i have been a part of booker t. washington since third grade. i am now in college. i grew up in district 5. i have not seen many educational facilities such as property washington. booker t. has supported me throughout my years with a safe, nurturing, and loving environment. i would like to see them expand so that they can give youth the same opportunities i had. >> thank you. >> i have been with booker t. continues. the community is wonderful. the kids are wonderful. it is time for us to get a bigger building and space. we have a lot of new faces. it would be better for the kids. >> thank you, very much. we really appreciate it. [applause] thank you for your patience, like everybody else. let's resume the speakers' list. come on up. those people have been patiently waiting. thank you. >> good afternoon. i am a legislative affairs officer with the san francisco youth commission. in 2005, the commission noticed the lack of housing for youth and asked the mayor to have a task force. he did so. this task force then advised the mayor's office of housing to create 400 new

drew school and booker t. have actively engaged in partnerships during my 20 years there. my students and faculty have been able to engage with community members. they have grown a lot from our side of it. our kids and families have grown enormously from the partnership. i believe this project, which i support in many members of the school community support, is really about to the fundamental things. one is the very real needs that have been articulated. the other is the leadership for this project for the greater good of san francisco. we're all aware of the huge number of young people transitioning out of foster care on an annual basis. this project will help address some of the need. by no means will address all the needs articulated. i think the financial needs as articulated by the chair of the board are very real. the needs of the community and the needs of this particular service center are real. about the integrity, i can only say that there is a 100-year track record of historical integrity. they have served the community. there is a huge thing to be said about the

booker t. washington project. the idea would be to have a mixed group of families and to serve the children of the parents of the children at booker t. washington. we believe that you should support the development of this project, as the little school does. booker t. washington community center as you know and as you've heard from many people tonight has a long track record of serving children, family, youth, and immigrants in the

we have worked with booker t. to purchase a certain number of hours per year so that we can get our gymnasium time as much as they can flex their scheduled to meet our needs. it has been a win-win situation for both. my students have had the opportunity to be mentors in tutoring and home work situations as well as helping -- they've been able to help the teachers and faculty mentor and summer programs. we have provided some athletic and fun trips for them as well. it is beyond the classroom. >> it was not that long ago that drew asked for permission to demolish a residential unit building so that there would be an extension of the facilities. what came before us was under the planning code under demolition of a tenant unit building. is that correct? >> yes. >> i am curious. >> it is in the vicinity of this area. >> it is about a five-block walk. >> what kind of support did you get from the community for the demolition of the building for the expansion of the school facility? >> the extended community was overwhelm

booker t. washington project. the idea would be to have a mixed group of families and to serve the children of the parents of the children at booker t. washington. we believe that you should support the development of this project, as the little school does. booker t. washington community center as you know and as you've heard from many people tonight has a long track record of serving children, family, youth, and immigrants in the neighborhood. the little school stands behind ensuring strong neighborhood institutions that be be viable and add a vibrancy to the neighborhood and have the ability to thrive for the long term. in addition, we are excited about the possibility of a new childcare center at the booker t. washington site. this would provide needed services and also childcare to san francisco and specifically in the western addition. we believe that this would provide more children with the opportunity to receive the essential foundation for school readiness, long-term check achievements and a range of possible social and emotional

so these are photographs of the neighborhood, and you see we have booker t. washington here on the left and these are photographs of presidio av. to the north we have a larger building with larger units. a four-story building here and then a four-story building down at the other end of the block. then on our block, next to the project, we have smaller two-story buildings and then at the end of the second block you'll see here -- we have another four-story building. so these are looking down sutter. and directly across from our project, right here. if you can see this building here. this is a four-story building. another four-story building and another four-story building coming down the sidewalk and then we have a mix of other houses. one and two-story buildings and also three-story buildings. and you can see on the other side of the block, this is booker t. washington to the right. coming down we have three-story buildings on top of half-garage expressions. and then look down post street, this is where we have three-story buildings and smaller two-story build

we have two children and live within 300 seek from the booker t. washington. i am an early childhood special educator and i have been working with underprivileged youths for 25 years. i am in full support of booker t. washington and all that the project comes with. however, i do not support the size or magnitude of this particular project in our neighborhood. i know it keeps coming up, all of these buildings that are surrounding the neighborhood that would be -- the position it would just a blur in. but this is a very boutique area. yet never been in the neighborhood, take a walk around. it is mainly victorians. our house will be impacted. the building will be a vision from our yard and house and it will be in the shade. we are in the shaded area. i urge you to consider the compromise supervisor farrell has come up with. as some other speakers have said, that's not exactly what i would want, but i am willing to meet in the middle because it is important for everybody to get their needs met, the neighbors and the booker t., and what that is going to bring. super

i have had now a fair amount of meetings with booker t.. i have stressed that i think it is important that the gymnasium, which is private, be a community asset and be retained for community asset as much as possible in that of the hours that have been testified of nearly 700 that would be used for one private institution, it is actually up to 2000 hours that would be used for those to be able to read it out, giving a remainder nearly 3000 hours, potentially, for public usage. all i want to say is please, to booker t. and the surrounding community, to do the best they can to make sure that does remain a community asset, which is part of the spirit of why i wanted to also help champion this particular legislation. thank you. supervisor chiu: colleagues, roll call vote. >> mar aye. mirkarimi aye. wiener aye. avalos aye. campos aye. chiu aye. chu aye. -- chu no. cohen aye. elsbernd aye. farrell no. kim aye. 9 ayes. two no. supervisor chiu: these ordinances are finally passed. 39 through 41. >> 39 is an ordinance amending the general plan by ame

i'm here to speak in full support to have booker t. washington project and against this appeal. i would also like to thank the city departments and officials who before were kind of bashed for supporting this project. but because, like people, the city isn't perfect, but on this matter is doing the right thing but supporting it. we have 5,000 transitional aged youth in the city of which foster and emancipated youth face some of the toughest circumstances that they did not create so. even if this project moves forward forward as is, it is not going to solve the problem, and we know that. like i said at the last hearing, though this is presented as a decision about height or neighborhood aesthetics or parking spaces or a shadow, it really is a moral decision more than anything. this is moral decision about lives. lives of low-income people like myself who have been leaving our city because we can't afford it or because there are other amazing programs like second chance is doing in the east bay and folks from san francisco are having to go there because those kind of opportunities

for those who have not speaken -- spoken -- sorry, it has been a long day. >> i'm the director of the booker t. washington community center. i have heard all these people talk about a compromise. we are the project sponsor. we have never taken part in any discussion about any compromise. any compromise on the table has been a compromise developed without any of booker t.'s and put. thank you. -- booker t.'s input. supervisor mirkarimi: as the director, maybe you could help answer these questions. there was a comment that drew is school would be a majority user of the gymnasium. >> that is not true. they use it mostly during the day when our youth are not there. in the summer, when we have summer camp, and actually started today. drew is not using this gymnasium. the youth from a summer camp are using that jim as they were this morning. any deals i have with druse school is limited by any usage booker t. has. sometimes we of scheduling conflicts and we work out. >> it has -- supervisor mirkarimi: it has been asserted this is a for- profit center. >> it can be. we're working on contracts with po

assure that the residents have access to need services. booker t. has been operating since 195 2. here the continuing use to have community snort will not disrupt nor distract in the neighborhood. here are some additional penguinses -- policies that are also from the urban design element and are relevant but not discussed by the am lanlt. policy one. emphasize the characteristic pattern of the city and reinforce that pattern, especially as it relates to topography. building slightly higher on the hills helps emphasize the city's dramatic form. promote harmony and relationships with and shall -- and transition between older and newer buildings. this is key. on the overhead we're going to show an illustration. this building is new and modern but shares architectural elements with neighboring buildings. the massing is broken into several units. glenn, if you could just point to those. let's turn our attention to the urban design policies raised by the appellant. on this other drawing, continuity and representing the character of olding development. some have suggested for a new buildi

i have nothing against the booker t. washington project. the public benefit overshadows some of the neighborhood benefit. in a good compromise, nobody wins 100%. what i would like to understand is that the mayor's office of housing has stated the financials and a deficit of $500,000 for operating costs. if the operating costs are going up with 50 units, i would think with less units, there would be less operating costs. if the ceiling level were dropped, the building could still be lower and have the same number of units there. i do not think this has been considered. we did not have all the players altogether at one time. we're hearing different stories parking spaces and bicycles bases. i do not think some of the parking spaces are for the affordable housing units or the ms spaded -- in as a bid adieu. there for the faculty and booker t. washington staff. -- emancipated youth. there are all of these buses. i am having some issues here. we could solve this better. there are other options i gave. [tone!] this could come to a good ending it

booker t. washington, coming up from 45 to 59. presidio we have an 8 foot wide thoroughfare. as we look upon the building, you can see that we are just trying to accentuate the top dog of the of the site and pushed the massing towards the larger revenue. you can see that from presidio ave. looking from the back, we have a 13 foot 6 inch and again, 136 m 59. as you can see, the leading edge of the building is actually taking away and the leading edge is pushing back toward the lab. and we had a darker palate in the rear yard. but we skull to the building back. something that reflects more light. and with that of the design -- supervisor mirkarimi: the reason i am asking is because there are people that feel it is not in the fitting with the neighborhood. make your case. >> not all live in neighborhood with parts to the rear of the building. the impact is on a transitional streak that represents a historic district in the city. as we break down the building, we use a traditional race- middle-tops back from the property line the entire building backs and is still the right here

booker t.. the other side, you have it on the hill itself across the street from a four-story building that is right off. the sud, as uncomfortable as it might be perceived by a number of neighbors, also speaks to the mitigation that have been affirmed by the planning department that does impact will not be as adverse as one would think. that is why i asked that we support item number five. >> thank you, president. thank you for your work on this. this has been one of the more bizarre project that i have worked on. there has been a little bit of scrutiny on a -- around it. i want to explain to do exactly what has happened. when i first came into office, the first piece of legislation was to sponsor this project. in my opinion, i like this project culottes. it will do great things for the neighborhood and i completely understand the need for more housing. there is no debate about that trade -- about that. what we do have differences of opinion on it is the way to achieve that. within a month of introducing the legislation, i received letters of opposition from 5 different neighborhood groups and doze

have an interesting fabrics in the neighborhood. even if you are completely out of scale, into this neighborhood, this is the way that booker t. is able to communicate and live in neighborhoods as it currently stands, it will be a difficult proposition. you have had this shoved down our throats. thanks. >> i am a property manager. i came here to ask you to consider the compromises. the structure for the community center, we're asking for the renewal of more. and despite sentiments expressed to the contrary. we're not asking for outrageous concessions, only that the size of the structure be kept within the boundaries of existing height limits. we realize and accept the need for affordable housing for disenfranchised youth and families. it is unfair to sell this at the expense of the community. the compromise is minimal. it will become permanent changes to the neighborhood. will say yes to 80% of this project and we ask that you do the same. thank you for your time. >> are there any members of the public that wish to speak on behalf of the appellant? why don't we move to the presentations? >> good afternoon. planning department s

have not spoken to you and sondheim. we're here to let you know that we support the booker t. washington complex to help you protect children because my background as a private investigator, including people in your jurisdiction here, it is an important issue. what i was in high school, i read two books. they were of importance to me. booker t. washington's history and his biography. and also george washington carver. a joint to investigate private crimes there. also in denver, the columbine cover-ups with that case. because of my activities with in this area as a return to my roots here, the bottom line is that these residents, as my background [unintelligible] yahoo i come with a lot of experience and i appreciate the concerns of the local resident. he deserved to be heard and to be addressed. there is a need for more housing. we support that. our organization has over 60 co- founders around the country and over 20 states. you'll be hearing from us in the near future. he website is still under construction. unite for justice dot com. and why went into this full time, the loc

booker t. washington community center and their board were not kind of in alignment with the so-called compromise. i do see the neighbor's as having significant concerns. i had good conversations with the planning commissioners and residents from both sides and visited the community service centers to see the wonderful faces of the children there and others served by the amazing 100 your organization. i see the concerns as significant and share some of them. i also view as commissioner run miguel mentioned that this is a transitional block space that is not necessarily a residential neighborhood as some have characterized it. i see it as a social justice issue as some have framed it, in that the nine additional units that are the difference between the 55 -- the 50-minute, 55 foot proposal as opposed to the 41- unit, 45 foot proposal. the nine additional units are about people's lives and could help save an additional 50 young people from falling into the prison industrial complex for the system which i don't want them to. i see this as a human issue as well as just the numbers before us. when i first asked for the numbers about w