[speaker not understood] asked me to read. so, she asked me to read something for her. this letter is to express the castro upper market community benefits district opposition to star bucks conditional use application. the castro cbd board of directors deliberated carefully about this application. the board weighed the potential for more traffic on this corner against the displacement of a unique -- existing unique small business, increased rents that formula retail will bring to that block, and the need to keep the upper market corridor vital, to have a diversity of unique and interesting businesses up and down market street. the board made the following determinations in its decision to oppose star bucks. the application competes with existing small businesses, adds

no new or needed community serving retail. displaces an existing small business, and will increase retail rents in the district, thereby negatively impacting the potential for new and local small businesses. thank you for the extra time to speak today. >> thank you. we have a number of speaker cards here, and we did allot a 15-minute period for, as we just heard, for three different neighborhood groups and three groups to share a combined thought. so, if you find yourself of like mind, we want to hear what you have to say, but you might want to nod and keep your comments short and try not to repeat the comments. we see there are a number of folks in the audience with stickers. so, we under this is a large group here. go ahead and call some names.

gary virginia. mikael meg. [speaker not understood]. alex coulter. hali hail. lena coulter. max coulter, the whole family. trisha hickey. any of these names, if i called your name come on up. it might be easier to line up on that side of the room there. >> are any of those people here? >> okay, all right, keep going. vera la rotic. kimberly jones. justin jackson. auri wilmerton. [speaker not understood]. salve a door flores.

john matenge. okay, we're getting some. ~ all right, if you're ready, go ahead. good afternoon, thank you for your valuable time. i'm kimberly jones. i'm an artist. i've lived here 16 years. as a volunteer across the street from this site, i painted a 30-foot mural for the obama campaign, and i struggle as an artist to live in this city because of its uniqueness. with 25 years of practice in the architecture business, i am keenly professionally and humanly well versed in understanding what makes for uniqueness and memorable places and i am committed to being in a community that's like that. i love coffee and it is abundantly available in this neighborhood. and with all due respect to star bucks, their product is abundantly available and truly mediocre. the environments are corporate and unmemorable and i wish them well, but i don't want another

of their enterprises in this unique city. so, please, please, reject this product -- this [speaker not understood]. [inaudible]. >> next speaker, please. good afternoon, commissioners. my name is justin jackson and i am not only a store manager for star bucks, but i'm also a resident in the castro. i'm asking you to approve our plan today. we'd like to put a star bucks there. i keep hearing all day long about how it's a dilapidated area. the corridor, the chain link fence. we hear people, we don't need another star bucks. we don't need another star bucks. but how many people have stepped forward today and said, i'll put something there? let's make that corner beautiful? let's do what only star bucks can do? our community service, 10,000 hours of community service just last month alone, what we do for our neighborhoods, what we do for our communities, how many other businesses do that?

i mean, how many other people can say, hey, i'm really proud to work for a company that truly recognizes community involvement and makes it a point to give back to the communities that we serve? so, for that i ask you to please consider this approval. (applause) >> excuse me, folks, no outbursts, please, okay. thank you. hi, my name is john and i'm a resident of san francisco. i've been living in the castro for almost 20 years. while i feel like star bucks has already displaced a community, vital community in the castro, they weren't welcome in the castro to begin with. they had to buy their way in in 2000. they've been denied access to the castro before that on many occasions. so, they've been in the castro now for several years and they decide to remodel this location they're in which is really sort

of the warm part of the castro, a beautiful place, big fat bears hang out there, big hairy guys. their community is a special place. and they remodeled it and they ruined it. they made it into this takeyh mall place with all plastic surfaces. all the seating is a kindergarten level. you sit at three feet where you talk to people who are standing and they're standing there at crotch level. ~ tacky the benches outside have a hard core thing in the back where you can't sit there and be comfortable for more than a couple minutes. it's breaking my heart. i'm so upset. so many people hung out there, it was a beautiful place, you know. again, it was like the only star bucks in the whole world. it wasn't really a star bucks. the way they made those choices in remodeling that place, i have to believe they didn't want it to be a bear bucks any more, they didn't want fat sweaty bears hanging out there any more. there is not a seat for a big bum in the place. they're all about this size. they're all so small.

i would say just based upon the poor behavior in the castro already, don't let them in. keep them out. this is really bad. they're already a block and a half away of safeway. a block and a half away and you're going to put another one right there on market street? all those new people moving into the castro, they don't come in for star bucks. they're coming for a castro experience that is being ruined by places like star bucks. please have some censure. thank you. (applause) >> sir, that's really not called for. >> if that continues, we'll have the sheriff's officer escort you out. hey, good afternoon, commissioners. my name is salve door salvador flores and i was raised in los angeles, i lived in san francisco 16 years i would love to take that space and make a cafe of my own.

in mount shasta my mother owns a clothing shop, [speaker not understood]. my little brother owns a auto repair shop, my sister owns a clothing shop. [speaker not understood]. as a californian family member, this is how we prefer to thrive, owning our own businesses. so many reasons i would like you to reject the star bucks application because putting a formula retail store there will not only make [speaker not understood] in the neighborhood go up. it will also make it only harder for me to live my own dream, which is to own a cafe. i've been working in san francisco for 17 years doing nothing but that, working at local cafes. i've only had a couple jobs, one starting at just desserts, the second one being at walking java on hayes street and the third now being at jumping java on noe street which is actually only about 2-1/2 blocks away from the proposed site of the new star bucks.

so, there's actually more cafes in the area than we're acknowledging here and i work at one of those. so, yeah, you know, and i just want to say that it's in my personal opinion these formula retail stores do actually take awayrom the spirit of san francisco. i live in san francisco working barista would not desire to work at a star bucks. i feel like that place would confine me as a san franciscan. my spirit and my soul. so, please, do not accept this application, reject it. thank you very much. good afternoon, commissioners. art [speaker not understood] on behalf of united way of the bay area. we like to acknowledge our strong commitment to [speaker not understood] and poverty reduction. we worked with star bucks as a strong community partner to prepare young people from under

served communities for jobs. when united way placed a call for companies to support the mayor's summer jobs program, star bucks was an early and eager taker pledging 25 jobs and exceeding their goal with more than 40 placements. more specifically about these jobs, from the beginning star bucks pays its employees a living wage above minimum wage. employees receive tips from training and more importantly excellent package of benefits including health care and tuition for reimbursement for all employees who work more than 20 hours. as a result, fortune magazine has consistently ranked star bucks as one of the 100 best places to work for more than a decade. these include precisely jobs of the type so critically needed in san francisco. entry level positions for individuals with or without high school diplomas. these jobs not only enable youth to gain important life skills but also allow them to access health care, tuition reimbursement, and stock benefits. it's not surprising, then, that more than four out of every

5-star bucks employees work in san francisco also live in san francisco. as a member of the work force investment san francisco board, star bucks is an active partner with the city and job creation. the company is an active participant in providing excellent work experience through the mayor's summer jobs program. finally, star bucks is a founding member of united way poverty committee. the committee's goal is to formulate solutions to ensure bay area families are able to enjoy productive lives free from hunger and hopelessness and reduce poverty in the bay area by 2020. again, we hail star bucks's outstanding job creation and poverty reduction and we welcome new star bucks jobs in the future. thank you for your time. >> >> please stand by; change of captioners

>> very much in favor, and i would urge the commission to approve it and the conditional use, because this started a 70 foot wide boulevard, with four car lanes and two bike lanes and hundreds of thousands in a block or two and exactly this kind of a business, a business that can accommodate that kind of a scale and. you have to think of the context, and this is market

street, this is not some lane on the side of hase valley, this is major like mission avenue, and so i welcome the proposed design and i liked that they let you hang out there, and these are all benefits that are not available at other cafes. if you sit and hang out they besinger will usher you out as soon as the coffee is over, i go to the starbucks and meet people and there th* is not a parallel business to places that are being claimed to be coffee stops. there is already one nearby, the distance is almost a mile. coffee is a hyper local business, you would not walk in a half mile to get the coffee. to me this proposal has many things about it not of which is it is a star buck, i have see a

lot of retail. thank you. >> i'm michael mog and i am a native san franciscoan, and i would urge you to propose the starbucks going in because as a second generation clear person, i think that the castro is such an important resource for the people of future and keeping it local and keeping it in the

family businesses. it is culture for the future and everything that i wanted to say has been said. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> good afternoon, i'm here in support of the new starbucks, on 2201 market street. >> do you care to state your name for the record? >> miquel garcia, as a member of the community i have passioned by that corner street countless times and with friends and a lot of people just think it is unsightly, it would create jobs and i don't think that it would take away jobs. in fact we have many others operating with many coffee stops around in san francisco and they are still gaining traffic from overflow of starbucks and you have seen

that on union and on chest nut street and there is in the mission. and so, i think that having the starbucks will create more opportunities for to bring business into san francisco, and create a job and i am for starbucks and i hope that you will support it as well. >> good afternoon, commissioners, my name is terrance alan and i am here as a citizen, i would like to offer four points, the first would be a quote from the munzi letter of support for the starbucks. this confirms that the members of the merchants have voted overwhelmingly to support the request for approvals of starbucks for a change of use in formula retail.

mumsi is the merchant organization serving san francisco castro upper market area and generally along upper market street to castro to market and the 19th and the crossed streets throughout the area. it has over 250 paid members for the current year, and the property that is being considered today is within the primary service area. two. you all know, how many residential units have you approved in the neighborhood. i would imagine that there are going to be close to 10,000 new people, moving into that neighborhood. especially along market street. those people will primarily be out of towners. now nothing against out of towners, because 40 years ago i was out of towners from chicago and so i am speaking against them. but i am speaking about the evolution that an out of towner goes through. and now someone speaks to you about the night life issues and

the problems around night life and restaurants. i am here to speak to you about the evolution that the folks will be going through as they come to san francisco, giving them a place, that they know, starbucks, and then introducing them to what my favorite place, cafe star is an acceptable way to manage that neighborhood. and to balance the needs of what is going to be a very changing community. three. coffee stops do fine with pressure from starbucks. starbucks marketing gets many people interested in coffee and that is a good thing for other coffee shops. thank you. >> hello, my name is tom, andrews and i am in support of starbucks. i have a small hair salon right next door to the proposed location and it is called shag hair salon and i have been in business for 15 years in that

neighborhood. and i want to read a couple of middle things, me and my partner have been in business for 15 years, 7 years in the castro and 8 years in the triangle. i think that the starbucks would bring daytime foot traffic to the neighborhood, customers may continue on to spend money, in other places up in the castro. the building needs a lot of repair. starbucks would be a good steward of that building and also provide a meeting space for people. the space that i want to say those pictures are very accurate. what those pictures also don't show is that people crap in the street and they puke there too. there was a sign there posted that said, "please, do not shit here." it needs to be cleaned up and the location at the corner of sanchez and market and it is sort of the gateway

entrance to the castro and in a few months it will be with buildings and a fourth would already exist. people would assume that having a business in castro. so thank you.

>> my name is juddth and my building is the first condo closest to that sight and i have lived there since 19ed 94. my partner and i have grown very weary of the eye sore on that corner. we have been hope thating someone would come in and renovate that building and here is the opportunity, here is starbucks, i am not a starbucks drinker i go to beats. for us on that block, it would be wonderful to have a

completing >> my name is josh and my comments are in opposition of the application, i live in the building next door to the property under discussion and i have lived there for five years and i lived in the neighborhood since 1995.

i want to comment that cafe floor has done a good job and i agree that the current condition of the property is not desirable and i would like to see it improved but as has been mentioned and as you are well aware, there are three new large developments going in at that intersection in the next year, and there are going to be a lot of people and that is gog

valuable business location and i have no doubt that anybody who puts in a good business will be able to prosper and do with the property what should be done and what needs to be done to improve that intersection. >> my name is mark leach and why are we here? because we believe that our city is on a wave of growth, it is growing economy and culturally and has experienced the need for opportunities, in fact, seeking out countries in places to relax and gain nourishment, places to communicate with each other as well as the whole world digitally, places that will provide, its employees the benefits that they require without placing an undo burden on the city and the taxpayers, just this morning, the city

attorneys office had to negotiate the agreement with a large number of businesses, still, 835,000 dollars to maintain healthy san francisco. anyone over 20 hours they are giving them medical benefit and the city does not have to reimburse, starbucks is as good of a corporate citizen within the community and seeks to provide these opportunities in the market street corridor. between castro and church is a vital, thriving and growing diverse community, the bay area has the population of over 7 million that looks like it is going to grow to 9 million within the next two years. the 18th street is over, locations is over flown and the need for another location. we will need more diverse and

more corporate, and good citizens like starbucks in the neighborhood and in our city. thank you. >> good afternoon and i would like to say that per the request of the president of the planning commission, we limited the number of folks who came in and trying not to repeat ourself too much. but on behalf of the 5200 signatures that i have, i would like to point out that the people spending time away from our homes and businesses, really feel very strongly that this does not it seems like a good company, in so many ways, this is not questioning if isth

about this building, it is the shape of this building has nothing to do with its current tenant, it has to do with the landlord and how it maintains the property and i agree, and something should be done but the facts that it has paid for the renovation and make it pretty has allowed this landlord to sit down and do nothing but put up a horrible fence, he has denied the current tenant the opportunity to spend $50,000 of his own money to clean up the property. it is not enough to save us from the current tenant. thank you so much for your time. next speaker, please? >> my name is jd petrus and i have lived in the area since i was 18 and i just want to say that i do not think that starbucks is a good fit there.

i feel that that the landlord would lower the rent or a reasonable way of rent. and it will be a much better fit for the neighborhood. thank you. >> i want to voice my opposition to starbucks, thank you. >> thank you. >> i live and work in the castro. in the back bakery and i am close to bring it to the neighborhood because every starbucks has a environment, and you know exactly what you are going to get. where the local place and they offer unique serves and one of the things that they do is they let the local artist comes in and put their pieces up because they can put them on display and also offer them the

opportunity and they don't pocket any money from it. and really just to support. and thank you for your time. >> come on up. i am going to call a couple of names. >> david troop, and elizabeth hardenin hank, line, and richard shafer and andria, and david petras and courtney, shasla. >> the heart save the triangle is a organization representing the market and do both triangle neighbors. the san francisco examiner featured one of our attended community meetings highlighting our concerns with the over night camping and vandalism and