limit and not result in a reserve impact for the historic zoning. that the project will not obstruct public corridors and a lastly that the project will in the significantly impair light and your to a bud property. the department concluded that as drafted this legislation would only apply to one property 3 hundred street. to the apple store was the genesis they felt this meantime was generally good policy. however, we said that our recommendation to beforehand the scope of the project raise concerned and we've revised the original intent that applies to only one parcel.

that that only applies to one parcel it's printout to make this clear which is why we're recommending that the one that effected property be referenced in the ordinance. this recommendation is not substantive. the downtown project pursuant to planning code section including the finding i proposed. and before the zoning administrator is for the transparency 1 foy .1. it was heard yesterday by the hpgs. the property is located in the downtown retail will project and a is category 5 rating. the subject property contains 5 hundred and 5 square feet complex with two above ground

where it as a retail structure. it has an slaeld plaza and basement below the site. it involves the levi store. it replaces the retail structure and in a minute's the hyatt structure. it will have a rectangle plan and the back of the house is a narrow wing between 9 buildings along west street. in total the proposed proposals will have a net decrease in scapegoat. the retail will be reduced from 4 to 2 stories and replacing the it will to a rectangle.

and incorporating the existing fountain destined into they could be figured plaza plaza it at the end of the stairs remembers that the sponsor architects will give a brief presentation but i want to focus on regulatory policies. it will require a determination of the policy as a design review. the commission will need to make the finding and lastly as previously mentioned the zoning administrator will have to approve the barrier. the department has received additional comments expressing opposition to this project and as well as the hotel expressing support i've passed out copies now. the department has received a

letter in support of the union square district. the project meets the provision for raining a prominent tenant by improving the design by reducing a shadow and improving the public access while remaining the fountain. the commission first recommend the proposed ordinance and approve the project are condition. their contestant b upon your approve that concludes my presentation >> thank you project sponsor please.

mr. secretary i'd like to submit a response to the s c i yous letter of february 4th. thank you. i'm going to start while the team is setting up the delay. i'm rick the department director with apple. i'll be giving a brief overview and then the architects b will take you through the design. we're thrilled to be here to talk about the project. it's been a great yourp. this project will be the

flagship for apple if built in union square. this will be more iconic than the glass could you be no new york city. bits a world-class design we believe fits into the district and is a great educate for san francisco. we spent the last year working with staff planning, working with the ar c the h pc to enhance our design. the process has made that a better project and we role appreciated the input we've had working with everybody. today we are going to review the scion that was the design that was approved yesterday. i'd like to take time to address the ruth fountain.

and mainly the miss characterization of how the process was proscribed and at the time, we presented and concept the fountain plan would developed enough to present and not shown on the documents that were presented. that was never apples continued or the hyatts intent to disrespect the fountain. the xylophone we provided is elegant it makes the fountain the focusal point and moves it 6 photo 3 inches so it centers open the new stairs. we've taken care of the design so it's the same dimensions. it moves forward about a to the

more assessable to the public. the relocation process has been questioned a bit and that, too, you know, it's not been represented properly it will be moved as one complete structure. i wanted to clarify how that's being looked at. we've had great community support with the union square business improvement district and other community organizations throughout san francisco and role they've received a lot of good input from retailers looking forward to the draw that this store would provide bringing people to union square. today we're seeking our approval the project and look forward to ronald to any concerns you may

have. thank you >> good afternoon. i'm james mcphotograph working on this project here in san francisco. i've got a presentation so if i could get the overhead. 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.