the future. as to the 31,000 signatures, we should not kid ourselves that this is somehow an exercise in democracy. i've spent some time following, watching, and followed some of them around, and in particular i remember a couple of youngsters on a street corner, very busy, yelling loudly, save our public parks, sign the petition. and but why should they care, when you're getting through he, four, five dollars a signature, their goal is to maximize their income. truth and nuance are the first

casualties in something like this. you've voted before to approve this project and for those that did, thank you very much. in the end you'll be able to look at the wate waterfront ande frowd of wha proud of what you . thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon. my name's eric cole i live in lower pac heights in district 5. i'm here in defense of the eight washington project on behalf of my friends, my peers, my generation, not quite seen here today, but a generation busy working, in favor of progress, of development and have not seen it still. i've sat here and listened to some people speak. some accounts i've heard is that this project is not -- neighbors, it steps down the embarcadero building, then there's a series of staggered buildings.

i've heard people talk about a good project, the same people talk about a good project have stated they're against all the projects that have been here. so propose to me this good project. what are you waiting for. another one here is replacing a parking lot and a chain-link 20 foot tall chain-link fence. it's not anything to look at now. maintain the status quo is not making the am bark dare any better looking. also for many people here trying to get elected on this cause, this is a lot more than getting elected. this is a job for many of us and our careers. also, affordable housing, we're a capitalistic site. this isn't the prime spot for -- housing. i'm not saying -- i can't afford to live here, in my lifetime but at the same time, be reasonable. finally, this whole process has been disheartening. to see -- urban redevelopment

pass us by in destinations for my generation not born here but one to call home forever. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker. >> afternoon. my name is andrew divine, i'm a cornman carpenter local 22 and i also live in the sunset. we've heard a lot about numbers today and i'm reminded of a quote i heard once. it's statistics are like bikinis, what they reveal is suggestive, what they reveal is vital. we heard 31,000. let's say the population of san francisco is 800,000. that puts that number at 4%. and let's talk about that 4%. if you're soliciting signatures at dolores park on a weekend and you have the most detailed accurate, description of what your petition is, you're going to be hard-pressed to have a

coherent conversation among the confectionaries and the choice liebations that are overly present at that destination. also, i heard .05% is the amount of the population's going to benefit. i believe that lady was alluding to the future residents. well, hey, i mean there's no way i'm going to be in that demographic, doing what i do but i know that i will benefit from that project, as well as all my brothers and sisters. we make up a much larger percentage of the city than .05%. lastly, one gentleman alluded to this whole idea of, you know, i'll scratch your back if you scratch mine, i'll give you this if you sign this. and right after that, he alluded to a wife beater and some crazy rube goldberg thing.

and it had no relevance. okay. so don't be distracted. you know, 31,000, think how they got that number. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker please. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name's thomas bunkly, i'm a fourth generation san franciscan and a proud member of local 22. i've written some letters in april to some of you, and got a reply, which really made me feel good inside, and one of the reasons i'm here today, i urge you to move forward with the project. i was very, very pleased that we had -- the progress we had made. and i think there's a lot more to benefit just a few that have access to the area now. and the 31,000 votes will -- i thought there was like

800,000 -- 850,000 people in the city. and it should be shared by everybody, and not just a specific few. thank you for taking the time to listen to me and thanks. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. hope you enjoyed your recess. adrian seemy, field representative of carpenters local 22. i hope that you would stick to your guns. a couple of months ago, we voted for this. the project hasn't changed. you've heard carpenters before me, and you're going to hear after me. what this job does is provide local 22 members with jobs, good jobs, union jobs, jobs to support their families, their children, and a way of the future. what we have now is blight. it's a parking lot. we don't want to keep that.

this is a way to move forward. this is a good project. and i think it should be passed. and i thank you for voting for it before, and i would ask you to vote for it again. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon, supervisors. my name's rush sturgeus a member of local 22 and a resident of the richmond district. i'd ask you to vote for this again. it's been very extensively reviewed over and over. it received far more review than many projects that i did as a member of the residential builders association. not only do we put our members back to work, who have been -- we've lost 25% of our members in the recession -- but we have jobs for our apprentices which include many at risk youth to go

to. the training is not enough. the jobs have to be there. please vote this in. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker. >> good afternoon, board of supervisors. danny campbell, sheet metal workers union 104 here again to reiterate our support for this project. i don't know, i'm confused because i don't know why we have a planning department, i don't know why we have a planning commission, and quite frankly i don't know why we have a board of supervisors, if this is going to happen every time you approve a project. i mean this project -- i mean i thought planning staff did a great job, you know, standing by the -- i mean backing up the the eir, certifying it. this project does revitalize the waterfront, as i said before. it beautifies it, brings open space. i ask you to stick to your guns, and i ask for your support again

today, and so do our members. thank you very much. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> ♪ and if i can't find my way back home in this zone, it just wouldn't be fair. ♪ and i hope you'll be there and care ♪ ♪ and we need a view, we need a big bayview, and we need it from you, and not just for one, but for you, and for more than you ♪ and we need a view, and i hope that you fix it up too ♪ ♪ waterfront town, water front town, where all the streets are bright ♪ ♪ waterfront town, it's waiting for you tonight ♪

♪ waterfront town, and we're going to make it a a bayview safe and sound ♪ and no more of this... ♪ smoke on the waterfront water, and make it better too ♪ ♪ no more smoke on the water, make it better too, because i left my home in georgia, and i headed for the city bay ♪ i wanted to live there too now ♪ ♪ looks like it's all going to go away ♪ ♪ and i'm sitting on the dock of the bay, watching washington street go away, making time, make it better shine, making it better, make it shine ♪

♪ and waiting on the dock of the bay, making the buildings all go away ♪ ♪ and we need a view, what a city... >> president chiu: thank you, otis. next speaker please. >> i hope you'll forgive me if i don't sing. i'm a leaser with equity builders, small urban developer here in san francisco, on behalf of john clawson and others. i want to lend our support. ecb for nearly 20 years has been doing very responsible real estate development. we understand the process of involving the public, the collaboration that needs to occur for a good project to come about. pacific waterfront partners has done an exemplary job of refining the project to create the most maximum benefit for the

city. we think it's a great project that will be very beneficial to the waterfront. the fact that you have all already voted on this and now are reopening this is an anathema to us. it's lends uncertainty to projects going forward and slow down responsible development in the city. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker. >> my name is -- and i'm from district 2, pacific heights. i am a proud member of golden gateway tennis club. i feel like i'm at the national republican convention with all the lies being thrown out about the project. golden gateway is not just a parking lot. we are a community. we vote. we work. we pay taxes. we raise money for national -- natural disasters. we are a real community.

and this is the kind of community that should need a civil servants, and politicians. we need to multiply and replicate our community and not destroy it. again, this is the kind of healthy and vibrant community that is unique only in san francisco. thank you. >> president chiu: let me ask if there are any members of the public that wish to speak in this public comment, if you could please line up because we're getting to the end of public comment. next speaker. >> hi. good afternoon, supervisor, my name is carla fernández. i'm here in support for local hiring. i'm a single mother who lives here in the mission, and will love to support local hiring. i have it here that the local 22 representative say what they're going to do with local hiring, they're going to support it. i also haven't seen no females come up, up here, and say that they have benefits from this project. i, myself, have been out of work for more than five years, trying

to find a -- job in construction. i was an apprentice who wasn't able to find work and due to the -- due to not being able to find work i got kicked out of the union based on no hours. so i don't know what they're saying that the apprentices in the community will benefit from it if i'm only seeing men who eventually have been getting work. i haven't been getting work. i've been actively looking for work. i haven't. he referred to the brothers and sisters who will benefit. i haven't benefit. i don't know what he's talking about. so i will really like for you guys to support local hire, regardless if you guys push the project forward or not. but i feel like the union representatives are not being honest and which means to them putting people to work. so i really appreciate if you guys push for the local hire, make sure the females get on this project too.

thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker. >> good afternoon again. my name is ernestine weiss, activist in the city, producer of ferry park, most beautiful and valuable space on the waterfront under discussion right now. don't believe this garbage about jobs. i have been prolabor all my long democrat life and i want to see jobs as well as anyone else. there are six huge towers going up near the transbay terminal, plus the transbay terminal, plus the giant's parking lot, plus the warriors possibly. so there are plenty of jobs in the offing. that's a lot of nonsense, that there are no jobs. number two, there's no setback on this project. the garage location is dangerous. retail is overloaded with

embarcadero one through four which incidentally have many empties. there are so many things -- mission bay has been a disaster in design. the water mark has been a disaster. the fontana -- after the freeway came down, which was 84 feet at the time, we should have lowered the height, not raised it. 132 feet, and 92 feet, too much. enough. come on, folks, let's have some sense here. don't be corrupted by these few people who are trying to spoil the waterfront, that we worked so hard to maintain. it's congested enough. district 3 has not got enough open space. so leave it alone, for god's saying. we need it more than we need a luxury condo. please, use your good sense and repeal this for once and for all. the reason that we lost two -- that the other two developers lost was it wasn't viable.

near as this one is even worse than the two previous ones, which is not viable. so, please, repeal it. thank you. >> president chiu: next speaker. >> good afternoon. my name is allen mark, president of the mark company. and i ask that you maintain your support. i think everything's been said that -- before, but just to highlight some things that have changed. this town only has about 300 new condos available to date for sale. absorption is moving quickly. by late this year, we probably will be down to about 100 new condos. there are about 300 new ones being built today, compare it to about five years ago, and that five years ago there were about two to 3,000 available. and i am excluding the number of condos that are in candlestick area because that is a different part of the city. the other thing i'd like to

point out this is only 134 units but in addition, 11 million dollars will go to affordable housing, and according to john stuart who spoke here before, that can be leveraged into offer 100 units. there is no redevelopment agency to build affordable housing. in addition, the 100 million will be going to the port and to the city, port doesn't have much money. it's going to greatly improve the embarcadero. i also want to point out that we are talking about a private club. this club as someone pointed out is $145 per month. the four seasons sports club l.a. is approximately that for month. this club will not be closed down permanently but closed down to build a new one. so i do support this project. it is small compared to what's nearby. it's half the size in terms of the height of the golden gate

apartments and that's half the height of the embarcadero buildings. so this is in keeping with the context of the embarcadero and as we've seen it's kind of the missing front tooth of a beautiful stretch of land. so i ask that you maintain your support. thank you. >> president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> hello. i'm charles stetkin i want to speak on two things i heard in support of the project and that is jobs, and the lengthy and analytical process we've been in -- involved in over six and seven years. and i find both of those arguments specious in this case. i was in it vietnam. we had 500,000 people rotating in and out of vietnam every year. it is important what people's jobs -- what they're doing in their jobs, not to just have jobs. have jobs that destroys the

waterfront, in terms of the existing code, which is -- which would be -- where the height would be increased by 60%, those are not the types of jobs any more than the 500,000 people a year who went over and worked in vietnam. so the quality of jobs and what is resulting from that work is your primary consideration as stewards in the city. second thing is the the process in which we were involved in. we had a lot of misrepresentations made, i have to say. i'm sorry about that word, but slides were shown of other cities waterfronts which distorted what they were in the case of hamburg, which has a wide open view on officer lake which i was there, and others must have been. and other places, they showed little narrow merck teal old alley ways and so forth to show that we needed a hard edge. the the port came to the

planning commission and said that the -- that the piers were in such poor shape that they needed more money and then they sold bonds to the public immediately thereafter, going on to only one rating agency and getting an a rating on bonds and selling those very same bonds, secured by the very same real estate, to... >> president chiu: thank you very much. thank you very much. >> bobbie coleman. the world used to say look west. it's a legendary san francisco, where there be a hill, and you could see it, as you headed westward. there was another hill to the south. that's gone. this is the one that's left. the view of coi tower from the

ferry building will be destroyed if the project's built. would paris do that to the eiffel tower? discussion involves some compensatory offset. i haven't heard a single supporter of the project make a convincing argument that those offsets that are being discussed even sweetened, compensate for the loss of that treasure. the law gives you the vote in order to protect the public from crass opportunism. the law gave you another vote to