this location. and it will send a message to motorists to slow down and drive in a safe manner. in short i encourage the support of this proposal and make the much-needed improvements in this area. thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is ted olsen. and i'm long-time resident of the neighborhood. and a member of the market- market-octavia plan. cac. th that i am a member of the mission dolores neighborhood association. and i must respectfully disagree with my supervisor, the planning department. and even my own colleagues on the market-octavia cac. but before you do that, i want

to praise prado, who has been a superb developer consulting with neighbors. i want to relieve the prada representative of the conditional use, because if you view the current plan, you will take the responsibility for traffic congestion and they don't have to worry about that. i would like to speak to the safety rational. i don't think there is a significant problem there. the long lights do indeed allow for safe crossing. as i mentioned before, i think that a superior solution would be to raise a slightly raised plaza there in the triangle. with that raised and a different color, would alert any motorists from either way to showdown and

encourage pedestrians there. and we need not -- slow down, and need not worry about the fire department. going to the academy of sciences i cross such a cross-walk into the entrance there. i am sorry, i have seen greg's simulation many times now. and i find it implausible and i believe that neighbors and commuters would do so as well. i was very concerned about the inconsistent plans i have seen back and forth. but i am relying now on what i see most recently presented by the staff. i still do believe that there is going to be possibility for clogging up buchanan and market. i think that you and your responsibility should consider what you are going to do in that

case. as somebody before we said, the importance here is creating an improvement for the neighborhood. improving the neighborhood. i ask you to consider what your plan "b" is. one thing that is suggested, if you decide to go ahead with this idea of the extended bulb out. you might want to try as a pilot project with an asphalt extension you can remove -- >> thank you, your time is up. >> you should be concerned about that. thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners. i am robin levet, i live six blocks from this area, and i am on market-octavia cac that supported this project. and i very much support the proposal. i want to thank supervisor weiner for his leadership on

this. and i want to thank the staff for trying to address the concerns of the immediate neighborhood there. the cac did support this project. for many reasons. first of all it's consistent with the market-octavia plan. which calls for improvements to this intersection. it enhances the historical nature and importance for dolores street as a gateway. not only on dolores street but a gateway to the mint across the street. it's a beautification improvement. which we very much support. it improves pedestrian safety. so there is really not much not to like about this project. the one concern i do want it raise and i hope that the planning staff will look at this more carefully. the potential conflict between

bicyclists eastbound on market street with people, drivers eastbound on market street making a right turn on dolores street. with that intersection necked down, you may want to take a look at that. it's an important improvement. i am very much in support of it. this project is characterized as necking down dolores street. but i see it as expanding dolores street. making it for friendly for all users. than just making space for drivers. so in general i support taking, making our public realm more pedestrian friendly, safer for pedestrians. and when possible reducing the amount of space for automobiles. so i am very much in support of

this project. and i hope you support it as well. thank you. >> good afternoon commissioners, i live a few blocks from the project in the beautiful dolores neighborhood. i want to thank supervisor weiner and the staff for a great job on the proposal. and i am glad they spared no expense with the graphics. the video was something else. i wanted to address a couple of points made. first of all, the 14-foot bulb out will slow traffic down. and when you are talking about pedestrian safety, that's the important thing is slowing people down. slowing people down by a second might seem like an inconvenience to the people driving, and perhaps that is true.

but it enhances pedestrian safety. the cdc did a study of our pedestrian safety in our city and what they found was that if everybody slowed down by 5 miles per hour, you would see a reduction in pedestrian injuries and fatalities by half. so every little bit counts. there is some questions about the traffic analysis. i don't know if mr. reasons analysis is correct. but i do know that he probably is the single person in this room that knows this stuff better than anyone. i would believe him over our random neighbors, including myself. it should be pointed out that (inaudible) street over a decade ago was reduced from two lanes to one lane for the length.

not just for market, and no adverse affects have been seen. and i want to address the issue of bicyclists. coming eastbound on market street and wishing to get south of market in some manner. likely will make a right turn on the intersection before dolores. as 14th as a bike lane and dolores does not. that turn is probably not that high. and thank you for your time. >> good afternoon, president fong and commissioners. i am peter tanning. and my husband and i have lived in our house on 14th street, just the second house down from dolores for the last 30 years. we are one block south of market and dolores. and i am retired transportation planner working for fda and

currently a member of the san francisco transportation authority citizens advisory committee. i am here speaking on my own behalf as a concerned neighbor. and i don't often comment and have to sit here for four hours waiting for the item to come up, now that i am retired. i felt this was important enough they wanted to be here. and i suspect all the elements of the agreement, including reducing the number of lanes at do llores and market. it will calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety. and as the staff report said it will only reduce the level of service by one second during the week and four seconds on saturday during the peak hour. and the impacts will be negative. and i have heard that some neighbors are concerned about a traffic bottle neck and the

significant negative impact. and they question the objectivity of the analysis done. but it was my experience working with the city for the last 14 years. i can vouch for the integrity of the transportation and traffic analysis. the last speaker mentioned valencia street. and i was involved in valencia street and reviewed the analysis. and it was analyzed it would work and history has shown it has worked. i wanted to mention a few things, and some people were concerned about bicyclists riding on the sidewalk. but as a bicyclist and dolores is downhill, and bicyclists can easily ride in the traffic lane with the traffic. and the left turn from market now is only one lane. so which would people coming off of market in one lane need to get on dolores with two lanes.

restrained by the exist of that left-hand lane. and i don't know that the "q" would interfere as it's been the tracks. they are not going to be on the tracks. in summary i think this agreement conforms to city's approved plan. and specific the market-octavia plan, and since the funds are available. i think it should be approved and i support all aspects of it. and i want to thank supervisor weiner for his support of this proje project. >> thank you. >> any additional public comment on this item? come on up. commissioners. when this proposal primary opponent, mda, said they speak

for the neighborhood. i assure they don't. >> i am sorry, do you wish submit your name for the record. >> david garner. this proposal does not speak for me or dolores united. improvements like the proposed pedestrian plaza and 14-foot bulb outs make our neighborhood more livable. shorting the distance at crosswalks make our neighborhood more livable. street scapes make our neighborhood more livable. and finally creating gathering places for us and the neighbors make our neighborhoods more livable. and also they are invited to join dolores united.

you are welcome. i and the members of dolores united fully support this. thank you. >> any additional public comment? okay, seeing none. public comment is closed. commissioner sugaya. >> thank you, i have a few questions. i don't know if this is directed to staff or the project sponsor. the project sponsor's estimate of cost is $510,000. and as i understand what we would be approving in terms of the agreement. that number would be used in the agreement specifically as the value that the project sponsor will be subtracting from the rest of the impact fee that they are subject to, is that correct? >> yes, that's correct.

>> what happens if the project sponsor's construction costs for the improvements go beyond 510,000? does the project sponsor eat that cost? or does he -- or they have the ability to come back to the commission and say, sorry, the 510 suddenly bloomed to 650 or something. and we want to attract the additional amount off of what we are subject to. >> yes, they have the ability to come back to the commission and to basically readopt this. and this is a measure in the agreement that the director can approve a nonmaterial change. or increase to that amount. >> commissioner, my understanding is that i cannot approve an increase. >> nonmaterial increase.

>> so if it went to 650, it would have to come back here. >> okay, and the amount that remains from 510, those are subject to a list of priorities that are wherein the neighborhood plan, is that correct? >> yes, that's identified. >> yes, and in terms of labor, are there labor considerations for the workers building these improvements? are they subject to any labor restrictions or use of union labor and that kind of thing? >> the parties that will be building it are web corp, that are building our projects, we are 100% union project. >> okay, thank you. and in terms of timing. will these improvements, i know you have topped out now. but are improvements subject to any occupancy permitting first?

or can they build it 10 years from now or now? >> the improvements have to be in place before any first construction permit is sought for. but there is always this option if the improvements aren't able to provide it by then, they can have a letter of credit for same amount of $510,000. and once they provide those improvements, the city will give the money back. >> did you want -- >> sorry -- before the first occupancy. >> right, thank you. then in terms of -- i am quite supportive of this. but i think to talk to the

neighborhood concerns for a moment. i imagine a lot of concern is not so much right-hand turns for market but obviously the left-hand turning cue from the side of market street. i think that the congestion, it seems to me in the future might arise from cars that are backing up out of the parking lot going to whole foods. staff, do you know -- the developer knows, how many parking spaces there are for whole foods in that underground? >> there 62 spaces. >> 62. >> not counting residential spac spaces. >> right, i would like to not make it a condition, but have staff i think be alert to once the project is finished. once whole foods is up and running and into the future. if there are cuing issues that the possibility exists that you

can take the parking off of that depressed area. along the whole foods store. and that might relieve some congestion there. and it might require some cutting away of the sidewalk in that area right by the driveway. but that might be a small cost compared to having cars backed into the street. just -- i just voice that now as a concern that staff may want to keep aware of for the future. >> commissioner borden. >> yes, i am extremely supportive. i think we have heard a lot in the market-octavia planning area and here is an opportunity for the plan. i live three blocks from this intersection. so i am very familiar with it, and the traffic flow that goes

on there. i think some concerns that the mission neighborhood has is not that founded. because it's a left-turning arrow light. you can't make a left turn unless the arrow allows. i think that six cars get to go at once. not that there is a huge bevy of cars to make that turn. i don't see the congestion problem that people are envisioning. and i know that this is a great intersection for the extension of the bulb out and the median. because there is a lot of sun in that intersection, it's an ideal place for the improvements. i understand the concern but i don't think it's founded. there is not a lot of traffic on that first block of dolores. there is more traffic people turning off of 14th and other streets along the way. the congested part of dolores

and why there is a level service of b +. and it will change because whole foods is going in. but i don't think it's overwhelming. and i think that calming the traffic is important, if god forbid people are cuing. i think that the simulation was useful. i think there some disagreement but to have those for more projects it's a nice way to look at it t . the issue on sunday, the biggest congestion is people looking for parking. they are cuing and waiting for other people to move out. and take those spaces. which is why is the traffic is so bad.

those on the median side are not going to church, i think going the park. i move to approve the conditions. >> second. >> commissioner hillis. >> i am supportive and the appreciate the staff and supervisor weiner and the neighbors coming out. i agree that that first block of dolores is not crowded. and that turn lane of how much traffic you get going in that street. i understand that people may foresee additional traffic there. i am bullied by the fact that many times our traffic analysis is right. and what happens after these projects is built is what is predicted. i am supportive. and i am encouraged that the cac has more development on market and more funding impact fees. as we look at the other

intersections 15th and 16th are tough, i feel safer on market than those intersections. i encourage them to look at those. >> there is a report for intersections and future year to implement that study to make the capital improvement. that's a big priority in the cac. >> commissioner wu. >> i wanted to confirm with staff, for the portion of dolores with the bulb out, there is enough space for a bike and car? is that correct. i am supportive. and there is public transportation. i also live five blocks from here, i feel there is not the congestion problem that i see in other neighborhoods.

>> commissioner antonini. >> i am supportive but have issues or concerns that i want to bring up. dolores is a better straight going southbound. for a couple of reasons, there is a left-turn lane for ga rir -- gariro. and i am not saying that people won't use gariro but people will use dolores with more median and see where you are going. dolores was not a wide street and the idea to create a freeway. and they took away the houses on

gariro and ruined what was probably a pretty nice street. that's not what is before us. we have to look at this carefully and engineer it. and i know that the department will do that. you may need a longer light off of market turning on dolores. because there probably be some back-ups that occur. as a result of people lining up to get in the whole foods lot. and on sunday's as pointed out that eliminate a lane on dolores. and i assume you separate the walkers from the traffic. because there is a left turn lane there. and it means that the walkers and bicycles if you can control them, are not crossing dolores at the left-turn arrow. that's probably a good safety situation that already exists

already. but making it shorter is a good thing. i believe there is no left turn off of dolores on market. you have to make the right now. and the question about the bike lane was asked. and i think those -- i do like the idea of raising that crossing a little bit. you would have to drive over a little to make the left on dolores. probably a good safety feature, not really high. but make it its -- makes it a pedestrian crossing than a cross-walk that is marked there. i understand the concerns of the mission dolores people. and if it does become a problem, i think there are things you can do with the traffic lights. by koor -- coordinating them to give more time for the left

turn. and make ing sure that 14th has a left turn and they can continue on. that will back it on market if they can't be timed in a way to continue southbound on dolores. those are just some terrific things i am sure you will evaluate. and those concerns can be worked out by those types of things. >> commissioner moore. >> i would like to make a couple of comments. the project is successful for a number of reasons. one is pedestrian safety. and two, i think that quick implementation of street scape improvements, they are transforming the buildings, that would bring these improvements on the same time.

that's not unfortunately the way it is. this project is exceptional because it delivers in one package. and why it has my support and we should strive more often to deliver at the same time. this building in his own right is exceptional large but i think that the street improvements from day 1 will create a more harmonious place. because it wides pedestrian walks and adds improvements such as benches and landscapes. that all in all bring it in the proper new scale. i have a few questions, the acute angle for a fire truck to come from market street to dolores was a 2.6 stabilized

area. this is a concern. because just last week we approved the crestmont department and the fire department requires a right-angle street turning. and here we have an acute angle that is harder to turn for any truck in a single movement. and that's what the fire department requires, can you answer that question? >> yes, that's a great question, and we have coordinated expense -- extensively with the fire department. they did the turn. and the bulb out into dolores street would not affect that turn. they are sweeping wide into the median. and we tested it out just in case. and regarding your question about the fire code, requires 20

feet and we only require 14. and we worked with them on that. and the bulb out for the stabilizer and yes, we have worked with the fire department and they signed off. >> and because of the architect and dolores because of the palm trees and iconic because of the powerful trees. how does the new landscaping and the block that doesn't have landscaping at the moment. contribute or speak to the palm trees, could you explain that to us, please? >> i am april hill, the landscape architect for the project. what we have done with the street scape along dolores, we brought up the