minutes >> good evening, president chiu and supervisors. my name is norma wagner and very proud to be vice-chair of the board of trustees of the mexican museum and i am here to speak to the support of the agenda, the mexican museum and the residential tower project. we have been working extremely hard for over a decade to complete the vision of yerba buena garden to truly represent the project. the report is before you today for your attention. however, as we all are aware there are a group of individuals that have filed appeals to the processes

and findings of the eir, all of which are without merit. first an institution created by the community for the benefit of the community. we have a collection of over 14,000 art works, which are community and public at-large have been waiting to view and learn from. we're the first organization of its kind in the city to become an affiliateof the smithsonian institution and ask for your support to complete the yerba buena district. thank you very much.

>> thank you, next speaker. david del torre. with me today are many of our members and cultural organizations and committed supporters of the mexican the yerba buena arts district to fulfill our mission as first voice. we know the appellants

have made claims regarding the completeness of our project and environmental impact report and we know those claims are not accurate and do not acknowledge the social benefit of our museum to the yerba buena arts district and the city as a whole. the mexican museum has worked long and hard with our partners the city and county of san francisco and millennium partners. san francisco should be proud that in this community, we have the largest and most comprehensive collection of mexican chicano and latino art in the united states. the community is watching here and the state and across the nation and internationally as the fate of our 14,000-piece

cultural significance and artifacts of the americas are in your hands. >> thank you, next speaker >> good afternoon, president chiu and supervisors, my name is emily pimental and i am a proud member of the mexican museum, as well as other cultural institutions in the city. today i am here before you as a resident and someone who works in the city, actually just a few blocks away from the proposed project. i am here to support the agenda item 20 to affirm the final environmental impact report. to certify the 706 street residential tower project and the mexican museum. as a member and representative of the latino community in san

francisco, we all believe that we need to build a permanent home for the mexican museum. this is a long held dream for generations of latinos who live in the community or make san francisco a destination. this is an opportunity to create a permanent home to allow us to strengthen and retain our heritage as we grow to become leaders. today you have heard from individuals who do not know or understand the cultural value of this institution and what it represents for past, future and future.

they have expressed and certified the final eir on behalf of the residents i ask you to affirm the certification. thank you. >> thank you, next speaker. >> good evening, president chiu and board. (please standby for change of captioner)

>> listened to communities concerns and listened to the community concerns. the following procedures villaraigosa the final environmental report which is before you today for our stoemgs but some folks with different interests have filed reports all which are without merit they have mentioned other issues like

traffic. >> in he remembers of the quality of life and the history of planning. >> urban assigned. we have a parliament importance on behalf of myself and my communities members i urge you so that we as a community can move forward and enjoy the benefits of this >> thank you. president chiu and a supervisors. i'm president of the board of the festival i'm one the beneficiaries of the businesses that feed into this fund which allows us to handle thanks for patrons. i'm here for the high-rise

mexican tower i know that when i moved to san francisco i wasn't moving to mayberry but we're talking to citizensho bought so what the urban and a find out it's not as great as we thought. i say get out and use the sidewalks and live in the urban corridor walking and using transportation are important informing those citizens who don't have the resources the plaintiffs do we live in a technical environment that allows us to do most of our activities on line.

but we don't try to do some things i knew i wasn't moving to kangaroo. but thought 55 million hispanics 167 million in california if we don't build a museum in san francisco we're missing the boat for a significant driver especially, as the world comes to the west and latin america an opportunity to drive the economic growth >> thank you thank you. next speaker. >> the board can you hear me. i worked professional art's for the last 20 years. i'll be brief. i'm not an environmental expert.

in my opinion the mexican museums it speaks to a boarder significant environmental certain and that is really articulating in their presenc what i would call an executive art in the culture that b will provide an opportunity for a range of people in the articulation of america art and culture. for that reason alone i think it is taking its rightful place among other institution that are here. thank you very much >> thank you. next speaker >> good evening members of the board i live in district 8.

we're all concerned about pedestrian traffic and seniors well-being, however, the mexican folks in san francisco an opportunity please regret the appeal for the final appeal >> i'm not totally familiar with this project but if you're in the center arts and some people want to put in a mexican museum based on the history of this country. there is the supervisor that represents that district in which i live has written up an

important point about traffic congestion. and but in the very densely populated area where the traffic is not moving it becomes incredibly efficient how do you move things around. you have to do it in a fluid way. so moscone is important to san francisco so if you're down playing the city's potential because that's a math magnet in bringing people to the city and staying in the hotels that bring in enormous revenues so you want moscone very, very busy so a lot

of people you accommodate them. use public transit and use it very efficiently with high frequencies and with people walking. such. thank you. next speaker >> good afternoon. i'm a temporarily displaced analyst san franciscan. i have worked as a property manager for a company and only temporarilyly. i stay actively resolved in san francisco and community based activities i want to request you approve the final eir and regret the appeal. we need to look at quite is number of issues there's the pedestrian safety issue and mitigation can address some of

those but some of those so you would a lot border issue i don't know if that's the safety pedestrian task force or around the sunset ordinance but specifically this project is a very important culture project to the latino community. not just in san francisco and most people spoke they were pro the project. it's a precedent setting project in a world-class city with all the changes in south beach and mission way by especially around the arts district. we need to look at this project interest thank you for your time >> next speaker. >> good evening i'm a union

iron worker i'm speaking in favor of the 706 mission project. here's some benefits the mexican museum it would be no cost to the organization or the city and that's made $22 million. the hard earners have made a $5 million endenouncement would be given to the museum and affordable housing they've agreed to pay the $28 million. historic preservation the eligible building would be restored and rehabilitated the proximately would replace with mixed use of cultural use in a

cultural area and improve human. assess and pay anti bond and parking for the project would be accommodating in the existing garbage and on behalf of the brothers and sisters approximately, one hundred construction jobs would be created and the mexican museum if it's opened thank you for your time >> thank you. next speaker. >> good evening members of the board i'm benny. i'm a resident of the bay view districts owned a home there for 20 years. i want to say speak to the eir on the proposed project is states there would be on observe

increase in traffic in the vicinity the side is very near the corn of third and mission there's muni assessable and also caltrans has muni lines that come right down third street which is a one-way street. so we have to prepare for once that world-class traffic lane is built so, please regret the proposals so little mexican museum can go forward >> good evening i'm virginia i'm with the buena aligns i'm here to speak no support of this

project. we're asking you to reject is appeal we'll be talking about mitigating the safety and traffic issues. we believe this project will add to the district and be a great addition adding a lot of vibrancy that he ask for your support. thank you very much >> supervisors. if there were enough time i'd happily go on about the wonderful museum. what is clear it's long over cue it the mexican museum have a permanent home. whatever the proposals of this

project there was a indirect link of the amount of space and the finance. on behalf of those members who are latino and those who have looked at the reports that's the single construction industry i think they would be extremely proud to work on a project like that. with regard to some of the appellants points i note that the other end of the block is the 44 story hotel building and many of those who testified on behalf of the hotel live on the opposite side of the hotel. it's a block of tall buildings.

i note with the pedestrian issues are very real in that neighborhood is that the end of my time? >> thank you. next speaker. >> hello, i'm shawn smith i work in local 24. $21 million that's an eye-opening thing that's an important culture structure we need this type of museum so we can have the historical area for our children the carpenters are asking for your support >> thank you. next speaker.

>> good evening. i don't live in san francisco but i'm mexican, of course, and that's why i'm here. i'm fighting for my grand children. that would be important for the younger and for those who don't remember california was part of mexico. so i believe that we can have that museum i can believe that people have concerned about the shadow on the streets. i wish i could hear about the construction of the bridge they are having a lot of problems and i don't hear so many people concerned about the - that i making and making they are good

students right now so come on i wish to see people care about our curls i feel really attack my country. i had a question for you and everybody here in this room. and the question if we question the mexican museum can you have a question about the construction of the mexican museum? because it's not fair i'm sure about most of this room is waiting about 3 hours and asking the same question and around and around and can you please stand up you all those who are in favor of this project please?

thank you >> thank you. next speaker. >> thank you. madam clerk good evening. i live on the street 9 in san francisco and i'm here in front of you i'm in support of the mexican museum and i sky to regret the appeal and to approve or to you know the eir report. and to me cultural heritage is what drew san francisco's we need to know every culture needs to know what they come from. i want my children to know that

we mexicans and curls have been here for years and we happen to made contributions but we are kind of ghosts. we don't exist in san francisco as mexicans. the striving community after the 1950s on board way street it was completely destroyed when they moved to the mission. our church that we built on the broadway and manson it's sold. we filled the chinese community for 16 years. now is that too much to ask to get a mexican museum it's about

time about the extended shadows and the traffic. that's has to be done in a holistic approach thank you so much >> thank you. next speaker please. >> good afternoon. i'm angle activate i'm a mexican. i'm here to ask for your support for the eir. we orange county to be able to enjoy the museum and the art. it will give us an opportunity to enjoy the exhibits that perhaps only we have seen in

books or postcards. it's essential that our latino community will be able to come to a museum that is centrally located. give us an opportunity to enjoy this whether or not we have a long or short lifespan and on behalf of the? citizen latino community we look forward to having this >> thank you. next speaker. >> good evening president chiu and members of the board. i'm the chair the building committee and the incoming treasurer of the board of trustees for the mexican museum.

due to the great ambition of the community the long held dream to create a mexican museum is finally here. this is our direct partnership with the city. there's learning this great opportunity. we have an endenouncement we've received commitments beyond $5 million and for the museum and the work around 25 million. we have great momentum thanks to your help to strive among the other arts at the and cultural

programs. we're missing our voice and presence and it's something we're working very hard to achieve and be heard. we hope you assert the project >> thank you any other members of the public that wish to speak? seeing none i invite up the appellants for a rebuttal >> you guys give 3 minutes each. >> we can set the clock for 3 minutes each. >> thank you very much for the search questions of the planning dependent on the dep