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tv   Government Access Programming  SFGTV  January 6, 2019 11:00pm-12:01am PST

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>> if i have called your name, come on up. >> good morning. i am an afterschool program team leader. is the only part that we have. -- it is the only park we have. it is an extension of the school playground this is a very important. the site is -- any shadow cast on this would be a significant adverse impact on the community. please do not approve this project. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good morning, commissioners. my name is jean. i am here to highlight the negative shadow impacts and they strongly oppose the proposed project on the site that would have on the park.
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soma continues to have the least amount of parks and open space per capita out with only 12-foot full-sized parks. and then it serves as a key element in some of our f. no tours that i host at least twice a month. it will affect the daily use among seniors, families, children, and folks who live in the south of market. it is a crucial part of honoring our history and especially victor victoria -- victoria manolo graves. the shadow will negatively disrupt our interactive tour activities at the park and daily use by summer residents, families and workers in incidents of the carmichael. think about the shadows during standard times, especially after 4:30 pm when there are more shadows. the presentation earlier only noted for daylight savings time but what about for standard time when children need to use the park after 4:30 pm?
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and this impact should not be taken lightly -- taken lightly by you. the beauty and loot usefulness of this will be degraded and this shadow will have a consequential impact on the use for visitors and users of the park. please oppose the project. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good morning, commissioners. my name is carla and i'm the executive director of west bay filipino multiservice centre. we have been serving the community for 50 years. we have a 100 year history of filipinos in the south of market i'm here only to echo the opposition for this project and the impact it has on our park. we have one park that we utilize as our supervisor mentioned, we don't have many parks in district six. this is the only park that our families utilize. heather was mentioning from united players that we don't want to be here right now. we have a community party where we are celebrating 200 of youth
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and families who use the park every day today. this is who this park impacts. it is not just the actual people that it impacts of the time it impacts, by the principal it is setting. what are we letting them know about the only park that is named after a filipino? this is there park. three years ago, unanimously, this was not supported. here it is, bigger than that before, and now what will we do about that while we will see now it is okay and that is not fair. so i want to pleas urge you to remember the decision we made before. understand the impact is more than when the shadow is there but there is a shadow that we utilize in the precedent it sets in the future. and really remember the families that this is impacting. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> hello.
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i am with the south of market community action network. first, it is unclear why this has not being -- this project will be heard jointly so they have a chance to weigh in on the shadow topics before voted on. for the proposed project, as we have heard, there is a proposed increase point 3.8% shade that would occur for eight months out of the year, affecting the entrance to the park, the play area, the grassy area and the benches. this includes a period of late june where the shadow is present for up to 110 minutes or nearly two hours in the evening time and it is important to note that someone did before that, in june , the sun does not go down until after 8:30 pm. they conducted studies of the usage of the park in early november of this year, and on
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november 2nd between the period of 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm, there were 66 users of the park including 13 children and it is important to note this was during the wintertime, not during the summer when the sun is out later. as many people have mentioned, this is not the first time the project has been in front of you i think just looking more holistically at how the city treats the south of market and plans for the south of market, often times the city looks at the void of families and children and youth as a place of community and a place that needs to be built up. it is a place of community and a place for families and children to live and thrive and use essential spaces, such as the park public open space. and one of the only full parks in the south of market and as a supervisor mentioned, only the full-service park. we strongly urge you to vote note today on adding new shadows to the parks. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker.
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okay. powerpoint, please. go ahead. >> i wanted to play a video from some of our youth that live here in the neighborhood. >> we barely have city parks here in the south of market. this park is super far. >> you can bring the microphone down -- >> the issue of having a shadow -- [indiscernible].
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>> i met a lot of my friends here. the park is important to me and the community because it gives us space for people to enjoy, it is a safe space for children.
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>> it is not empty but it is not how a park is supposed to be. the building shadow would impact our kids chart shows a perspective of what the park is supposed to look like. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good morning. my name is lord is. i'm a caseworker and i am here to repeat what i said here last time. for a couple of youth that could not be here. one is from nikki who is -- she joked -- she goes to the general high school. the park mean so much to me living in the soma. my friends play basketball there every summer, which is so
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important to them. i want to see my friends enjoy the sun as we watch them play for fun. the park is important because we only have a few parks in the selma that we can go and really enjoyed the place without a shadow blocking the sun. i also have a statement from a young man who was 18 years old and is currently attending city college here. he says, i grew up playing at the park, and many of the other kids have the same experiences. it is the only real park that is truly there is. more shadow will limit the exposure to the sun. the kids need to develop their young bodies. more shadows will mean less vitamin d provided by the sun and more shadows can cause people, especially kids to not come to the park as often because of the lack of sun. i am here to oppose this project >> thank you. >> i will call a few more names. [calling names]
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>> good morning. i am with senior and disability action. we are in opposition to this project. we cannot concede any of our light to the shadows. the park is one of the only large gathering spaces or places in the south of market for south of market residence and debt -- the south of market has one of the lowest parks per capita throughout san francisco. we understand that the project itself will cast shadows that will be in the most used areas such as the basketball court capped the children's play area and the grassy hill. besides being our only community park, it is also very much historical and cultural for the filipino and filipino community.
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it represents the strength and resiliency of the women and more recently the batting cages which honors a filipino male community member who has shown his endless commitment to both the filipino community, as well as san francisco park and recreation. we ask you to oppose this proposed project. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. if you are not speaking, could you take a seat please, go ahead >> good morning, commissioners. members of the commission, i am here to speak on behalf of myself today. although i do serve on the treasure island development authority board of directors and i had the pleasure of serving with the commissioner for six years on that body. every month when we meet, and we try to be judicious in making our decisions, i am here in
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support of this project for a very important reason. i am not a shadow expert, but from what i've read, i see the impact of this project to be minimal after 6:00 pm. when most park users use the park in the morning and during the day, the park is not going away. it will be here. the members of the community will still be able to enjoy this park every day of the year, and in addition to that, there is a contribution that is being made by the project sponsor to the department for security and for other services that will affect the community. all in all, with the mandate of 5,000 housing units to be built into the city this year, we struggle with that on treasure island of how to find funding. here we have somebody who is
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willing and able to build a 63 unit building to give back to the community, and i will urge you to support this project. thank you so much. [please stand by]
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this project was at 0.38 increase. and as an outdoorsman, we have seen pictures today of the summer solstice. we had concern from the community about the winter solstice and standard time. this project, due to its location and the location of the sun will have -- impact on the park during the wintertimes of the year.
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once again, this project casts a shadow and provides housing for san francisco than we desperately, desperately need. thank you very much for your time. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> hello. i have been a resident of san francisco for approximately 12 years as well. i am not filipino. i have used this park on a number of occasions. for morning coffee, having a sandwich and hanging out during the day and having time to myself. and for me, the additional shadow here would really impact me minimally. so i just want to let you know that. and i reiterate what the gentleman said. there are standards for a reason. it is less than 1% additional shadow. this is .34.
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there is no reason for you guys to deny the additional housing that would be added to this location. further, on behalf of the parks department, they would want to have additional families who would use the park more often. having the building across there -- ther there -- >> next speakers, please. >> i just want to say a couple of things just from experience. i have been in the neighbourhood
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since 1989. one of the things i liked about how this was, -- you don't see too much sunlight. there are not many parks. number two, the sun, it is important for the kids. when i first started to work in the area, in the neighbourhood, they played basketball. they were in vacant lots. the vacant lots are no longer there. they are housing. we do need housing. there are other places to put the housing. put the housing in treasure island. you know. we have to preserve and protect
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the shadowing. i urge you guys to keep that in mind. it is one of the few places that has sun in the city. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> good morning, commissioners. i am michael stack. i am a resident and happen to be born in san francisco. i am in support of the project. believe it or not, i grew up playing basketball in a lot of the local parks in san francisco. i was on the way having dinner, after playing, if i did so, the shadow did not affect me. i am in support of the development to keep children safe and the community safe. >> next speaker, please.
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>> i am here to say the project should go on for affordable housing. i think this should go on. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> i lived here all my life. the shadow issue is the silliest issue i heard in my
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life. [indiscernible] there is a lot you can do. >> the housing, people really need. you know. and come on, man, we are all adults. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> i am donald gillis. i am in support of the project because of the housing. and i believe -- >> speak more into the mic. >> my family are pushed out and forced to move. they are being taken from the community they were born and raised in. and i am in support of doing more housing and maybe ending
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homelessness too. thank you. >> next speaker. i am going to call more names. (reading names) >> i was born and raised here also. and i understand the importance of the parks. but the shadowing will not affect it as much as people that need housing. this will provide -- we need housing, we need 15 units. i think it is really important versus the shadow thing. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> good morning. i just would like to ask you to consider, you know, what it
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communicates, the project was rejected on account of the shadow. thank you. >> thank you. >> the next speaker. >> hello. goldman architects. i am adjacent to the project. i have a large dog. a greyhound. i use the park twice a day. i asked seamus if it would bother him. he was fine. i totally get the concerns from the community groups. many of whom are my friends. i spend time with them. i think that the mitigating
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circumstances here actually, one of the biggest ones is the fact that on the hill there will be a dog park. the people don't use the hill now. it is informally used as a dog park. some do not pick up after the dogs. it is used for dogs. no one uses it. the dogs are not concerned about the shadows. the dogs will use the hill. that is the greatest impact of the shadow. it is a strong mitigating factor. normally i am not in favour of shadows on the park. the biggest shadow is the dog park and the other area the entrance to the park and nobody spends time in that area. the other area, the northeast corner is all shaded. but in the afternoons.
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that does not affect playing basketball. additional housing is very important. as architect i am in support. i think in this specific shadow, it is very acceptable because of the dog park which is the greatest shadow. thank you. >> next speaker. >> i am kingston will, i was born and raced in tised in bay . i am surprised by the amount of passion that erupted in this, both in favour of the dog park and the favour of the park and housing. i myself am a business owner that is located half a block
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aw aw away in the area. i walk by the park on the way to work. the greatest concern with my business is having neighbours in the area that like to go out and kind of frequent my business. my biggest concern as a business owner as side from the customers and the employees, i have 20 of them, and quite a few can -- none of them live in the area. they come from other areas of the city. i think the project provides an invaluable resource in affordable housing in the area. i am surprised, i don't know if it is rule, 25%, of the 63 units are below market rates which seems like an incredible feature to have. i have heard there are $150,000 donated to the park could be applied to producing a spotlight to offset the shadow. prior to starting the restaurant, i was an accountant. i looked at the numbers. the park is 2 acres large and
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.5% increase in the amount of shadow to me computes to be 435 feet. i imagine that a large tree planted in the park would cast a 435 square feet shadow. it doesn't seem like a large sacrifice for the creation of housing in the area. and so i like to vote in favour of the project. thank you. >> next speaker. john larry leroy. if i call your name, come up, please. (calling names) >> welcome. >> thank you. i am leroy staples. i am in support of the project because we need a lot of housing
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here. we can get by with the shadows. so i hope you guys approve this. thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good morning, commissioners. i am with the equity centre. a low profit location. i am here to urge you to oppose the development. i think it is a disservice to the people that live in the community and for the people that use the park as a space to gather and play. so according to the report from 2011 to 2015, district 6, there are many seniors in the area. many have an income in the
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poverty level. really who is the park benefiting is the people that live in the district, the seniors on fixed income, they do not qualify for the units. they are way below to qualify for. increasing the shadow, you are setting a precedent for other developments to push little by little. the park is a cultural aspect for district 6 and the filipino heritage district. this park is an asset to the city of san francisco and we ask that you don't take our sunshine away. >> thank you. >> next speaker, please. if i called your name, come on up. >> hi, commissioners. the video earlier are some of the people that i work with. the park is the only park that
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they know. some of them just moved here, two, three years ago. that is the first place they go to. and they feel at home. they can be themselves in the park. district 6 has a population higher than any district in the city. the population increases, 80% of the city development is happening in district 6, particularly. there are only two large parks in the neighbourhood. it is unacceptable that any shadow be cast on the park. we like you to partner with us to keep the open space. it will completely disregard the open space to the residents. please take action to recognize that the project will impact the parks. thank you for your time.
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>> thank you. next speaker. >> hello. [indiscernible] and this is where my friends hang out. this park is not just a regular park to us. this is basically our -- like our second home to us because when we came here in america, we are not welcome by -- people. basically in a way, this park kind of like gave us a way to be with the people that actually
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are with us. we meet new people in the park too. please do not vote on this project, thank you. >> next speaker, please. i will read all the names. that is all the cards i have. if you want to speak and your name has not been called, come on up. (names being called) go ahead. >> good morning commissioners. happy solstice. i am here today in opposition of the projects. as the only multi-use park. the only public school in district 6. a park that is named after the
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woman who grew up a couple of blocks away from the site. it houses the batting cage. in the district, we take the development of our community and the impact of the development very seriously. affordable housing, is important. it can be done in a way that is accountable to the community. this decision will set a precedent for future developments that can encroach on the little space we have. depriving our area of sunlight. supporters have been paid by the developers here today that have not been advised of the effects of shadows. we are fighting for elements here. in new york, they are paying for
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airspace. this is what we are setting precedent for, in san francisco. we are fighting for elements. depriving our community of sunlight. depriving our community of vitamin d. that has a direct correlation to depression. this is because of the limited space. we humbly ask that you repeat the position that you made four years ago for this project that has more of an impact and oppose this project. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker. if there is anyone else who wants to speak, i need you to come on up. thank you. >> good morning. >> i need you to speak into the microphone. >> [indiscernible] i was born in
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this city. and the shadow is not a problem. it is about housing. not just educating the -- the rich that can afford [indiscernible] but this is about our home. family, kids who can't afford to be players [indiscernible] the sun is the day. we have to think about the
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long-term goal. you know, 30% of the country is now living in tents. in 10-15 years, what is that going to do? you know what i mean for unity in the country. not just in san francisco. there are tents all over the country. we are worried about a shadow. you know what i am saying? thank you all for listening. happy holidays everyone. thank you. >> the next speaker. over here, please. that's fine. >> i want to get this --
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>> you need to get started. >> the planning commission is to approve in a couple of hours. this is the shadow. the report has been made -- the recommendation of the general manager of the department, not of the commission. the commission doesn't have a position yet. it was consulted and so the planning commission is going to approve the project, is slated to approve the project because
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you haven't said no. you must say no because we can't do this shadow in the park. when you drafted conditions, limiting the shadow after 1989 when passed, you didn't have any park [indiscernible] and there is a 0% increase. your commission, your staff has been saying you don't have area, because it is not accessible until open. there is a 0% limit. with the consultation of this commission and the planning department, bit by bit, by bit,
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you need to have -- go back and do a shadow analysis. what you would have done. the market is important because it is a low income community and really dependent on open space. if you don't stop and say we have to do an evaluation of both parks, is 0% appropriate for the park like it is for all the parks in the area. you have a real obligation today to look at -- as well as other parks. >> thank you. >> is there anyone else who wants to make public comment? if you do, please come up now. go ahead if you want to make it. make it. we will not call anymore cards.
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keep going please. >> i would like to focus on the shadow if you have a building and what happens to the shadow. first of all, the shadow -- there were guidelines issued for parks all over the city. one of the guidelines is parks larger than 2 acres. this park is one of these parks. and for those parks, it is recommended that they would be allowed a 1% additional shadow on the park to accommodate new construction.
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in this case, what i would like to show you is a comparison of this project, and also what happened if you have only a 40 foot high building which as the commission knows, has no limit on the amount of shadow they can have. so right now, we are talking about 30% of the shadow. it is not 30%. rather, the new shadow in total for the project -- for 15 minutes a day this is the percent. the colour of dark blue is the
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shadow [indiscernible] >> good afternoon. i am part of the design team. i have been part of the projects over the past 25 years. i would like to point out the fact that this developer is providing 25% of housing and the four units. they are going to be rent control. if you do the math, you will see that this is over 30% non-market rate units.
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i have been a developer for years in this town, i have not seen that many developers that can digest 30% affordable housing. this developer not only is giving the 150,000 approval of the park. at 30%, non-market rate units. and to deprive the city from this great development, i think it would do disservice to this great city of ours. thank you. >> thank you. >> next speaker. >> good morning, commissioners. (please stand by)
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>> we don't always agree on things, and for us to all say we
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oppose this project, is huge. the question now is, are you going to de- prioritize our voice again that you have been doing on and on -- on and on for the south of market quaff if this shadow is in another part, like the marine or golden gate, will you vote the same way because there is a real question of equity and whose voice matters most. i hope you will use your leadership and really listen to the community. thank you. >> thank you. >> is there anyone else who would like to make public comment quaff ? public comment is closed. >> thank you. commissioner low quaff. >> i want to first say where the first -- where the first recreation and park commission on the matter that is before us
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is whether this shadow poses a significant and adverse impact. it is just a shadow. it is only a recommendation. and to both sides, it is not about for or against the project it is just the impact of the shadow on the park. i think the decision of whether we choose housing versus parks, that is for the colleagues on the planning commission to make that decision. i'm sure it will be repeated again this afternoon, but our focus is just the impact of the shadow on the park there are some impacts to certain evictions and that is of no concern in our decision and
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deliberation, and we should have a blind eye to whatever deals or evictions may have occurred in the past, and attempts to resolve it. this is the second time we have heard of a hundred 50,000 dollar contribution to the recreation and parks department. our city attorneys in the office is here with us and he will advise us that we cannot accept cash foreshadows. so that should be eliminated from any decision that we may make here and should not weigh on our decision. and the slide referencing what appeared to be a planning commission agenda item, i think that is a typo. certainly they spelled recreation wrong. i think that is a typo and i don't think the general manager
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would have made the recommendation without our authority. i believe that is the case. >> you can confirm that? [laughter] >> i just want to lay that out and clear it so that we kind of focus the discussion on the shadow on the park. thank you. >> first i would like to have stacy come up. that is the shadow that we rejected in 2016. it shaded the basketball court which was an active recreation and to the entrance to the park. that was unanimously rejected in
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2015. the finding being that it was significant and adverse. is that correct? >> that is correct. >> now let me show you at the same time, this is june 20 thursday 7:36 pm. if you put them side-by-side, isn't that a greater impact on the park? encapsulates the entire basketball court, not just a portion. and the oval area which is an unsanctioned dog play area. is at the shadow greater than what we had -- rejected in 2015? >> that is correct. >> i think that is some precedent. don't you think? >> yes. >> i think that should be considered in our deliberations. i understand the need of the
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public served -- public good served by the shadow caster. is how it relates to the quantitative analysis of how you allocate shadow within the absolute limit, but i don't think it eviscerates our analysis as it relates to the qualitative nature, and certainly we have heard from the community and those who use the park that the shadow would have a significant adverse impact on the park and then who use it. >> i very much appreciate all the passion that is behind this. i lead a labour union and an intimately familiar with community organizing and how important it is to have a voice. their other voices here too of people who live in the area and work in the area, and people who are friends with her, and people
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who knew her, and we have to consider all those voices together i looked at the shadow analysis and i am particularly drawn to page 16 of the vision design document, because my children are born and raised in san francisco and i have raised cumulative years in our parks with children and i am a program manager myself with youth. so the observations were that the park's picnic benches which are community gathering spaces, community gardens, ballfield, and southern children play area would receive no new shadow any time throughout the year with this project. the greatest impact of the shadows on that day in june
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begins at about 6:15 pm, and maximizes about 7:15 pm. my children and i are usually trying to make our way home to have dinner around that time. at 7:15 pm, part of a basketball court, a walkway, and a portion of a corner with no playground is what gets those shadows. which to me it is not really a shadow because the sun is going down anyway. it is not a barrier to youth, it will may be just have you walk in a different or use a different part of the park if you happen to be there between 6:15 pm and 7:15 pm. by the way, i work in the neighborhood and i don't want to be there between 6:15 pm and 7:15 pm, now the way it is, but i do feel like if that project
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goes forward, it will bring a hundred 50-180 new residents who want to use our parks and will use our parks which will help shed light in that park. we build homes and then we build parks for the enjoyment of the people in the homes. we don't use parks to have people from being in homes. >> i appreciate those comments from my colleagues. i still believe that our findings in 2015 have some precedent and that this shadow that will be cast on the park will have a significant and adverse impact. i would like to move to direct our general manager, which you will have to do very quickly since planning is hearing this this afternoon.
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i would like to move to direct the general manager to advise the planning commission that the shadow cast by this project will have a significant and adverse impact. before i ask for a second, i will recognize one of our commissioners. >> thank you for stating our situation here so clearly, and speaking to the heart of the matter. the question that i have has to do with the some total of the use of this park. i presume, and correct me if i am wrong, i am sure that staff will correct me if i am wrong at this, but i presume that the use that the park has is from 9:00 am to approximately 8:00 pm
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or 9:00 pm at the latest. is that correct? >> sunrise and sunset. >> i believe the park closes at sundown right now. >> at least until we install light. >> actually, i was just going to raise that. let's just not talk about lights >> i am just speaking to the active use of the park and those hours. what would those consists of. >> beginning with any
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programming, whether it be starting up at nine or 930 and going on throughout the day. how many -- what would be the some total of the hours that is spent in the park by the community? utilizing. >> the park is used throughout the day. there is a variety of activities it is a well used and much used park. the community garden is a great asset for the community. there is the restrooms, the ball field, the basketball courts gets a lot of use, there is the children's play area, there is a variety of activities throughout the day.
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>> i understand that. what i am trying to get at is i am trying to see, what is the some total of the hours that are impacted here? >> the park opens -- >> from the time that the park opens to when it closes? >> let me see if i can help. >> let me get the hours. >> 6-10. the park commissioner is open to , if my meth eight -- if my math are correct, 16 hours a day the shadow obviously changes throughout the year, and the scope of the shadow changes throughout the year. i understand that the period of shadow was between february and october. and usually the shadow stays around 6:00 pm.
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>> that's right. it comes in around 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm. >> how many minutes a day? >> on average it is just over an hour. the longest time is 110 minutes. >> the average shower -- shadow is about an hour a day from february to october. nine months a year of an average shadow of an hour a day. it's about 270 hours of average shadow. >> about 270 hours of average shadow out of a total park usage between -- it is 16 times 365. if anyone has a calculator, we
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can figure it out. >> rather than do this in our head to, may be we should have adam noble to prepare the shadow report to present those figures. >> it is about 5% of the total hours would be shadowed by this project. >> about 5% of the total hours. >> i think that is significance. i think this is in the sense that i do not feel there is any intent whatsoever to take away from the leisure activities that we are providing at this park. i believe we would be fulfilling our responsibility to the community.
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we would continue to fulfil responsibility to the community, even if we supported and approved this project. the way i see it is there is ample opportunity for involvement, engagement, whatever in our park, but there is minimal opportunity, the way i see it now in terms of the overall city politics and the struggles that we are having in many different neighborhoods, especially the mission district and the bayview district in san francisco, to have any housing. it is a constant struggle. it is such a critical need.
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i believe that as a citizen of san francisco i have to defend the rights for individuals to have shelter, as well as defend the rights for them to have leisure activities. so i feel that there has to be a compromise here, and the compromise is that for all those individuals who participate in leisure activities, for a sacrifice to be made so that there could be other benefits such as the rights for people to have a home to live in, so it becomes a win when