vibrant public spaces. we started by organizing the four buildings around to the existing neighborhood network of streets, alleys, and midblock pedestrian connections. at the center of the all -- at the center of it all, is the new park, which is the hub of the larger city block. the addition of new bike lanes, connections to existing and proposed bus and metro stops, and the transformation in the transformation of alleys into pedestrian popo are all part of growing a much more interwoven public realm. the character and design forms of the open spaces and the contemporary and diverse ensemble of buildings is the direct result of the design process founded on the tenants of the central soma plan. feedback from the community, and a genuine response to the direction and recommendations of the planning department, whom we have worked with over the last seven years. the hub of the project is a new park, framed by the new buildings.

this is connected to brandon, bryant, and fifth street by the new green midblock pedestrian connections, drawing people through the block -- block at a pedestrian-friendly scale, and activated by landscape and retail. this is extended at those streets by a new dynamic and active integrated streetscape, bike lanes, landscapes, retail, and p.d.r. storefronts. significant variety in the massing is created in buildings one and two by breaking up the form into distinct chunks, which shifts back and forth, stepping back to reduce apparent public building scale, and in building three, whose strong vertical element recalls forms insomuch's industrial history. green roofs at various levels reinforce the connection of these buildings to the landscape of the central park. the goal of creating a contemporary ensemble of diverse buildings is exemplified by the

use and range of materials. building one and two are clad in a mix of deep corrugated terra-cotta, building three is a mix of terra-cotta, glass, invisible structure, and importantly, the residential scale of housing anchors the eastern edge of the park. at the ground level, the goal of creating real urban place begins with the park and popo, weaving across and through the block. this public level contains a combination of p.d.r., retail, micro retail and childcare, animating the street, alley and park it. the elements combined with the web of pedestrian circulation to enliven a real and authentic new series of public pathways and spaces that supports a range of scales of interaction between people across the entire project as i mentioned, the park and its diverse passes and active spaces , they are at the center of this new urban composition. the building's frame the park,

but also react in their form to the park, creating a sense of the park beginning to push into the building. we imagine -- reimagining a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding character of public spaces, and had the most important influence on the building designs. this rendering of the popo shows the change to a shopfront scale of façades clad in a wood, and relating to the warm materials of the park, and with a deeply textured, corrugated, terra-cotta cladding i mentioned of the villa -- building façade above. the highly accessible and connected activities and businesses enliven the public pathways and the street frontages through visually permeable, and physically accessible retail, lobbies, and amenity spaces. the outdoor space and green landscape extend into the upper levels of the building, and here you get a closer view of the diversity of textures of the

building materials interspersed with green landscape. the overall project goals have been to create a project that adds real and inviting public space. amenities and retail opportunities to the residents of the neighborhood, and to capture the unique spirit of soma. to create a design and material palette that is a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding urban fabric and context, and ultimately, working to create not a single mono themed campus, but rather a heterogeneous and lively composition of building and urban life. thank you. >> okay. you still have a minute and 16 seconds. you are good? all right. >> commissioners, before we start public comment, i want to read a couple of items into the record relative to the packet that was just provided to you. on the lpa motion, the 329

motion, i want to make sure it is clear that in the additional project authorization that we also identify, that the land swap, it is necessary prerequisite for construction of the park, and so we will amend that subsequently, and then also , to make it clear in the lpa motion, that the phase one project in and of itself meets all of the tenants of the large project authorization, similarly , the way the motion is crafted, we discuss both the phase i and the phase two within the motion, but i want to make sure that that language is very clear in terms of what has been provided to you. and the final edit is on the planning commission resolution for the park fee waiver. i want to make sure that the preface language reads something along the lines of, a resolution approving the fee waiver agreement, and authorizing the planning director to enter into the agreement. that is what the language should state. >> thank you.

we will now take public comment on this item. i have a few speaker cards. when i call your name, you can come up. if i don't have a speaker card and you still want to comment, you can do after all the folks who submitted cards have spoken. i have tim paulson, rudy corpus, mark gleason, have your florez, peter dressed meyer, carla laura , misha a leiva, marjorie scott and eileen tillman. >> commissioners, i am the secretary-treasurer of the building and construction trades council in san francisco, i don't think i have been here in a while, in this capacity as secretary-treasurer. i do want to say that on behalf, this is an exciting project, and there has obviously been a lot of work put into it. there has been the affordable housing element, it looks pretty damn wonderful, and it really looks like people are being conscientious to the city. i am here to be officially on

record. i don't know if my predecessor sent a letter or not previously, but or on behalf of the council, but i want to be on record that the building and construction trades council is in full support of this project moving forward. i did that in less then a minute thank you, commissioners. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners i am an apprentice carpenter. i'm here to speak in favor of the 598 brannon street. this project will allow carpenters like myself the opportunity to work, which will allow numerous job opportunities , as well as training for apprentices and other carpenters. it will also impart necessary income and benefits to provide for my family. not only that, but the developer has agreed to use a responsible signatory union general contractor. i am in full support of the

project and urge you to vote in favor of this project. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners my name is timothy and i am a field representative with carpenter local 22. i'm here to ask for your support for the 598 project. the tishman team has committed to using a signatory union general contractor that will provide numerous individuals with jobs. these are opportunities to earn good wages, provide health and retirement benefits to members, the project will also offer training and educational opportunities for those entering the carpentry trade through apprenticeships that include women, minorities, veterans, and other disadvantaged members of our community. would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak today and urge you to support this project thank you very much. >> thank you. next speaker, please.

>> my name is vanessa, i work for a nonprofit based in san francisco, and we worked to deliver critical services to people experiencing homelessness in san francisco, oakland and los angeles. i came here today to speak in support of this. they have been community partners for our organization. they have completely transformed the way we operate in san francisco. three years ago, we were faced with a possibility of having to close our operations due to difficulty finding parking and storage space in a where -- and a warehouse for our overnight vehicles. we looked everywhere to the city , to a lot of corporate his. it was impossible to find support until tishman and speier stepped in, and they have supported us through this three years. due to their support, we have been able to operate in san

francisco. i just wanted to say that we are in support of the organization, and i'm sure they will be an excellent community partner for the city. >> thank you very much. next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners my name is eileen and i have made free long straight part of that project, my home for almost 50 years. i have witnessed much change during that time, particularly the homeless shelter. >> please speak into the microphone. >> i'm sorry? >> please speak into the microphone. >> i'm sorry. the homeless shelter has grown to 425 beds. the latest 85 bed navigation center, which has drawn more tense than before, continued drug dealing and graffiti, and broken car glass. during the last several years, they have offered our neighborhood revitalization with the 598 project.

new office space, much-needed residences, a childcare center, sorry, i'm emotional, community center, and of course, a grand neighborhood park. our neighborhood has offered many ideas to this fabulous development, and tishman listen to us. all three of the office buildings, the affordable housing units, they provide shelter for the park. they have offered to maintain the program at the park and to keep around-the-clock security, which is critical for the many residents who surround the development. i also learned something today that the housing department said that it would be 2023 before they could start any building, and tishman has that residential

building available to start immediately with that project. that would be probably in the next year. i just thought that would be important to mention. i hope you will approve this project today in its entirety, as it is crucial to the safety and well-being of our community. additionally, it will quickly provide much-needed housing that the city needs. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker, please. >> okay. i will make it as short as possible. my name is marjorie. [indiscernible]

[indiscernible] [indiscernible] [indiscernible]

[indiscernible] >> meant next speaker, please -- speaker, please. >> good afternoon, planning commissioners. my name is carla and i am the executive director of west bay filipino multiservice centre. we have been serving the san francisco community for the past 50 years. we serve youth and their families, and some of so much each most vulnerable community members. i am here to support -- sorry, that was hard to watch and i hope she is okay. i'm here to support the 598 project development, and support the project sponsors. in my opinion, they have gone above and beyond to make sure to listen to the community and make

sure that this project isn't just transactional, as typically it seems to be with developers, and really make sure they understand how it can benefit the community, especially the existing community that can be most affected. they began engaging with us for years around the park to make sure that it is right across -- it is right near by the middle school, to make sure that when they activate it, it is actually of use. jared and broke on the team it really asked how can the middle schoolers be engaged, how can local community organizations be engaged, so they really have a say in the park. the project also offers p.d.r. space, local jobs, and making sure to have preferential hiring for our residents, but they have also just worked really closely to understand the needs of different community organizations and the residents that are there. for west bay, they have built

with us over the years. we understood that we have served over 80 families in the neighborhood, most of which don't have adequate housing, don't have adequate services, and understood our need to expand our space. initially they had offered -- maybe there is a way we can help you guys out maybe we can help you out with space, but also understanding that our kids mainly go to bessie carmichael elementary school, so it is difficult for them to go all the way from fourth and brannon when they are located on seventh. instead of stopping the conversation there, they continue to be like, how can we make an impact on the existing community, and so they wanted to partner with us and make sure that they can really help us purchase a new center, help finance that, help us with technical support so we can do that, and not a lot of time do you see a developer really, really, really try to see how they can support communities.

i'm really appreciative, especially of henry, of sarah, and everyone who has been helping make this project go along. thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners i am a secretary-treasurer of teamsters joint council seven in san francisco. we represent working teamsters throughout northern california, as well. we have had a really wonderful experience with tishman recently we had, in the private sector transportation, we have had 200 of our members that were displaced, and tishman was really instrumental in helping that retraining process of the property that they allowed. in addition to that, the affordable housing component is of great value to our members who are waiting for those opportunities so they can stay in san francisco. we are talking about service

workers working in the city in the community who work quite a distance to get here. it is really a working-class issue that our members are anticipating. we are fully supportive of this project and we hope you can see to approve it. thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners i am the vice president of local 261 with the labourers. i am here to support the project , and i believe this project will be good for the neighborhood and for the whole community, and possible for some of our members who will benefit from this project. this project would create economic opportunities across many sectors, especially for our members. members from the community, minorities, residents that we

represent. i encourage you to move forward and vote yes for this project. thank you. >> next speaker, please. >> good afternoon, commissioners i am with united players, and i am also a soma resident. i'm here today to close -- voice my unequivocal support for this project. two points in particular that have really stood out to me is the way that tishman has gone about their community engagement in our neighborhood, we are experiencing such a rapid rate of change, and projects are plucked into our project -- our neighborhood without a lot of consideration or engagement about what is happening around them. i really, really appreciate the way that tishman does not just fee out there for to will housing or billed to the bare minimum on site of their projects, by really dedicating land and building full projects

makes such a difference to keep our community not just racially and ethnically diverse, but socioeconomically diverse, as well. another issue i wanted to echo with the women in the green jacket around safety, again, when changes happen in our neighborhood that don't take the community into account, we don't get this kind of actual help to the community like tishman has done around safety, and around cleanliness. i have a seventh grader who really is scared walking around the neighborhood, who is scared to sleep in her bed where the windows face the street because of what she hears at night. when a developer makes this kind of investment to listen to the people that are around their project, find ways to help support them, not just in the project as it happens, but in their day-to-day life, it really makes a huge difference. lastly, bessie carmichael middle school is really close to this project. the way that tishman and go public have engaged the community in making a popo that

is useful, instead of just hardscape open space, is huge. the middle school is actually on the site of a former child development centre, and so they essentially have a blacktop that was made for toddlers in the fifties or sixties, maybe, instead of the kind of things that middle schoolers need, so the fact that they did that additional outreach to engage the youth and find out what they would like to see, his is really made a huge difference in the park that will exist, and as a neighborhood with the least amount of open space, the parkas huge, and something that we really appreciate them engaging us on. for all those reasons, i support this project. i hope that you do, too. thank you so much.

>> you got sarah, you got people who i've been building relationships to help us stale o-- stabilize our community. there's been other folks helping our community to be stable. 100-year history of philippines are not displaced. we have brothers like joe. that's what this is about. building a relationship will womewomen bridges not--bridges . this week we graduated 25 kids.

they started in elementary and went to 12th grade and all 25 of the kids are going to be going to college. we're going to more graduations than funerals this year. one hand helps out other hand we're in a community when you're building relationships. it's important that we acknowledge the people who are making sure that we're building real relationships. it does take the hood to save the hood. we need to make sure we stabilize our people of color in san francisco and building these relationships is important. lastly i want to say, in order for us to continue to make sure that we get the things the things we need, communication is key. we've been building these relationships for the last five years. incident not jus -- it's not jut

happening. i'm a native from the land. i want to make sure, this summer, they will support over 200 kids in our community to make sure we have a safe and fun summer. thank you. i'm here to support the project in full. thank you. >> next speaker please. >> good afternoon president melgar. i'm the arts and culture administrator. i'm here on behalf of the filipino heritage district at 598 brannan. our mission is to celebrate 100 plus years in culture south of market and elevate our community. we strive towards socioeconomic

justice, community development, and youth. we believe this project addresses all these points and benefits our community. we worked alongside a group neighborhood organizations including the equity centre, west band and south of market community action network to ensure that we hit all these urgent needs our communities have determined. it's been a great example how developers engage with community to build spaces for the community they are serving. for these reasons, we encourage you to support the 598 brannan project. thank you. >> next speaker please. >> i submitted a letter

yesterday by email. i hope you had a chance to see it. i brought a copy for the record. i'm not here to judge this project. sounds like it has merit and community support. i would like to request that the commission continued this item to a future date and direct planning staff to meet with the conservation group and the project sponsor and maybe sponsors of other projects, to address the issue of water supply. the water supply agreement they approved acknowledged, we don't know if there will be enough water for this project. they looked at three different scenarios. one is the status quo, second is a voluntary agreement with the state. third is the bay delta water control plan wh was amended last december. what they found was that with the bay delta plan in effect, we

would face 50% rationing in the very near future. i don't know if you can approve a project if there's going to be 50% ration that might be a question to ask counsel. another issue i brought up is issue of cumulative effects of this. this is a lot of jones -- jobs created here using the old formula that was discussed 76 square feet per employee of office and 350 for retail. what the numbers are -- this will create 3516 employees and 72 housing units. if you assume 1.7 employee per 12in12 dwelling unit there's a shortage of 2000 dwelling units that will need to be built and water and should be considered in the water supply assessment.

i have two recommendations. please continue this item until one, we have a resolution as to how much water is going to be available for development. that will be volunteer agreement is determined and bay de delta n is implemented. direct staff to meet with all the parties involved to look why there's 50% rationing. they are planning for 8.5-year drought. other water agencies planning 3-year drought. the governor said you need to plan for five years. what i'm recommending, we plan for 6-year drought. under that scenario it will be 10% rationing on average per year. really easy to handle.

>> no, thank you. we have speaker next. >> next speaker please. >> again, i'm requesting that this commission add requirements that chosen january 2021 there will be a report back scheduled to this commission on the status of this project, how they are getting ready to have their permits. really an update on the status of this project. this is little bit more than 18 months from now. i think the city deserves

information on every big project that is using office allocation and there's assumption about housing being provided and constructed and all kinds of good works they're going to do in the interim. report back. don't take it on blind faith that the staff will do everything. commission need to have the language. i'm asking the city attorney to do this in whatever language needs to be done. at the end of both the large project authorization and at the end of the office allocation. both. because the office allocation and other conditions under the large project authorization. two resolutions. thank you very much. >> thank you.

any other public comment on this item? public comment is closed. commissioner moore. >> commissioner moore: i am impressed by the depths of this project. it is extremely mature and off offer something which projects do. it's thought for assembly of buildings in a setting. it will create a strong setting. i want to thank you. you did take the challenge to di leanuate what we see at the completion. i very much appreciate that. it gives me a great deal of comfort to see that there's more depths to this project than to seeing it as a fully rendered project. this project will take time to be realized. what we're getting at the

completion of phase one is a really good piece. second person i like to acknowledge the leader who helps sketched this out and will be responsible for designing it. i assume this phase one description is part of what we approving today. thank you. i like to acknowledge on the street. i'm looking for ms. small. who was sitting here. i'm looking for architect who was representing the department. >> really for acknowledging me. >> commissioner moore: you cannot speak at this moment. i'm talking to our architect, staff architect. could you at some point help

explain it. i know that you thought about all of the interphases of this project as you were presenting the planning and circumstance that would help clarify the situation. the last thing i want to ask is, i do not believe that we should ask for continuance of this project. the issue supply agreement is a far larger issue what is an eir issue. that is capacity of all of water sources etcetera to serve this and the entire project area. i acknowledge that will be an issue, but do not want to further impact what we're doing

today. i'm in full support of the project. it deserves to be approved today. >> president melgar: is that a motion? >> yes. >> vice president koppel: second motion first of all. this project has a lot to offer. the office space, p.d.r., retail, popos, land dedications, parks, child care, modest parking and hospitals o -- lotse parking. there alone the project, move it forward. couple of other thoughts that came up for me -- we talk about wage disparities, high cost of living and worker displacement, throwing out numberings of 20% of the labor workforce in san francisco displaced every year. it's almost gone.

i feel this is a blue collar working class city, at least it was. i like to do what we can to preserve that. if you need an example of successful local hire, you're looking at him. i lived in this city, grew up in the city. every job site i work on, i took the bus or walk or rode my bicycle. what does it mean when you do? it's not just about labor. it's about local contractors. contractors that are located here in san francisco that payroll taxes and gross receipt taxes to the city of san francisco. it's about local apprenticeship training school. i went to five years after college for free. properly trained how to be a complete electrician. also there's a lot of material and tool supply houses here in the city that aren't utilized on most jobs.

we're using looking san francisco local businesses to build these projects. less commute, less greenhouse gas bees, less traffic. we're getting displaced just as much as anyone else. it's jobs like this that keep us working and allow us to live and stay in san francisco. >> commissioner richards: i think project is amazing. it's got lot of community support. it's a model for projects. i did raise the issue many hearings ago about water supply and having a joint hearing with

the p.u.c to talk about plan for water. i think we the residents of the city need to understand what the growth impacts are in terms of available water in the future and how we plan for that. i do support the motion to get this project approved and i think it's going to be a great addition to that and to the city. >> commissioner johnson: i want to echo some of the comments that fellow commissioners made about excitement for this project and particularly the way that our community organization who foundation of the supportive of the process. he a question for staff. there was an amendment around next extension, three to five years. can you say that again? didn't quite catch that. >> certainly. there's a proposed amendment by the developer for conditions

one, two and three, which refer the validity -- pardon me. for the validity expiration of the renewal and diligent pursuit. the standard in condition of approval has three-year time period. they have requested that to go to a five-year period. >> commissioner johnson: any information on why? >> commissioners, i think it's in part because of the current landscape regarding central summer plan and pending litigation as well as united nationsinunited--understanding s and starting construction. the developer requested a longer validity than we normally do, our normal time frame is typically three years.

the code doesn't state one way or the other. this is something that's open for the commission to approve or remodify accordingly. >> commissioner richards: i want to mention, i pick up where commissioner moore going just naming that building four for affordable housing will be administered by the city. there is also a staff architect here and several staff here that you can speak to about that going forward. i encourage you to continue to follow up with the city on that piece. thank you for sharing your story. the last piece, i think it would be great to have all the facts at this project. i would be amendable to adding that.

we have the support of the director in adding that to the motion. >> i will say before director, i also support the project and i want to give kudos to the developer for having worked with the community with the city, with everyone to bring forward something that is so thorough. notwithstanding that we're having you do it in phases. it shows lot of good faith on your part. i'm looking forward to this being built. i see the issues of water, i've heard from commissioner richards several times. i think that it's not the appropriate place to bring it for this project. i think that the logic applies to all new development in san francisco. i do think that we need to have a process and document the

process going forward. i found your letter very interesting and your presentation -- i found some of it different quite ring right to me. i would like to understand how the capacity of the dam affects the pipeline for central soma. or also, mission rock and that effect water rights in modesto. all these things are complex issues. we have to face things out and make tough decisions about development, given our environmental pressures. i don't think -- i think it's a long-term planning thing. i trust that the p.u.c. is a good agency that is working hard to help the people of san

francisco plan out also take care of the environment. i would ask that the department think what kind of process we could engage in to make that happen, maybe i don't know if it's a joint commission here i know we don't like that. we have a working group and at some point, come up with a resolution or think through agreement for how we're doing this going forward. thank you. director ram. >> i wanted to follow up on items that were brought up. thank everyone for coming out today. on that issue, i wanted to assure the commission that we've been working heavily with the p.u.c. with respect to the housing that was raised part of this, just remind the speaker there are

9000 units of housing within walking those people are living in the region and using water. we need to think of that in a larger context what's going on both in the city and region. i wanted to assure the speaker that the affordable housing building 4 is not what you're approving today. it would have its own architect and own nonprofit developer. that process will include its own public process. they'll be meeting with the neighbors when that occurs. that is not being approved today. it's been shown on the site because it's a dedicated parcel of land for affordable housing. we're happy to do the -- report

back. with your agreement do it in comprehensive way to see in 18 months how they're doing and do with -- first one probably something like 18 months. this is the first project. we're happy to do that as well. >> there's a motion seconded to approve this project. >> i want to make sure that the commission is clear that what you're adopting is the packet that was provided to you as well as what i have read in the record. >> president melgar: make the motion to acknowledge that. >> yes, i do. >> is there a motion it's been seconded to approve this matter with conditions as has been amended by staff both in writing and verbally as well as amending

the conditions of approval to include a deman mandatory 18-moh update report. [roll call] motion passes unanimously 5-0. >> i'm sorry. we're down couple of commissioners. can we take a >> good afternoon welcome back to the san francisco planning commission regular hearing for thursday june 6, 2019. please silence your mobile devices. commissioners we left off under calendar.

we left off on items it 14a and b. we'll be taking items 15a and b out of order. [agenda item read] please note on april 4, 2019 after hearing in closing public comment be you continued matter to may 23rd by vote of 6-0. this is the second hearing, sponsor will be limited to three minutes and public comment to one. very good. >> good afternoon commissioners. cathleen campbell i'm with planning department staff.

application was continued from april 4th hearing project sponsor allow retail uses. additionally changes and reduction in the height of the build running proposed. the department has received 11 email letters of support. three letters of opposition and vary from the previous hearing are included in the packet. overall the opposition to the project considers proposal loss of street parking, the buildings architecture height and scale. recommendation, the planning department urban design team reviewed the project changes and supports the site design, the massing including the rear yard modification to allow open

location the ground level at the first level of the residential use. the commercial street and the architecture as proposed. this concludes my presentation. i'm available for questions. >> president melgar: thank you. do we have a project sponsor? >> good afternoon. i'm the architect for the project. the last hearing, the comments made by the commission included request to look little bit more closely at the context of the neighborhood for the design of the building. looking at the condition of the building against the two-story house on victoria street to have a neighborhood outreach meeting which we have conducted and to talk about the retail uses for the space as well as there was a comment requesting some

additional information about the window detailing for the building. i have quick presentation to go through. i have included in the last presentation sop of the images of the directly adjacent buildings along randolph street. we've expanded the view of randolph street. this is the corner, the beginning of where the street corner makes a turn and this gives you little bit idea the architecture. there's a collection of two and three-story buildings. mostly stucco, some with wood detailing. they are mostly built between the '50s and '70s, sort of varying quality. architecture in the neighborhood was done in the '50s. there are lot of modest stucco buildings. some of them have detailing.

as you continue down the street, you see some of the larger buildings on the lower right hand side. you see the housing authority building which is on the same block, which is a four-story building. then you see other views of that and buildings on the same intersection as the proposed project. the salmon colored building is directly across the street. that sort of vintage late states '70s with wood bay windows.

this elevation of the building facing victoria shows the notch against the house to give it breathing room. we're lowered the bay on third and fourth floors. we've added side material to differentiate between the retail level and have a stucco-base to be contiguous with the houses up the street. >> that's your three minutes. >> it goes so fast. we've made substantial changes. you have most of the images in the package there. i have few other things to share. we will open this up for public comment if any members of the public wish to comment, you may do so now.

remember you only have a minute. >> the meeting took place two days this tuesday. the things that i've been telling all along. the design of the project is pretty modern. this is just a basement unit for entire four-story building. it's not going to be quality affordable housing. they are building a large campus

right now. there's no parking infrastructure. cars are being parked in walking spaces. that can't be ignored. >> thank you sir. your time is up. >> president melgar: any other public comment on this item? public comment is closed. commissioner moore. >> commissioner moore: i believe the project was addressing the question to be asked. there's no confusion where retail is and how residents are part of the access. i'm in support ready to improve with conditions. >> second. >> there's a motion that has been seconded to approve this

matter. [roll call] motion passes unanimously 5-0. >> closed public hearing and grant the modifications with the standard. >> very good commissioners. >> we'll hear the d.r. next. >> commissioners that will place us under discretionary calendar for item 16. [agenda item read] this is a discretionary review. do you need a minute?

>> good afternoon president melgar and members of the mission. the item before you is a push initiated request for building permit application. the project is third story to existing two tower two family building. there are three d.r. request the department has received

subsequent to the packet publishing, we received several emails of concern today. mostly the concern is related to the massing of the build, light and air impact. the department residential design team reviewed this and confirmed this addition does not present an exceptional or extraordinary circumstance with respect to height, scale and neighborhood character. this concludes the department's presentation. i will add, i would like to add condition of approval related to the separation of the dwelling unit. there's an elevator. we want to make sure that the two units remain as two units. >> president melgar: do we have a d.r. requester? there are twoer three?

>> three. >> president melgar: okay. each d.r. requester, please come up. go ahead. >> commissioners. my name is james, i'm owner of unit one 49 seward street in san francisco. i submitted a d.r. application. i trusted you will review points i made in my d.r. application. i will point out the letter dated may 23, 2019 the project sponsor stated their belief is my main concern is protection. i never brought up the view from my unit in my application. i will lose the only significant view from my unit which is downtown skyline whether the

plans proceed as planned or reduce to match the height of the adjacent building to the east. i lose my view either way. it's important to mention this i want to be clear here. i'm not opposed to construction at 50 seward street. the project sponsor could add height to the home. everyone should be allowed to renovate as needed. i don't believe that the law namely the planning code requirement for the residential design guidelines to govern here is on the project sponsor side. my partner and i purchased our home in april 2018 after considering several homes. we like the mediterranean field of spanish feel of the homes. we weren't able to purchase a home in the area. we were able to purchase the condo unit where we reside 49 seward. please see the photos i have

brought here for your record, showing the subject homes on seward street. the project sponsor response to the d.r. application goes on about the space their family has. between what the project sponsor wanted to do with their home to purchase it, what i expect seward street it look like when i purchased my home in 2018 i have the stronger argument. why? because the residential design guidelines are availably to everyone to review before purchasing a home. one doesn't need to hire an architect