pagoda [speaker not understood], fine. but number one, we all vote last meeting, it was no, absolutely not. that's north beach, that's us. the chinese community said no. so, thank you very much. you make your decision better than the one they do. >> next speaker, please. >> kathleen dody, maria [speaker not understood], and [speaker not understood]. >> good afternoon. >>> hi, kathleen dooley. i'm here speaking today as a representative from the north beach business association and chinatown cdc. we have written a joint letter that i'd like to read to you today in support of option 4. the chinatown community development center is a proud long-time supporter of the central subway. with the north beach business association, we endorse the concept of an extension to north beach and fisherman's wharf. we support director reiskin's proposal to study extraction of the tunnel boring machine at the pagoda theater with an alternative of behring the tbm under columbus avenue. we also support the mta's efforts to plan for a station at

i think the pagoda itself has a lot of benefit. if the extraction takes place, if the land is leased from the property owner, not purchased, the property owner has a lot to gain. there is a high water table. there's tons of concrete, bleachers poured in the middle of that building. if the city extracted the unit there and left that property owner with a better situation, it would benefit both us and him. of course, the purchase of the property is what i'd like because i think there are a number of benefits to the neighborhood in having a transit station at that particular location. but we're not just talking about transit, bull the entire public relevant being of north beach. the escalator alignment and all the connections, i think for us it allows some changes to the heart of north beach that could be not only a transit benefit, but a benefit to the public realm. with washington square, the new library, joe di maggio, the pedestrian experience on columbus, it can make a big difference for both the residents and the businesses and

i assume one approval would be from the owner of the pagoda theater, a deal. probably environmental one from the city. what other ones? >> it would -- the environmental approvals from both the planning department and the federal transit administration, i met briefly with the fta this morning to discuss the topic and they're fully briefed on this report presented to you today. and i should have at least a preliminary review from the fta by the end of this week. >> those are the only three approvals -- >> and funding, and additional local funding. >> would that be the ta here we're talking about? >> we have not yet identified funding source. >> okay, thank you. other questions before we hear from the public? >> yes. just to clarify, 3 [speaker not understood]. it says it would be encased in concrete and it would be more difficult to continue the tunnel along if we were to continue to north beach or fisherman's wharf in the future. is that correct? >> i believe, director brinkman, you're referring to option 3. >> yes. >> the benefits of option 3, it does allow th

as far as the pagoda goes, we think that is a creative approach that accomplishes the mta's original goal and existing goal of removing the tunnel boring machines from the ground that make sense on its face. and we want to do everything we can to support the agency in pursuit of that option. we have vetted some of those conversations and we'll continue to do everything we can from the city side to help in that regard. we do also fully understand and support the mta's inclination to limit any impediments to a future extension either a station in north beach or extension at fisherman's wharf, which our merchants are supportive of. we want to help -- we support proposals that would limit the impediments and make -- we don't know what that would be. there are a lot of questions. but we support limiting the impediments, we fully support grassroots community-based planning, of the that we of course need the mta to be involved in to look at a possible north beach station in phase iii before we understand that the project and the questions before you today are not directly related to that co

think you'll hear from folks is kind of our final backstop, which is if for some reason going to the pagoda site doesn't work and for some reason we can't make leaving it underground work, which i don't anticipate we would have trouble doing, but we don't have that fully designed and approved, that we keep the current approved project on the table as our ultimate default. and that is because, you know, we have an approved project. it's a fully funded project. we have an executed contract. we would be putting the agency, we believe, at significant risk if we didn't have that final backstop to fall back on. it's our hope that we wouldn't get there. i saw some correspondence suggesting that we come back to you before hitting that final stop. i'm certainly open to that. i think folks would -- a you would probably want to know, that we've made our best good faith due diligence effort before getting there. so, i just want to provide a little bit more context. i want to thank mr. funge and his team for this. and i want to thank president chiu for his leadership on this and perhaps with the board's

i assume one approval would be from the owner of the pagoda theater, a deal. probably environmental one from the city. what other ones? >> it would -- the environmental approvals from both the planning department and the federal transit administration, i met briefly with the fta this morning to discuss the topic and they're fully fe

i assume one approval would be from the owner of the pagoda theater, a deal. probably environmental one from the city. what other ones? >> it would

we didn't have a chance like russian hill dwellers to have a vote on the current option of the pagoda theater, but i do want to comment we have been working for years to try to get something into the pagoda theater and get [speaker not understood] off the street. not off the street, but just improve that. so, i think working to really come up with a plan that is going to help mitigate some of the impact to our businesses because we want to see those businesses thrive. >> thank you very much. so, i guess that will be continued. okay, one more speaker, that's it. >> actually, he's already spoken. >>> [inaudible]. >> last speaker. >> giovani [speaker not understood]. >>> i'm a small business owner in north beach. and for a long time lot of the tourists they always tell me how beautiful is san francisco. this is not los angeles. los angeles needs a subway, we don't. people love to walk north beach, chinatown, because that's what they come for in san francisco. fisherman's wharf. so, my concern is we're going to be out of business and the city is going to need more revenue, which it's not

he wants a station built at old pagoda theater on columbus and powell. north beach residents have been vocal about the disruption. the current plan calls for tunneling to extend into the area so drilling boards can be brought to the surface, but -- but it does not include a station there. he says depends on funding. >>> the white house is waiting for the next move from congressional republicans. the president released this new campaign-style video overnight calling for tax relief for working families. both sides remain far apart. without a deal, nearly every american will pay more income tax between $2,000 and $2400 for the average family. democrats want tax increases to kick in for the wealthy. republicans have drawn a line in the sand on raising tax rates. >>> in less than an hour the moraga teen denied an eagle scout award because he's gay will be honored by the california state assembly. by openly gay assembly speaker john perez. ryan spent 10 years working to earn his award but was denied. his mother started an online petition drive to try to quinn

he wants a station built at old pagoda theater. residents have been vocal. the current plan calls for tunneling to extend into the area so drilling can be used to excavate and be brought to the surface. he says the extension depends on funding for project. >> coming up takeout containers could get the squeeze in one city. >> and royal buzz over the reason the duchess of cambridge is in the hospital. it's a condition doctors not too worried about. >> and official baseball business that brought to san francisco. the news continues in one minute. >>> duke and duchess of cambridge are expecting an heir, she's being treated in a hospital for severe morning sickness. she can't keep down any food or drink. the royal family says the pregnancy is less than two months along. the child will be third in line to take the thrown behind prince william and his father. >> san francisco mayor ed lee and detroit mayor settled a friendly bet this afternoon. after his team lost the world series champs, san francisco giants. carolyn? >> as a former nba super star, detroit mayor k

he wants a station built at old pagoda theater on columbus and powell. north beach residents have been vocal about the disruption. the current plan calls for tunneling to extend into the area so drilling boards can be brought to the surface, but -- but it does not include a station there. he says depends on funding. >>> the white house is waiting for the next move from congressional republicans. the president released this new campaign-style video overnight calling for tax relief for working families. both sides remain far apart. without a deal, nearly every american will pay more income tax between $2,000 and $2400 for the average family. democrats want tax increases to kick in for the wealthy. republicans have drawn a line in the sand on raising tax rates. >>> in less than an hour the moraga teen denied an eagle scout award because he's gay will be honored by the california state assembly. by openly gay assembly speaker john perez. ryan spent 10 years working to earn his award but was denied. his mother started an online petition drive to try to quinn

recommend being the subway be extended for a new station to be built at the site of the long vacant pagodaheater. >>> man struck while walking on bay area freeway westbound 580 in richmond last night the man was walking along harbor way when he was struck by a big rig and then several cars, he died at the scene. investigators thought the victim came from a homeless encampment but that was not the case. >>> storm cleanup continues around the bay area one community fathered better than expected four to 10 inches of -- rain fell in sonoma county the russian river didn't overflow as predicted. in napa there was flooding but it was not the deluge that residents feared. >> reporter: napa river preached its peak before 6 p.m. stayed within it banks, nobody was flooded. officials and residents give credit to recent flood control project. >> i'm thankful the engineers engineered correctly and it is working. >> big, wide, the project seems to be working. i was a skeptic, but i think it is doing its job. >> reporter: the river was expected to go a foot above flood stage five miles north of downtown,

option 4 is removing the tunnel blowing machines at 17 31 powell street, commonly known as pagoda palace. this would require additional study. the property is a former cinema, it's currently empty and dee cap itherctiontion, however, the property owner has obtained the approvals from the planning department to redevelop the property at the mixed use retail and residential development condominiums over some ground floor retail. * dee cap it it would require demolishing the existing building. it would impose minimal traffic impacts to columbus avenue. and would not preclude a future extension of lrv service to fisherman's wharf. currently the impact of the project budget would be about $3 million and it will also require the appropriation of additional local money to secure the rights of the property from the current owner. finally, the last option, option 5, now, this option would also likely require additional environmental study. and then for the reasons articulated above, abandoning the tbms underground would require the sfmta to compensate the tunneling contractor for the tbm and may