face up. >> thank you for the commissioners and my name is jackie. this is the first time i come to this kind of situation. basically my neighbor their project is on 3249 street. i'm the next door neighbor. i have several major concerns. no. 1 is the extension of the building is eight feet into the encroachment of the rear yard and which block a major part of our deck. in addition, there is a very small rear yard after the 8 foot encroachment and

there will be a large garbage can where the restaurant will be placed there if this immediately upset us. we are also concerned about the existing very congested parking situation. so that's a major concern. another one is an inadequate design. so prior to this, i also try to approach to the owner and architect to find a solution and basically the owner and architect said they have been into this process for a very long time so there is very little space and time and they can change this. and i also approach to a mediation service but was declined by the

owner. the situation and on the left is our house and on the right is the subject's house, the project's house. the owner is proposed to building a three story building which is taller than our building. this is a specific concern. this is our deck and with the extension of 8 foot in the back of the building. we can see this brown bend, the majority part of our deck will be blocked and on the other side, so the building

will be 28 foot blocking the majority part of our deck and the garbage cans will be placed in the back. this is our concern. and the parking space in the around the building is very very tight. essentially it's very difficult to find any parking space. so that's a second concern. also the three story building will completely block the one side of our building which block all of our windows and we are understandable our neighbor has a right, but we hope they can consider to build a light well which is required i think by the building guide. so if you

look at this and all these windows especially this will be completely blocked. so it is true that our neighbor proposed to building a light well. but if you can see the light well, it's not meeting the building requirement. it's the code requirement. it's not matching light well. on our side, light well is three feet deep and on the other side there is only one feet deep. also there is not a second well and the side deck is also lighting. so there are several considerations. basically we are asking our

neighbor to address their light well design and consider removing the code violations in the rear yard extension and also the adequate side back violation. thank you very much. >> are there any speakers in support of the dr? >> okay. sir, did you want to speak? >> in support of the dr requester? >> project sponsor, please. >> do i have 5 minutes total. we are going to divide the three minutes for myself and the project architect. >> however you want to use the five minutes. >> yeah, good afternoon president fong and commissioners, my name is marquez and i'm with gonzalez and we are with the architect

and mr. gonzalez behind me. we vehemently -- oppose this. which is a commercial front space. the existing one story structure will be converted into a three story beautifully 3 story which is along a commercial corridor that has had a lot of problems with drugs, prostitution and other illicit activities in the past. the project sponsors are truly an american success story. the owners are a married couple immigrated to the united states in 1974 and through hard work have succeeded in opening a restaurant for the heart of the mission distribution -- districts for the past 25.

they have purchased in property in 2004 and they have lived with his family. the restaurant serves salvadorian cuisine and the restaurant is smaller, seven tables less than the current restaurant. the restaurant is losing their lease and the proposal is to relocate. it's an allegation by a building owner. she is not a neighbor. she lives in palo alto and the daughter does not live there. the owner is making these representation disin

genuinely. they have agreed to provide lighting and provide a three foot wide setback. all of the other items i don't really have any credibility. there will about no smell. the trash cans will be in an enclosed location. i would like to now pass it over to the architect and ask for your support of the profit to support a latino owned business and recheck the dr application. >> thank you, my name is alphonso. i'm going to describe to you the aspects of the project. the corner lot, as mr. marquez said, we are adding

three stories. we have three residential units above a commercial unit. each of the residence is 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit. averaging 1100 square feet. we have a 25 foot rear yard setback. we have provided two light wells for the residential design team recommendations. they are both three foot deep. one is ten foot long and the rear is 5 foot long and both of these to accommodate them we had to do quite a bit of redesign to the interior and lost a total of 100 square feet to accommodate that. some of the other design

aspects are material wise. there are some rendering ground level we'll have concrete and stone tile with quite a bit of glazing at the commercial with the restaurant. we'll have concrete panel covered base and we'll wrap the top level in wood siding. if you have any questions about the design, i will be here. thank you. >> thank you. >> okay, speakers in support of the project i have a number of cards here. arturo tabta, angela, oscar grande, and orlando. >> good afternoon commissioner. my name is arturo tab l.a. and

member of the mexican museum. on behalf of the mexican museum i'm in support of the project. in a wonderful city where a demographic changes and has a popular latino population. it changes the accelerating. the mission district is an important center of culture and of course food is a big part of our community's culture. today you have in front of you the support of this family who are a long time residents of the community for 40 years. for the past 25 years they have owned and operated the restaurant in the heart of the mission. it's a cultural gem in our community and it is a destination for

inter generational members where entire families go there on weekends and during the week to enjoy cuisine from central america. there are very few latino owned businesses in the district. i encourage you to support the project as recommended by your planning staff. thank you very much. >> good afternoon president and commissioners. my name is angela cepeda and i will be reading this letter. my name strongly supports this project because the project sponsor mr. gonzalez is a long time resident of the mission district who has lived in the neighborhood with his family for close to 40 years. the gonzalez and my family share several things in common.

namely that both families have lived for four decades and six decades respectively. our restaurant is the last part of latino owned businesses in the mission district. we have owned and operated this restaurant which is a highly regarded restaurant in the mission district. we have owned this restaurant. we own our building. unfortunately he is losing his lease this year. today, you will have the opportunity to empower mr. gonzalez and his family by approving his project so he can become an owner of his restaurant space. there are few latino owners and business

operators in this district and we hope that you can do everything to make sure this project is approved. thank you. >> thank you. everyone gets their time to speak and you will get an at some rebuttal after this. >> good afternoon, i'm here representing the economic rights. poder. we extend full endorsement. mr. gonzalez's story is this a special story. he's a long time fix you are in the mission community specifically on cap street. he's owned and operated the legendary cafe south of the proposed project. over the past

decade, mr. gonzalez's family has worked hard and invested in the community and created jobs. the surrounding neighborhood has benefited from his hard work. 20 years ago when he took a risk on this block, it was filled with dope, prostitution and illicit activities. he along with his neighborhood have really created something on that block and it will continue with this proposed project. i think also the current story that we are seeing in the mission as other people have echoed is that we are also seeing now the popularity of this neighborhood of the mission and the height for speculation and here is a wonderful unique story where someone has been renting for a long time, creating assets for another person is now able to build those assets for his family and his surrounding neighborhood with his own money

and own space. i think that's important to learn from, something that we can copy and for others struggling, small business owners, i think also he's been in this process for over five years. he's been in this planning limbo, he's done everything the planners have asked for and played by the rules. he unfortunately got caught in the whole revamping of the neighborhoods and now he's at a place where he's ready to go, planners are ready to move forward and he's faced with the new obstacle which is an opposed neighbor and even through this obstacle he has complied with light wells and set backs and some of the issues around parking. this is the hood. this is in the middle of a very dense neighborhood. his restaurant is only one

block away. it's a very mixed use. you have light pdr, a bar across the street, a residential. it's a unique place and some of these concerns are just not based on the reality of this neighborhood. so we supposed the project and we hope it goes through, thank you. >> good afternoon. any other name is john. barbie. being a resident of this neighborhood for over 30 years. first at saint carlos for 20 years and then at liberty street near 20th and valencia. i wanted to support this applicant. this has been a bright spot in the

mission district. in spite of it's much impacted location. i'm an attendant at the police meetings. this person has been improving things. this restaurant is self explanatory. it's a beautifully, it would be a great loss. the salvadorian community is a very important segment of the mission district, a very large segment too. usually large. this is a superb restaurant. i think this project falls within the guidelines, very attractive, bright and clean and really desirable and express my support. >> thank you. >> i'm going to call a few more names. ray sloan, joshua garcia >> my name is orlando and i'm a

business person for the last 28 years. i'm also a mason and shriner. the only reason i'm telling you that is my -- sincerity of what i'm going to tell you about this person. he's a humble person and good husband and father. and he contributes quite a bit to charity. he has contributed to the salvation army, to the american and hispanic chamber of commerce. not only with food but also physically and monetary. he is probably the only person in the mission district as a business person that can walk in the mission

with his granddaughters, sometimes you see him pushing a stroller and sometimes in a bicycle. i know he's telling them to stop at the stop sign. [ laughter ] . his dream has always been to start his own business. his rent has been going higher and higher to a point where it's almost unaffordable. he lives in the mission, but i would say always spends 80 or 90 percent of his money in the mission. i know he buys tickets and i'm in the mission. so to deny this great city san franciscans the boundary right to own his business and home because he's also going to live there would be a great disregard of his

principles. thank you. >> good afternoon. i'm associated with the mission language and vocational school. mr. gonzalez is one of our very proud graduates of the school who worked with mr. rows before going off on his own entrepreneurial shift and starting this very important restaurant in the mission district of which we are all very proud of. he's been a recipient of an award and the board recommended that you pass this. >> thank you, any other speakers? >> president fong. i'm reading this letter on behalf of the

san francisco latino democratic club. the club is very supportive of the restaurant and their ability to move forward with their business plans . when we first heard about this first issued response. here we go again someone has moved into the neighborhood and has pushed another latino business. they are holding this business financial hostage and this is the worst discretionary process. mr. gonzalez has been very respectful. when requested he matched the light well and he agreed. when he was asked after the completion of the neighborhood zoning and got caught in the wirl wind and he's been a victim of the discretionary review process.

to make matters worse restaurants are allowed at this location. please support this much loved business and deny the discretionary review that has been filed against mr. gonzalez. thank you. >> good afternoon commissioners. my name is selena. i'm here supporting the project for mr. gonzalez. i'm here as a mother, as a community member, as a former teacher and i can throw many labels. the most important thing is how sarcastic this is because this week i have been spending in my professional life teaching, coaching and talking about san francisco is small business week and the most common complaints, arguments that i know i'm preaching to the choir is how we are going to nurture small businesses, how we can help

small businesses navigate bureaucracy, the politics of the city, the politics of city hall and small neighborhood. when i heard can you come, oh, my god!. the same week we speak about supporting businesses in the city and then we allow an absentee landlord put some concerns out front and try to block a small business who has been in the community for 25 years. i met him 20 some years ago when i was a mission high school teacher. if you know the high school, we were crippled with gangs, violence and horrible horrible life in the mission district for youth african american youth and latinos. i came as a mother and said i want to run an after

school program. can you give us food because these kids are hungry and he looked at me, oh someone asking for more donations. well, some of those kids are doctors and nurses. i keep in contact with them. in the beginning of their turning point was when they would say, i would give you beans and rise and chips and salas a salsa. >> long story short. the lirs of community benefits which i have here in which he has provided not only financial assistants to youth programs, juvenile home, workability, senior centers and schools. i could have put a powerpoint together for you if i was not worried with this who paid my mortgage. as you imagine i had to do this for my boss. but i

had enough pictures when we started with the youth, with the soccer, with battered women. it is a tragedy and i know you feel the same thing that i feel, that you will support fundamentally a small business in san francisco. this is your opportunity. so i can be motivated next year to tell the world that we are truly working in san francisco to help a small business. thank you. >> my name is josh garcia and here to support gonzalez. i'm here as a family man. my family grew along with him and i know him for more than 20 years. we grew together as a community and we want to support him. i

don't know the to repeat what everybody said again. i just want you to support this project for mario gonzalez. thank you so much. >> any other speakers in supported of the project sponsor? >> seeing none. dr requester you have a 2 minute rebuttal. >> thank you commissioner. i appreciate the opportunity to talk again. i have a lot of respect to emilio and supporting his initiative to have his business next door. so i have no problem with that. and my only problem is in the design and the matching well. the light well won't fit. this is the design here is from the

city from diego sanchez. we have three feet of light well and their side has one feet. right now they claim they have three feet matching well. i welcome that as long as we can document that second one is i never claimed i live there. i never claimed my daughter lives there and my intention is my daughter to come there in fall because she's a ucsf student and she will do residence in the area. another question is the extension of the building block our rear side. so the rear setback. sorry. so that's my concern. so all my concern is not preventing them to do

the work, but abiding the law. i came from china 30 years ago and in culture revolution, our family's house, 80 percent was occupied by the right guard and the reason is you are a minority, we are a majority and i truly respect our neighbor and i just want to have my concerns voiced and i truly appreciate this opportunity. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> project sponsor you have a two minute rebuttal. >> i think everything is pretty much been said. we would appreciate your support. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> okay. the public hearing is closed and opening it up to commissioners. commissioner border? >> yeah. looking at this it looks like there is on the site plan a matching light well, it's not the same length. seems like a larger than normal.

>> that's correct. the light well is 3 feet deep by 10 feet wide and that abuts one of the light wells on the dr requester and that extends to the 4th level. >> the windows on the side of the building aren't those property line. >> those are property line windows. you can't have any operable windows beyond 3 feet under previous building codes. >> all right. looking at the plans there is a matching light well maybe it's not as long as you like it to be on windows on the side of the building are not protected on the planning code. i think this is a great story that we heard of a wonderful family being able to stay in the neighborhood and locate very short distance of a well established business and well