commissioner borden: thank you. vice president olague: a quick question for staff that has to do with the cultural survey. just wondering and i guess it could be the historic preservation commission that would be looking at that and a lot of question about cultural surveys and japan town and manila and that area. >> the e.i.r. process is still well underway and those -- the question about the nature of the survey and what is the coastal resource survey. vice president olague: and that work program. >> it belongs in there and we are distinguishing between it and the historic, pure traditional work that goes on. vice president olague: but there is something obviously allocated to that. commissioner antonini. ant apt rr this has to do with city wide planning and one of the things mentioned was the chavez improvements east and i assume that this is done with coordination between the state because that interchange happened to take it going northbound off caesar chavez and i am assuming sometime in the future they plan to

commissioner borden: i have one question i forgot to ask. it is my understanding new governor brown's budget will be cutting out tax increment financing in development areas. i would love to have someone from the redevelopment agency or the mayor's office of housing discuss how that would impact our house and development here, and our job growth and some of those empowerment jobs -- empowerment zones such as bayview hunters point. it would be nice to raise public awareness about the implications if we can mount a successful campaign to do whatever is needed to be done to meet that aspect, if it is indeed counter to what we have been trying to accomplish. commissioner moore: i would like to add my voice to welcome our new mayor. it will be wonderful to work together, particularly with someone who has as much experience as he has in the city. i would also like to welcome the supervisor who will be sitting on the land use committee, an important bridge to our work, a supervisor -- supervisors mar and weiner. i am excited to meet them. commissio

commissioner borden: here. commissioner fong: here. commissioner moore: here. commissioner sugaya: here. >> will consider items proposed for a continuance. item one, case # 2009-0649c. it is proposed for continuance in definitely. item 2 below, for 524 howard st., proposed for a continuance to march 24, 2011. item three, parking in south of market and mission bay, is proposed for continuance to february 10, 2011. president miguel: is there any public comment on the items proposed for continuance? >> i am here to request that item one the continued not indefinitely but for 30 days. the community has been working hard for the past four months collecting signatures and having house meetings to talk about this. they are anxious for it to come up and for you to support this project. we hope you can get this done as soon as possible. president miguel: thank you. is there any other public comment on the items proposed for continuance? if not, public comment is closed. commissioner antonini: just a question on item 3, which is being continued, but the author is no long

commissioner borden: aye. commissioner fong: aye. commissioner moore: aye. commissioner sugaya: aye. vice president olague: aye. president miguel: aye. >> you are now on item 10, case for 1 la avanzada street. those in the audience leaving the chamber, please respect that we are continuing the proceedings. >> i am rick crawford, a department staff. the case before you is mandatory discretionary review of building permits to place 16 antennas on sutro tower. you are being asked to adopt ceqa findings and to act on the dr. we send an environmental impact report by e-mail to everybody. unfortunately, there were problems with that and i do not believe it got out until this morning. i know all of the commissioners had an opportunity to review this in 2008, with the exception of commissioner fong. i apologize if you did not have a chance to review that to your liking. i would also like to bring to the commissioners' attention that we are recommending a few minor changes to the standard conditions of approval that come with every sutro tower case. changes were work

vice president olague: commissioner borden? commissioner borden: i am supporting commissioner moore's suggestion, and i am fine with the other suggestion. vice president olague: commissioner sugaya? commissioner sugaya: no, i am ok, sorry. commissioner moore: i believe that commissioner antonini's comment about the thursday in november is something we should discuss. as we get closer to it, the fragmented calendar, this past year it was very difficult. that made it almost impossible to have a consistent ruling of discussion of products and projects. it was totally scattered. depending on family commitments, i am prepared to open that, not at this time, but i want to support that as an idea. and, director -- vice president olague: and director, i would ask members of the public but would like to speak about the calendar? >> my sense is that you are contemplating scheduling those meetings. my only thought on that is that commission staff often schedules vacations around those times, so it would be good to know -- well, just a com

commissioner borden. commissioner borden: i'm happy to support this item. the new design of the club hooks really amazing. it hooks like it'll be a great establishment and unusual to get support from the police who seem to be against intensification of activitys in this area, it must be a credit to you as the project sponsor that they would be supportive of your project. i completely understand your issue, i been -- i been high ball lounge many times. they didn't shut down its -- at midnight they're murvinge. i don't know what the dis-- their music. i don't know what the discrepancy was you thought what you were getting was different. i think we should be supportive of 145. i think the issue is that the police department wanted to wait a year and i would like to craft a motion in a way that we could say it would be automatic, with the police department's support that you could go to 145 in a year with the police support. make that automotive if that is what, since the police department said they would consider that. i would move to approve -- with the condi

commissioner borden: it sounds really similar. i trust this project sponsor wants to do right by the community and do all the other improvements that will manage this. i would move to approve with the additional conditions of adding some language around queuing in item six under the conditions of approval. also, and a condition that the project will report back to the commission in a year about how things are going there. that is all. vice president olague: i think it is a great project. i think it is fantastic that somebody who was raised in the city opened up a business and it can become so successful. this is a type of business within current -- i think we are looking for to see more of in the city. independently owned. entrepreneurial. you have an idea. your creative with it. -- you are creative with it. to be creative with a sandwich and have such a successful shopping is very interesting -- such a successful shop is very interesting. congratulations. i live in an area which has experienced a lot of changes in the last few ye

president miguel: commissioner borden? commissioner borden: i understand that people wanted to express their opinions, but it was overkill if you ask me. what is frustrating it is i don't know what has been going on, but clearly people are not talking to each other in this process and it is extraordinarily frustrating. there are complications. this what, for whatever reason, is known that rh-3, which in my view is the totally wrong resigning. i-- totally wrong the zoning. i don't know how you would do three units on this lot. these are mostly single-family homes, and you try to put two units into a building where a lot of homes are single-family homes or small secondary units. the challenge for us, this whole thing -- i mean, first off, i don't want to navigate who said what. i cannot even begin to say how you cut this or cutback. it has got to the point where it is overly confusing and just not clear. the truth is the street is 30 feet. these people, they have to deal with this. the building, the matter how you slice it,

commissioner borden: second. commissioner moore: i want to mention my concerns that we are more and more pushed into the corner with no bright crystal ball forecast on economic recovery. other approvals are coming back for re-approval which have been hanging on for a long time. it is very difficult to continue to say yes, we will continue. we find there are quite a few of vacant buildings, boarded up buildings, demolished lots, and no interim strategies. there is a significant citywide lighting effect. we are losing retail tenants. we are having storefronts' partially empty. i believe we need to take stock of offering opportunities to those who, particularly in senior housing and affordable housing, are doing things. i would agree that this is one of the candidates where we should basically cut bait. commissioner borden: i have a question for the project sponsor, one question. have you personally, or your company, ever developed affordable housing for senior housing? >> i have not. i have been in development for

commissioner borden: just tell me what your preference is. just tell me what your thinking is. >> if this building measured 31 feet at the rear of the property, 9 foot ceilings, but 10 foot floor to floor -- commissioner borden: just talk about the height. >> the light will start at the ground and it goes through the roof, ok? so we took the 14 feet 3 inches of his light well and we put it next to the five-foot side yard setback on the pop out. that is what the code requires. when you put a matching white well by shifting it back to match the pop out, that is what we want. but measured at the street, our proposal is 25 feet. we could go to 27 feet, that would be fine. at the back of the lot, are envelope is measured by the planning code at the street, 31 feet in the back. each of the stories could be more than 10 feet, measured floor to floor, if a light well and the heights or 27 and 31 at the back. we would all go away. commissioner borden: so your position is that changing the light will is not enough? >> the question is what the would be

commissioner borden: this is a lot different from the case earlier. i was one of the commissioners that spent months with the few of us that were able to go through the majority of the eastern neighborhoods process. it was not easy figuring out the process and the height and the zoning and all that stuff. it is refreshing to see a project that comes in requiring no variances or exceptions and below the height limit we sat. that is what we asked for. it wasn't something that we sell 20 years ago. it was the last couple of years. it is hard to do a project that does those things. i understand the concern, and the issue that we deal with is knowing that people would be upset about a taller building. the project sponsor could do 55 feet. i think that there is obviously some issues with communication among neighbors. i am glad to know that the picture we saw was the result of something else and not a general maintenance of the site. i would like to think that hopefully, in the future, the project sponsor will move forward in a much better direction. i spok

commissioner borden: i was going to propose a modification. i have a full-time job, and i actually look forward to those few thursday's which are free, which are not very many. i like to find a happy median or maybe we revisit later. it -- where it may be we revisit later. >> if i could at a way of dealing with that. i hear a lot of sentiment, and i know from staff, too, that thursday break is often welcome, but i know there are a lot of big projects. one way to think about it is that you schedule this for a single project if the need arises. so if you realize it whenever the next fifth thursday is, in march or whatever, if you really want to schedule, it would be available for a special hearing only on one project, scheduled in advance, and we would give everybody plenty of notice. but you would not have to do that now is my point. you could adopt a calendar that does not have to meet on this fifth thursdays, but then schedule them as needed. commissioner antonini: i would accept that as an amendment from the director, at least as far as the

commissioner borden: i mean, i am supportive of continuing the project. i think march 10 seems like an awfully long time, especially since we are not hearing the project sponsor and the dr requestor are going to be working together. if there was something going on between the two sides, that would be one thing. >> it is based on the availability of the calendar. march 10 is the soonest date of availability. march 3 might go on. commissioner borden: i feel bad because it does -- to delay its so long -- it's so long. it is not the project's sponsors fault that there was a change in who the dr req uestor is working with. vice president olague: we could move to march 3. commissioner antonini: can i restate my motion as continue to march 3? commissioner moore: i was going to ask, and this is really, and more than anything else -- very often, dr requestors defer negotiations about their projects to the representatives who are standing in for them to provide as with the expert opinion. well the relationship between mr. butler and the applicant is new, i do belie

commissioner borden: aye. aye. -- commissioner fong: aye. commissioner moore: aye. vice president olague: aye. commissioner sugaya: aye. president miguel: aye. >> that motion passes six-one. president miguel: please include designing administrators comments. vice president olague: definitely. >> on the matter of the variance request, my inclination is to deny the request. however, i will withhold the variants decision letter until after the commission has had the opportunity to adopt findings. that will come at a different date and is publicly appealable. the public hearing is closed. thank you. >> that will put us on items 15 a and b for case number 2009- 1170. this is for 35 lloyd street. the commission continued this item from october 14 to december 2. the public hearing remains open. >> good evening, members of the commission. aaron starr, department's staff. this is a proposal to construct a new four-story two-unit building on a vacant lot in a rh3 district and a 40-x height and bulk district. they are requesting a variance from the planning code which will be

commissioner borden: aye. commissioner fong: aye. commissioner moore: aye. commissioner sugaya: aye. vice president olague: aye. >> that motion passes unanimously. this brings us to item 18, 4916 ortega street. a request for discretionary review. -- for 916 artistry. a request for discretionary review -- 916 ortega street. a request for discretionary review. commissioner sugaya: i would like a progress report for these kinds of things. vice president olague: should we take a recess? commissioner moore: let's just run with it. >> good evening, planning commission. i am the southwest team leader. we request discretionary review of a building proposing construction of a third story the vertical addition and passat alteration. the property is located at 916 ortega street in the outer sunset neighborhood. two discretionary reviews were filed, one by leonard kachn, and one by tracy thompson. they believe that the vertical addition does not respect the scale of adjacent buildings and that the horizontal addition encroaches into the open space, creating a boxed in f

. >> commissioner borden? >> i'm -- pretty much commissioner moore stated my feelings. i think it is great after 40 years, the space is going to be used. i think what is great about buildings like this, they tend to have more affordable space for smaller firms. i'm excited to see this put to good use. would agree that sidewalk in that area -- is very difficult for adding trees to. >> commissioner? >> i'm supportive of this but actually have a contrary thought about trees. having a building on a high traffic street in san francisco that has equal or more traffic than this particular location has and has the cape cable car that trees don't seem to take away anything from the value of the building. they do enhance the sidewalk overall feel. iee you -- i see you shaking your head. i know about your -- the signage on the window. the trees will be way above eye level. i saw something that adds to the character of the street and maybe a high dead pedestrian street. having that as an important treat for the cable cars to come down and the st. francis hotel across the street, i

yeah. >> commissioner borden. commissioner borden: i agree with commissioner olague. i know when we passed legislation, we hadn't anticipated a pre-existing use that already existed, having to move because of lease changes. so something, you know, might want to think about. not sure. also, this is actually very prominent corner because it is at the corner of pine and -- and fillmore, and so much -- so much traffic and stuff that happens at the corner, when fillmore went out of the space, it was a deadening impact on the block. it is great to have this. it is great to find out there's another use coming right behind it. i commend you for being -- in the community, i have seen, i've been there and you had discounts at your stores and other restaurants that you were cobranding around the holidays. i appreciated the support because that's one of the complaints we often get at formula retail is they're not active participants in the community and this is very much that. i want to thank you for that and of course continue the great work. >> commissioner moore. commissioner

borden? >> commissioner borden: this sounds of a great project, and there was a problem with the planning department. if somebody is hungry, i want to take a class in making pizza. commissioner anthony: this is already legendary. -- commissioner antonini: this is already legendary, and i like the idea of having a school. i think that this is going to be very great. >> the motion on the floor is for approval. [reading roll] >> thank you. you are on item 12. 2008.0197 e for 942 mission street. ok. >> i saw him earlier. >> can we call the enxnext item? >> we can't go to that. item 14?

commissioner borden: i was just going to ask mr. smith if he would want to speak to what requirements we have with mediation on projects. i did not think that was a requirement for cases. >> it is not a requirement, but we encourage sponsors to mediate. we think that is very helpful, especially early on in the process. as was said, this has been going on over two years. at one point, when the variance was outstanding, the zoning administrator and i tried to mediate between the sides, and that did not work. they essentially met at 2 canfor among themselves and came back with what they were willing to accept, and that was it. -- day essentially met to good for among themselves. that was not a real mediation. the sponsor was not at that table. they said that is what we are willing to accept. that is fine, and most recently i have not been included on any of the mediation's. i just got the e-mail last week for a request to continue to mediate. i felt like that had come at the 11th-hour, so i expressed the department's sentiment on that

. >> the continuance to march 3, commissioner borden? commisssioner borden: aye. >> commissioner -- so moved, commissioners, that item is continued to march 3. [the motion was passed unanimously] >> dan cider, acting zoning administrator standing in for sanchez. i would close the public hearing on the variance, as well, and continue it to the march 3 date. >> thanks. >> commissioners, that will place you on item 13, case number 2010-1046d at 910 silver avenue, request for discretionary review. >> jonas, we do have a translator for this case? >> we did request a translator. is that translator present? thank you very much. >> commission keller ander, department staff. this is an abbreviated d.r. so typically these neighborhood planning quadrant team leader would present the case. that person is on vacation this week so i will present this case and the following, the d.r. good afternoon, president olague, members of the commission. you have before you a request for discretionary review of a proposal to build a rear two-story hors agets exte

[roll call] commissioner borden has not yet arrived. first up on your calendar our consideration of items proposed for continuance. item one, case 2010.0758d 4 greenwich street is proposed for continuance of february 3. in 3 for 950 mason st. is proposed for continuance to april 14, 2011. commissioners, items 4a and d that appear under your continuance calendar do not need to be acted upon as they will be re-notice prior to the hearing date. i need to advise the commissioners also of a clerical error that omitted the park merced certification of the environmental impact report continuance for case 2008. 0021e to february 3, 2011. procedurally, if it does not appear on this calendar, it automatically is continued, but i wanted to advise you of that. i will ask under commissioners questions and matters that you direct staff to place it on the february calendar. further, under your regular calendar, items 14a and b for two to six -- for 226 cabrillo street, we have received a request for continuance, and i assume we will take that up when

borden? >> commissioner borden: this sounds of a great project, and there was a problem with the planning department. if somebody is hungry, i want to take a class in making pizza. commissioner anthony: this is already legendary. -- commissioner antonini: this is already legendary, and i like the idea of having a school. i think that this is going to be very great. >> the motion on the floor is for approval. [reading roll] >> thank you. you are on item 12. 2008.0197 e for 942 mission street. ok. >> i saw him earlier. >> can we call the enxnext item? >> we can't go to that. item 14? case 20010.0985 c. for 3489 16th street. >> sharon is here? >> she was in the back. she was. >> staff has gone to find her. >> can i make a public comment? >> no. >> 15. >> it's all 942. >> should we take a recess? >> a 5-minute recess. commission is taking a 5-minute >> planning department staff. the item before3 yo you is the appeal of a negative recommendation for the hotel at 942 mission street. the department

commissioner borden: i mean, i would just add, where would you put -- the problem is, where would you put the shack? i mean, it is a wonderful idea to move it, but it is not like it is a cultural resource everybody was visiting. commissioner moore: why don't we ask commissioner sugaya? commissioner sugaya: i am not saying anything more. commissioner antonini: i will continue. in reading the historical report, which was interesting, a lot of these shacks were moved to other places in the past. i think there may not be that many of them left, and it would be up to the project sponsor to find the site. i am not sure that you want to put that into the motion. commissioner moore: i don't want to complicate the project. if it has not appeared before, why now? commissioner antonini: i have more to say on this. at the historical aspects are very interesting, and the fact there was an undertaker who lived there who was the undertaker to the rich and famous, that is kind of amazing that he attended to herem johnson -- hiram johnson and president harding, but that in an of itself is not enough.

commissioner borden: i would say that if we wanted to honor that, the best way we would do that is if the project sponsor would consider putting a plaque on their door, doorstep, to commemorate -- if they wanted to, not saying we make that part of the motion. right now, nobody looks at it, knows it is significant. they think of it is a small cottage house. the cultural significance of something is something people share an know exists. i think if you wanted to commemorate it, it makes sense to commemorated in a way, a plaque with a picture, but i don't know that moving the property would make any difference in commemorating fat. i think today people don't go by and say let's visit the earthquake shack. they don't know that. the culture of what that is about, people think it is a regular lot with a small house on it. it could be honored more by explaining it in some sort of way that actually moving it. particularly since in this town there are not places to really move things onto. i would support commissioner moore's original motion. >> you have a motion and second, to not take d.r. a

commissioner borden: i, too, am supportive, and i appreciate the project sponsor being able to share with us a little bit of the location. we have something on the calendar today, and i was wondering if you could talk to that. i know that was an issue for other projects in the area. we love the idea that it is going to be coming on-site -- online at the same time was in the market octavia area, which is obviously what this whole plan was about. i also agree that it is better to have less parking and more parking. people are less likely to move their cars more frequently, which is something this commission has been very supportive of. i do not think this constitutes a material change to the project or anything that would impact the neighbors in a way that they should be concerned about. they have less cars queuing and standing in front of their building, so that is actually advantageous for them. commissioner sugaya: in the past, we have had some requests to change the way affordable housing was going to be provided. and in the past, we have also heard from the mayor's office of housi