okay. so as previously mentioned the prong is in the conservation district we got approval. the existing building we feel is not very suited to its assignment being a triangle form so when we first looked at the site in particular we felt that little rectangle building was for sensible and i think the other thing that attacks >>the fact we have public spaces on either side of the project it's important in our design. the current plaza space behind the existing levi store is we feel under utilized it's a less comfortable place our property councilman will change the form

and shape of the plaza space we'll bring in trees. the existing building as i see it today on the site actually has some rhythm to the facade and this is one the comments. we're actually working with the h pc comments and we've been through a process that our design and this is the councilman we're representing today. what interested us was the two spaces the plaza space and in this rendering you see the emphasis of the building locking throughful from union square and connecting it back to the new plaza. it's important to see this that there is public space behind it. at the same time our concept

design for had this building was to treat the little liquor a stage set. you see the performance of the demonstration and everything that goes on in the store the leaguer glassed window looking at the union square. in response to the comments from the ar c we added columns to the south facade to beak up the rhythm of the south elevation but we actually added open windows. as you see in the rendering there those large sliding glass doors will open to the streets and open to union square. didn't we that that was taking on board the comments and turn it to even a more enjoyable feature. so at times the weather won't be

good to have them open so the doors will sometimes be closed but we still include parcels on either side of the elevation to the east and west so if the demeanors are fully closed you can exit by the fire escapes. it holds the corner of posting streets and we felt the triangular form would correct so it creates a rhythm down stockton street. it's complicated building structure we're building over the hyatt ball room we're building over a ballroom it's going to be complicated as a result, it didn't have columns

in the space we have a boisterous wall to the back and we have the revolver. the two sides brace the structure so their solid with the structure. we liken it not to pursue it is simple and takes a lot of engineering and compacted a lot of intricate elements. you see the first floor level and we have staircases the glass staircases common in the apple stories. the second level is where we have training and the genius bar and those are things and the back space we have the assessor

walls to assess the plazas. this was the councilman as we prepared it and the following comments we amended this to add columns to the north elevation we increased the width of the staircase we felt there was a possibility we could bring back some of the seating area. the tables and chairs are we feel where the people using the apple store the general public can use the space we feel it will be more used. this section shows the structure of the building the columns coming down into the ballroom. this see a view from inside the store. this is we refer to the

classical motif. then looking at stockton street and again looking at the fountain and how we've located if keeping it on the steps it's a 6'6" inches approximately but closer to stocking to that street and using stone steps so we can recreate the same position of the fountain. this is a view of the plaza spa space. this is the democrats table and a accessories. this space we'll have wifi in this space or anyone can use the pursuits in this space and the idea we could have people taking

cfo from the x press bar and actually using the space making it more usable. this is at the night it will have its own light but borrow the light in the apple building. we have come a long way. this is where we started before we actually talked about introducing a window to stockton street where we had an 18 high window this is actually, the negative of the post structural wall behind. and it separates what is the front of the store and the back of the store. we set back the glazing on post street this is to create a little bit more space going into the building we kept the frame

completing the street frontage and also this overhang helps with the sun shading for the building. talking about stockton street and materials we're using the stainless steel and this is a material that apple uses on a number of their stores and it has a muted reflexion. we have a sample. the wall picks up the color of the traffic of people walking past. the diagram shows the revolver.

we want this fountain to be the focusal point this year this is a picture of how it looks today. we feel it is not central in that space maybe we're hung up on cemetery. but we've centered it in the plaza and the steps and the walls are acting as wings. and we actually have a water wall in the back of the plaza that is like sheets of water coming down a stone that compliments this. there is currently a block in the floor we are going to maintain that in the floor or we could look at putting that on the side walls we'll maintain

that. this is showing you the differences of the mapping. so again, the reduction of light allows more lighting. and i think again looking at this this is responding to the elevation we've included some details and the mechanic front rooms and the stock romance and the genius we looked at the neighboring buildings and our building responds to the neighboring building and at night we're going to maintain the lighting but also the lighting of the building that's it. thank you very much >> i'm open to questions. >> we'll probably have some

thank you. is there anything else from the project sponsor >> okay. great. open this up for public comment and i do have some speaker cards (calling names) good afternoon. honorable commissioners i'm reminding drey and samuel coal is here. apple has proposed the plan that will change this for decades to come and effect the fountain we think this warrants to review we said that apple has worked closely with city staff but sequa requires apple to work with the whole community and that has not happened.

we believe that the staff is now saying that the project is exempt from all sequa review. first, they said it would the project at all and they backed off. now they're saying it's exempt as a class 2 exemption for the replacement of a building but sequa says that a project may not be exempted from sequa review if it effects the relocation of alteration of the location it will change the immediate location. in particular the plazas will slipping by thirty percent this other person store will make that shorter and the staff report says it will increase the

size of the plaza that is wrong math. they didn't calculate the stair area which is the seating area. also the project will be reducing the amount of public spaces it's eliminating american people observation desk that is for the hyatt and it's prioritizing the space around the fountain now, it's would i doly open and the levi store didn't open to that space. the space becomes hidden behind the fountain and it becomes an extension of the apple store where people could a try out pursuits etc., perspire tiger's that space in union square is a significant impact that precludes the sequa exemption and the projects will not comply

with the california green ordinances in particular it's made of single pained glass and it has open windows that will allow heat and cooling to fall out of that building in violation of the california energy code and if a project fails to reduce green house gas emissions it mainly be exempted from sequa. >> good afternoon. my name is jason. i'm with the united services. i think that sam coal had to leave. but i'll echo many of the things that richard said s c i u has taken the position the way that

the process has been taken out with the necessary parts of project many of them are in the approval process was not consistent with second that we should be considering all those things together. i would say that includes the legislation i'm glad the legislation has been rejected and improved but that process should have started with the historical presentation commission. and not this commission because they were clearly historical impacts when it was more swooping. it seems somewhat illogical it can't is have a historical back but it's not impacting us i don't know maybe there's been another rewrite that's

eliminated this contradiction but implicit can we have a process we know even in the minor two month delay there's been a things that have been learned and if we could actually have a authenticity full process with community full input from the bodies of the planning department at once then we minority be continuing and detailing and going back and forth with the project there needs to be more consideration and there's significant changes in the project that shouldn't allow for the exemption from sequa and a >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> i'm going to call a of you

more names some folks have left (calling names). >> good afternoon. i'm a security officer, i'm been a resident of san francisco for 22 years and lived in the city for 22 years i live on polk street so i'm familiar with that. i represent s c i u the united service workers west and my message it short you do credible the environmental impact that the offices fellow working with the community and the businesses and their impact on us. thank you >> thank you. >> president fong george a

homeowner and the jim the chair and president of the virgin america known for notation and leadership. i apologize maybe our letter didn't get into our foil. the bye ear council represents hundreds of folks in the area. this will become a new loshgd and create hundreds of retail and other jobs. it's a perfect fit the store an architecture marvel with its expansive windows will be a designation for adversities and locals lick it will revitalize

an under used area on polk street. you've heard presentations adjustment have been made and they've made changes. the process has worked and it's time to approve this project and move the effort important forward. the barry council can you remember you to take that action. thank you >> good afternoon president fong and a commissioner commissioners i'm the executive director for the uscf's business improvement district i repealed the merchant around the uscf's. we're going trying to keep the area save. we're excited about this project and apple, of course, is a merchant already in our district

you can't blame them for wanting to move north they're in the middle of a construction project. we're excited that driver's license will shift the achievement toward union square it will bring the retail energy and the economic violate northward and will have a spiraling effort on sutter and post. our streetscape committee we had the opportunity to ask questions they added some issues you mainly the fountain and i think they treated that fairly and it's in the project also the

wall around stockton we were concerned but they've opened it up with an 8 to the window and this connects the interior space with the sidewalk. so in summing it up we're excited about the project and urge you to support it. thank you >> good afternoon commissioners i'm kevin i'm the executive director of the hotel council of san francisco i serve on the board of supervisors for the improvement district. i'm here to support this on behalf of the hotel. when our guests come to san francisco they come to the aspect last year about how far of our city and it's also to shop. when a adversity comes and stays in our hotels they spend more

money outside the hotel than win. the project that the apple store is proposing that will help market the city around the world and to have this type of site and this attach iconic flag store will benefit the entire city as well as the visitors who come here. when you look at the to the traffic that will come to union square inside and outside the store the space between hyatt and people will be able to enjoy it is a big chance even when you're walking around the properties. conference come to san francisco not only recommended to apple but to do apple businesses.

had you see visitors coming here to visit the city we fully support it from the council and we ask you do the same thank you for your time >> thank you. >> good afternoon. my name is keith ward. i'm a security officer with w w. i've lived in the city for 3 seven years. i'm not against the apple project additional please excuse me. i've got my smart phone pictures. we've foouth fought hard to create and maintain heath public

spaces so far all the citizens and the means to enjoy them. this project and other like it that avoid carefully community represent the undoing of what san francisco as a great city can be and is now. we shouldn't let apple or twitter are any other companies getting deals in san francisco that are not available for the average san franciscan. you must release the fox plaza not two for a away from here a coffee shop the lady got her rent raised and she's gun. the other companies won't abide by or when a tenant st. is paying a certainty amount and

the landmark can raise the rent you're going to lose tenant and old school people and lose san francisco from what it was. i'm much older than you i imagine you are about 35 or 36. think about it in about it do give overlooking apple or twitter or anyone else you're not going to give deals to mom and pop small businesses >> patricia boyd an individual sense. i'm not against that i want to make sure that the designs you approve if they get chang's changed liquor what happened to us they must come back to this

commission for any changes. this is a high commercial district the design is borrowing but i think they could do better but my point is if present the design it should come back to the position if there's changes bus i've lived through that one i'm still getting the complaints. okay. thank you >> thank you. sue hester i must admit i wanted to see the other side. i've been a tenant of miss floods family since 19 in this

area which is a a long time. when i started being a tenant there there was pitch battles about what would happen around union square there were lawsuits and hearings from the planning commission. when you say an international icon i think levies. that's an international icon that's the tenant there now. now, it's the occupied by on the icon levies. i knew ruthie was involved in her neighborhood. her fountains are extremely special in the city. what we have to the that present time i've never met the attorney

from the aclu. the process is short kishthd the planning department only knows what's going everything is between the developer and the planning department. the public is no where. where did is the public going to be. you are the public 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 not mr. ram you're supposed to be the public but you're not. and so you have got to make sure that the information comes out to the city and to the rest of the urban washed mass. but we understand what is being proposed. there's been a lot of concern about this project because it's a very important intersection. right now it's kind of weird to

have a cross-line behind the building behind the levies this but sunlight comes down there what are the sunlight issues i haven't the fainted idea but there's not been the public process that will tell the rest of us what's going on and you're giving away development rights i get environmental reviews and i read them. what - if i don't know, you know, i don't anybody knows my landmark knows ms. flood knows but i don't >> thank you. >> any additional any public comment?

scenes. opening it up for questions. commissioner sugaya. you have a general question. under what we're being asked to consider under 16 it says downtown authorization that has a number of compliments does it mean if we vote on this is it similar to an action with a conditional use that runs that with the land but not specific to the current tenant. the action you're taking don't run with the land and not the tenant. however, the action i'm asking for is the downtown project 3089 authorization you are about to give you see those for projects in the downtown. typically those projects in the do not come