Welcome everyone.

Good afternoon.

This meeting will come to order.

Welcome to the September 29th, 2025 regular meeting of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

I am Supervisor Mirna Malagar.

Welcome to joined by Vice Chair Supervisor Cheyenne Chen and Supervisor Bilal Mahmud.

The committee clerk today is Mr.

Sean Carroll.

And I would also like to acknowledge the folks at SFGup TV, Jeanette Englow for staffing us in making this meeting available to folks outside of this building.

Mr.

Clerk, do you have any announcements?

Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

Please ensure that you've silenced your cell phones and other electronic devices you've brought with you into the chamber today.

If you have any documents to be included as part of any of today's files, you can submit them directly to me.

Public comment will be taken on each item on today's agenda.

When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, please line up to speak along your right-hand side of this room.

Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing.

You may email your written public comment to me at J O H N period C-A-R-R-O-L-L at SFGOV.org.

Or you may send your written public comments via U.S.

Postal Service to our office in City Hall.

The address is one Dr.

Carlton B.

Goodlit Place Room 24, San Francisco, California, 94102.

If you submit public comment in writing, I will forward your comments to the members of this committee and also include your comments as part of the official file on which you are commenting.

Items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of October 7th, 2025, unless otherwise stated.

Thank you so much.

Uh Mr.

Clerk.

Please call item number one.

Agenda item number one is a resolution accepting the African American Arts and Cultural Districts, Cultural History, Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategy Report.

Okay, so we are uh joined now by our uh district 10 supervisor uh Shhamon Walton.

Welcome to the Land Use and Transportation Committee, Supervisor Walton.

Um, and I will turn this over to you now.

Thank you so much, Chair Milgar, and thank you to my colleagues for allowing me just a few moments to talk about this important report that we are receiving today.

And just want to start off, of course, by recognizing all of the members of the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District community, all the folks who worked on this very important report as you know every cultural district requires a chess report, which is the cultural history, housing and economic sustainability strategies report.

And so we have here today the report that is coming from uh the SFAACC, and I am just excited to be here with the entire community.

I I want to acknowledge that the report reflects a long and intentional process that started in 2021 and that has stretched to really to where we are to this point today.

I've had an opportunity to talk to some of the members, of course, talk to Mo C D and talk to community, and just can't stress the level of one excitement that we have around the cultural district and the things that we're gonna do in our community to let people know that they are in a place and presence where black people still exist here in San Francisco.

The report, of course, most of it has grown out of Baby Hunter's point, but I want to also make sure that folks know that it's bigger than uh just one neighborhood and one demographic and one zip code, but this is something that when we get done, which obviously it's an ongoing process, the work of the cultural district and what we will do in community.

So we'll never be finished, but when we get up and running and things, good rolling, you will know that you are in the presence of the black community and black space here in San Francisco.

And so I'm excited to be here as you hear this item at land use, and I urge your support and committee approval so that we can continue to build on the work of the African American Arts and Cultural District.

So thank you so much for this opportunity and look forward to your approval.

Thank you, Supervisor Walton.

Much appreciated.

We will have a presentation now by uh Julia Sabore, uh, Deputy Director of Community Development, presenting on behalf of the Mayor's Office of housing and community development, uh, and then April Spears, the executive Director, um, Carrie Bolden, Chess Engagement Implementation Leader, and Jennifer Gayden, Operations Director from the African American Arts and Cultural District.

So you're first, Ms.

Sabori, welcome.

Afternoon community.

It's a beautiful day in San Francisco.

We're honored to be here.

The Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development here with the Office of Economic Workforce Development, Arts Commission, Planning Department.

Today's a blessed day, and I look forward to hearing from our colleagues and the unity and the solidarity that we can pull together and bear forward from today and always.

So I want to pass it to my colleague Imani.

We're super honored to partner with you to support your leadership, to support community leadership, looking forward to the future by honoring the past.

Good afternoon, supervisors.

My name is Imani Pardue Bishop.

I'm a community development specialist at the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development, supporting the Cultural Districts Program and the South of Market Stabilization Initiative.

The Cultural District Program was established by the Board of Supervisors in 2018 as a placemaking and a placekeeping initiative.

Later that same year, San Francisco voters passed Proposition E, which then created a dedicated funding source for the cultural districts program.

The program's founding legislation defines a cultural district as a designated geographic area that embodies a unique cultural heritage, meaning that these areas contain a concentration of cultural and historic assets, culturally significant enterprises, arts services, and/or businesses.

Additionally, a significant portion of the residents or the people that frequent this district come from a specific cultural community or an ethnic group.

There are currently 10 cultural districts recognized in San Francisco, Japantown Cultural District, the Calle Ventiquatro, Latino Cultural District in the Mission, Soma Pilipinas, the Filipino Cultural District, the Transgender Cultural District in the Tenderloin, Leather and LGBT Cultural District in SOMA, African American Arts and Cultural District in the Bayview, the Castro LGBT Cultural District, the American Indian Cultural District, also in the Mission, the Sunset Cultural, the Sunset Chinese Cultural District, and the Pacific Islander Cultural District, our newest edition in Visitation Valley.

Every cultural district has to complete what's called a chess report.

Chess stands for cultural history, housing and economic sustainability strategies report.

This serves as a cultural legacy document as well as a strategic plan that provides a roadmap for stabilization within each district.

Each chess report addresses six policy areas: cultural preservation, preserving and maintaining unique cultural, historic, and the unique cultural and historic character of each district, tenant protections, reducing the displacement of residents, and promoting affordable housing opportunities, arts and culture, supporting artists and cultural enterprises that embody and promote the unique cultural heritage within the district, economic and workforce development, promoting economic opportunities for residents and businesses, land use, creating appropriate land use, and zoning controls and regulations that promote and protect businesses and cultural competency, promoting culturally appropriate services, programs, and outreach in the service of social equity.

The chess process has three general phases: community engagement and strategy drafting, city partnership and review, submission and approval process.

The chess priorities and strategies are developed through a robust community engagement process with constituents who live, work, and frequent the district, and with coordination of city departments, including San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Planning, and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, to ensure feasibility and alignment.

The final draft and resolution are then submitted to the district supervisor, the mayor's office, and later introduced to the Board of Supervisors.

We have had five chess reports completed and approved unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, Soma Pilipinas in summer 2022, Japan Town, spring of 2023, Leather, Spring of 2024, the Castro in January 2025, and the Sunset Chinese Cultural District in April 2025.

Today we are here to introduce the African American Arts and Cultural District's Chess Report.

I would like to present the executive director of the African American African American Arts and Cultural District, April Spears Mays, Jennifer Gidden, the operations director, and their chess engagement and implementation leader, Chiari Bolding.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you for your time.

My name is April Spears Mays, and I'm honored to serve as the executive director of the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District.

I am a proud founding member of the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District, as well as a Bayview Native.

I'm also a business owner for over two decades in the community that I have been deeply committed to advancing initiatives that uplift, celebrate, and preserve the culture and history of the 94124.

Today is a truly meaningful moment for me.

I am so proud to present the SFAACD chess report, a powerful community-led effort that reflects the heart, resilience, and vision of our neighborhood.

It is a privilege to stand here today representing our community as we take this important step together.

The chess help supports our mission, our vision, and our overall wishes for our community.

Our vision is simple but powerful.

We're continuing to build a strong, thriving black community, one that keeps shaping and enriching the cultural fabric of San Francisco.

You may ask why this matters.

Bayview isn't just a neighborhood.

This is our history, our heart, our home.

But the hard truth is our people, our businesses, our culture, and our livelihood have traditionally gone unsupported.

Bayview Hunters Point has the largest concentration of black people left in the city of San Francisco.

Preservation is of utmost importance.

Our communities undergo constant displacement and gentrification.

If we don't act now, we risk losing the very soul, not only of this community, but San Francisco at large.

The chess plan is our report.

It's our roadmap.

It's about protecting and celebrating what makes this community unique.

Our history, our landmarks, our arts, and our local businesses.

We're building resilience.

We're making sure our community can grow, adapt, and thrive, not just today, but for generations to come.

Let me be clear.

This is not only about more than preservation.

It's about pride, power, and possibility.

We are protecting our past, empowering our present, and creating a future where black culture in San Francisco doesn't just survive, but it flourishes.

Our work is focused on protecting, preserving, and uplifting San Francisco African American community, particularly in Bayview.

Our neighborhood is experiencing tremendous change, and without strong advocacy, we risk losing the culture, history, and people that make this community vibrant.

Our focus is clear.

Vitality in business, we advocate for economic vitality and support sustainable businesses so that black entrepreneurs and longtime businesses can thrive.

Assets in arts.

We work to preserve cultural assets and uplift artists, ensuring that Bayview remains a hub for creativity and expression.

Quality of life.

We are dedicated to improving the overall quality of life for our Bayview residents, keeping the community livable and welcoming.

Health environments, health and wellness are not optional.

They are fundamental to our community survival.

The Bayview has carried the weight of environmental despair for generations, long before I was even born.

For decades, families here have lived next to toxic sites, industrial pollution, and unsafe conditions that have left deep scars on our community's health.

Asthma rates are higher here, cancer rates are higher here.

Life expectancy is shorter here.

These conditions are not accidents.

They are the direct result of environmental racism and neglect.

This is why our advocacy for health and the environment is not just important, it is urgent.

Clean air, clean water, safe street, access to fresh food, and wellness resources must be at the center of how we envision the future of Bayview.

When we talk about revitalization, Bayview, we cannot separate cultural preservation or economic empowerment from the fight for environmental justice and health.

They are all content, all connected.

And for our community to truly thrive, health and wellness must remain a top priority.

We believe a thriving African American community benefits for all San Francisco.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with our sister cultural districts and the city of San Francisco to ensure our neighborhoods stay culturally rich, economically strong, and inclusive.

Thank you for your time and for your support.

The work of the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District will continue for days and years to come.

I would now like to introduce our director of operations, Miss Jennifer Gaydon.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Jennifer Gaydon.

I'm the director of operations for the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District.

My main role is to run the day-to-day operations of the cultural district as well as managing our contracts and our deliverables.

And I would like to introduce our chess engagement and implementation leader, Chiari Bolding.

Good afternoon, good afternoon, community.

I'm here to talk a little bit about what's in the report.

Can we get your brother like microphone, please?

The supervisor community.

Sorry about that.

All right.

So I'm gonna talk a little bit about our chess.

And our chess is dynamic because it contains what's really important the past, the present, and the future.

And it's relevant to where we have been, where we are, and where we're going.

And what's most important is it's informed by the community.

And our partners in this effort, as Imani mentioned, are here in the room, our agencies who are invested in supporting our community design strategies and making sure that we can implement them with their support and with the agencies and infrastructure that they provide.

So, most importantly, our inspiration, our inspiration, our ancestors.

We are here because of our folks who came here for a better life.

They came here from the South in a lot of cases to work at the shipyard.

And our we rest on the shoulders of some heavy hitters, our ancestors, the big five and more, and some are in the room here today, who fought tirelessly for decades for us to have our housing rights, our cultural presence, places to create, places to live, places to commune, places to talk and be social.

So all of that is here.

It's been here for decades, and we want to make sure it stays here and it's supported through the future.

So who shaped this chess report?

And again, it's not just a report that lives on a shelf that people will read or not read.

It's a playbook, like a playbook on the field of football, it's strategies to achieve goals.

And there's strategies from the players, our community members themselves.

We talked to hundreds, and I mean hundreds of people through in-person interviews, through listening sessions where people came together in person and online.

We had interviews with our icons like Pastor Walker here today.

Business leaders, like you see on the screen and are here today as well.

Into action, a community-based organization rooted in the Bayview was a part of making all of this happen, bringing people together.

Dr.

Honeycutt, Dr.

Hollis Pierce Jenkins, you see on the slide here, Uncle Damien from us for us, a lot of the community-based leaders that are featured in the report, were a part of bringing the people together to talk to us and design the community strategies.

And what is a chess strategy?

You'll see 23 of them today.

They're community-rooted solutions to address a community need or an issue or challenge that we face, past, present, and future.

So how did we make this chess happen?

So, as you can see from this slide, back in 2021, we had listening sessions online during the pandemic, actually.

And then we fast forward to more in person when we could be in person.

We had a town hall that brought hundreds together.

We had a second town hall, and if I can invite my community leaders to show you the second town hall, we had a second town hall that was shaped like a come on up.

Yes, thanks.

We had a town hall, our second town hall was shaped like a world cafe, where we had all the goals and the strategies together, and we had different tables where community rotated through the tables, and they looked at the strategies, they talked about them, they posted notes that you'll see here to tell us, okay, we think this is great, we think this needs help.

And so that all shaped into the draft, as you'll see here.

We draft drafted and redrafted.

So these are some of the community written post-it notes from our first round of goals and strategies that we showed to them in our second town hall.

So they talked about it, they workshopped it, they put it all on one of these, we had several of these types of posters, and that all went into our chess report.

So it is not a report that was written by someone in a tower or someone from an executive standpoint.

This is written by the community.

These are community words.

These are community communities' feedback on community words, and then they came together to shape 23 different strategies in those six policy areas that we know are very important to stabilizing and helping our community thrive.

So we're gonna talk about each.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for showing that appreciation.

So again, we used it was an intergenerational effort with our youth, with our leaders for decades, and our community now.

And in historical and cultural preservation, I'm not gonna go through each of these, I'm just gonna highlight some important ones.

One that we'll hear about these from the community today, but we wanted to make sure that we preserve our community's history, our creativity, and our culture in one baby heritage museum.

So if you look at the second strategy here, number two, it's to establish a Bayview Heritage Museum.

And interesting in that museum, we know that a big part of the leadership and activism in our community has been from our faith-focused leaders, one of which for decades has been here today.

So we wanted to establish within that Baby U Heritage Museum a faith-focused exhibit that highlights the activism and all the achievements of the faith-focused community in Bayview over the years.

So we want that to be a place where our creatives can thrive, where we can actively archive our history and make new memories and showcase our talent.

So that is a huge one in our historical and cultural preservation, and we want to also advance new Bayview landmarks and cultural resources and historic sites from long-standing feedback that we need a trusted community process that exists now.

So also in Bayview that connects and acts as a bridge to all of the resources in the agencies that support us staying here and make the words on a page about our rights and tenant protections more than words.

So who can we assign as our tenants' ambassador that people know and trust in the community and knows the agencies, knows how to get help and that we can help hold those agencies and that person accountable for hearing us and making sure that our voices translate into actions.

So strategy five is an important strategy that's a long-standing need for the community, an ambassador that acts as that bridge.

And we want to preserve for vulnerable groups, and there's a lot of vulnerable groups in our community, making sure that we can use all the resources possible to advance housing access for vulnerable groups, arts and culture.

We feel that our African American Arts and Cultural District should shine because Bayview arts and culture should stand out across San Francisco for what it is.

So we want to have a design toolkit.

So when people cross into the Bayview, they know they're here.

So we want to establish standards for development and beauty, and that should reflect our culture.

We want to advance cultural tourism and make sure that the tastes of Bayview are highlighted across the city and connect the Bayview nationally and internationally, and we want to establish an artist collective.

Economic and workforce development.

You can see that this area has the bulk of our strategies because we want to make sure that we preserve our jobs and economic opportunities in our district.

So there are a lot here to highlight, and we want to, I don't want to highlight them all because they're all equally important, but supporting black owned businesses and vendor opportunities and also supporting culinary entrepreneurship has been huge and advocated for in this district for decades.

We also want to elevate the workforce success stories.

So the stories that are here, if you shine a light on them, then people know that they can follow those examples.

So we want to do a better job of sharing the success stories as well.

So land use, we want to make place making and placekeeping understood in our district.

So really creating more education around this area and empowering residents, especially youth, with the knowledge of the local planning process and land use systems.

So our young leaders can be a part of the decision making in the future.

But we also want to establish what we heard a little bit about earlier through April's comments, a revitalization initiative block by block to make sure that our district is beautiful, is thriving, and that our community leaders block by block create a strategy and a plan for implementation to create those vibrant spaces and especially in our commercial corridor.

Finally, cultural competency.

We know that we are stronger together.

We also know in this atmosphere of resource constraints that we will be more powerful together if we identify the resources in ways that we can maximize them together.

So we wanted to create a culture of collaboration amongst our major entities and organizations here.

We don't know exactly how we're gonna make this happen, but we know we need to make it happen.

So that is a formal strategy of ours in this area.

We know when we grow the pie that we get bigger pieces of the pie, and we want to make sure that we are working together.

We also want to establish a cultural conservation club, experts that can identify the resources we want to preserve, the culture we want to preserve, and the organizations we want to help thrive.

And finally, we health and wellness.

As April mentioned, health and wellness is vital to our community, and we have a lot of resources that we can also through collaboration expand, enhance, and amplify.

So we want to make sure that we can increase access to culturally responsive health and wellness resources.

So finally, I want to turn it back over.

Hope you understand that there's a lot of great strategies here, each come with actions underneath them of how we want to get these done.

And together, we can create the resources and the leaders to make them happen.

And I want to turn it back over to April, and she will create some closing remarks and calls to action.

I didn't know I was coming back up.

Hello, everyone again.

Just closing remarks.

Just thank you all for your time.

This has been a tremendous effort on the part of myself, my team, our team, our community, our elders, our youth, and our supporters.

And so please take into consideration the African American Arts and Cultural District by adopting our chess into legislation here.

Thank you, Chiari.

I knew I was going to get put on the spot.

I wasn't prepared to come back, so thank you.

Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Ms.

Spears.

Supervisor Chen.

Thank you, Chair Mauga.

Thank you for presenting the chess report.

I am very thrilled to learn and to see the African American Cultural District as taking this very important step with this adoption plan.

This chess plan, it's a way to preserve the ability for Black working class families and the next generation to strengthen their foothold in the city.

I'm also very appreciative of the breadth of the strategy that our the plan has outlined it to our firm, the cultural events practice tool, and also a very practical tools for the community to continue to build assets in our buildings.

And also to strengthen workforce strategies and also the preventing of uh displacement in our communities.

The African American community extends beyond the Bayview.

In District 11, my very own district, we also have long-standing African American community who contribute to building our neighborhood, our small business corridor, and many of the working class continue to call District 11 as a home.

And and this is our beautiful part of the city.

It's we also share, you know, a big uh in our Lake Wheel community, a big uh part of our neighborhood.

It's it's an African American community as well.

I am also you know a very strong advocate to continue to uh preserve culture and then also use culturally based strategy and intervention to strengthen and stabilize our cultural communities.

So I'm happy to see all this chess report and strategy and plan, and I would like to add myself as a co-sponsor to this legislation to this legislation.

Thank you.

Thank you, uh Supervisor Chen.

Um I would also like to be added as a co-sponsor to this legislation, and I want to thank Supervisor Walton in particular for uh spearheading and always standing up for community.

Uh Ms.

Spears, thank you for the uh presentation.

Uh, and Ms.

Gayton too, and uh Ms.

Bolden, thank you for the presentation.

It was really uh wonderful, and I particularly appreciate uh how much you involved youth in this project.

I think it's really important to connect the past to the future in this way.

Um, and I appreciate you all.

So, with that, oh, Supervisor Mahmood.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you again for all the presenters and all the community who's come out today to show their support for this chess report.

Um, wanted to acknowledge that uh this is amazing work, and I know probably years of work on behalf of the community to get to this point.

Um, we're actually starting to initiate uh a similar effort in the Western edition just last week.

The mayor's office and my office uh are starting a community planning process centered around the black community in the Western edition.

And I was curious, um, from the results in the process of of this chess report.

Are there any elements or recommendations that you feel we could maybe carry over, either from a process perspective or from an end result recommendation perspective that we should take away or learn to build on the foundation that you've established here that we can carry over into a similar process we might be going through in the Western edition?

Not sure who that question is forvisor.

Uh perhaps uh Ms.

Bory or Imani.

Um, I don't know.

Good afternoon, Supervisor.

Um, I think I would say that the six, including this one that is about to get adopted, the six chess reports, there are some threads of of issues and strategies that are united around making the city more accessible, um, understanding the processes, for example, around permitting for events and shutting down streets and community activation.

There's quite a few platforms across chess reports that there are um shared challenges and more clarity that communities would like.

So that I think would be absolutely um a common denominator with the Western edition, Fillmore Community.

Um, but today is a day where we can really look at the uniqueness of Bayview, the uniqueness of that geography, those residents, those young people, those elders, and then when we have the opportunity to join the table and uh build on the success of the event the other night, we'll be able to hear more about the Western Edition, that story, their particular needs.

Our city is so small, seven by seven, but super unique mile by mile.

So I look forward to working with you and the community to see how we can build on this success.

So congratulations, Bayview, congratulations, Western Edition, congratulations, San Francisco.

Uh thank you, and I'd love to be added as a co-sponsor of this legislation as well.

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, let's go to public comment on this item, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Land use and transportation will now hear public comment related to agenda item number one, the African-American Arts and Cultural District, Cultural History, Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategy Report.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to the lecture and at this time.

And while folks are lining up and getting ready to provide public comment, I do want to request it's hard to hear in this chamber.

Please do not interrupt the proceedings with expressions of support or applause.

If you have support for someone, you can provide it visually, but otherwise, let's just hear from each of the speakers.

Let's have that first speaker now, please.

Please come forward.

Welcome, Reverend.

Yes, my name is uh Aurelius Walker.

I'm Dr.

Swalker, senior pastor of the true hope evangelical ministry.

And uh been before this board before when uh first moved to Baby Hunters Point in the area where we are now, 950 Gilman.

It was lack of place that African American was businesses, even churches.

And the biggest thing there was old cause and thing that brought down those areas, like a deserted neighborhood.

And when I came, I made a decision that with the help of God, and we're talking with the right people, we're gonna do something about low-income housing in the area.

So because I only have a few minutes, uh partnered with Marley Dalton, union property capital, uh, and because at that point with the development with me going out of the community, bringing the people out in the community, that we brought crime down in the area of about 60 some odd percent in the city, the board name a street after me, or really just walk a drive.

So in time, I'm back today.

And the uh trust that the name, I had to change the name because of some difficulty.

It's the true hope evangelical ministry.

And what we have decided with the land we have there, that we want to build out more low-income housing.

So that is why we're here today, here today, because you approve of 20 units we build out, or people are still there, uh, and we are now getting ready and looking at going up stores or whatever's uh permissible to build about you know eight or nine more housing in that area, but we need your help, your assistance, and I believe that you as supervisor who did it before you can do it again.

So I appreciate you allowing me to come, to say a few words, Mr.

Walker.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

What's up, the next speaker, please?

Good afternoon, Supervisor Melga, Chen Beloved, and our esteemed supervisor Shaman Walton.

My name is Linda Fadiki Richardson, long time baby hunters point resident.

I want to bring your attention even to how how long the cultural district came into place.

I spareheaded, you know, the land use master plan for baby hunters from decades ago, and with the help of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, the planning and all city agencies, we encoded the formation of the African American Cultural District.

So what we are today coming out here is actually a city obligation.

It's already written, and I know that after your resolution, it goes to the department, and they will also will be reminded to that.

This is a city obligation.

And so where we are, the cultural district is actually a vision to be part of the economic revitalization of Baby Hunters Point and I extended out to India Basin as well.

And the reason is because, as you know, and thank you, Supervisor, that Malud, that you're going to be creating something similar in the Western edition.

This city has gentrified the African American community.

And so now we need to activate everywhere we can, and we have the formula, and to be able to accomplish this, your passing this resolution today can help us now to go to the implementation stage and in partnership.

Because our life depends on that, and thank you all for your time today.

Thank you for passing this resolution.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Next speaker, please.

Hello, good afternoon, supervisors and everybody in the building.

I am Lenika Howard.

I'm Dr.

Relius Walker's granddaughter, and I'm here today to state that true hope supports this initiative.

Uh, what True Hope is planning to do in the future, near future, is build uh affordable housing on our property.

We want to redevelop our property and hold, which means tearing down the property and building it up for a community space.

Alice Griffith has never had a community center in our community, and true hope wants to be the organization that brings that to fruition for our community and have a community space for our youth and young adults to come and do community activities and just a space where they can feel comfortable.

And True Hope wants to spearhead that.

Thank you for your comments.

Everyone, please withhold your applause.

Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, Chair Mergar, Supervisor Mahmoud, Supervisor Chen, and Supervisor Walton.

I am Dr.

Emily Murase, Executive Director of the Japan Town Task Force.

We are the steward for the Japantown Cultural District, the first city designated cultural district.

And I was formerly president of the Board of Education where I served with now Supervisor Shimon Walton, and we worked on authoring the African American Achievement Leadership Initiative, which has had a significant impact on Black student achievement.

And I am here to um express my strong support for the uh chess report before you.

April Jennifer Chiari and the community have put in the time to craft a very comprehensive report, a roadmap for the future of the Bayview community in San Francisco.

I've submitted to you in advance the Japan Town Cultural District letter of support.

I'm just here to stand together with my Black and Cultural District colleagues and urge that you make a positive recommendation for full board approval.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for comments to the next speaker, please.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

My name is Tracy Griffin.

I'm retired from the city, but I'm standing before you because I really would like to express how diligently and hard the culture center is working on behalf of the community.

I grew up in the community and I've done since I've retired.

I've been doing some volunteer work and I've worked closely with the culture center.

And I'm telling you, it is a lot of due diligently behind the scenes of networking, getting the community together.

And I just stand before you because I'm just so impressed, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds and it's growing and it's developing.

And with all of you guys here with the support and with your support behind us, I just think that, you know, it's gonna be a great, great program.

And I thank you, and I can't thank you guys enough.

You guys are doing a wonderful job and keep up the good work.

Thank you very kindly for allowing me to speak.

Kudos.

Thank you for your comments.

Let's have the next speaker, please.

Hello, I'm Dante Ball, chef and owner of Gumble Social out here in Bayview.

Supervisors, thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

I'm also the president of the Bayview Merchants Association, celebrating 100 years.

Our association accepts, appreciate, and need the culture district to be here.

Our business came to Bayview.

I'm from Bayview.

We came to Bayview, particularly because this is the culture, the arts, American Arts, Culture District.

We almost left, but I was convinced to stay because we were needed.

So I'm excited to support as a president.

I'm excited to support the culture district and looking forward to the board of supervisors supporting the work as well.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments to the next speaker, please.

Hello, everyone.

Um board of supervisors and everyone here.

My name is Pamela Gilmore, and I am the president, chair of True Hope Evangelical Ministry.

We are so excited, and I am excited to have a living legend of whom we can still benefit from, and who has a vision regarding the Bayview.

That's aligned with your vision and the great work that you have been doing.

Lenika spoke about the housing and the building there.

And I just want to say, just mention in order for people to self-actualize, I refer to Maslow's hierarchy of needs that teaches us before people can thrive in education, career, or community life, their most basic needs must be met.

At the foundation of those basic needs is shelter, food of which we're involved in food security as well, and safety, of which Pastor Walker has contributed significantly throughout over 60 years of being there, and health, which makes it possible to reach high goals of stability and personal growth.

And that's why housing, a roof over someone's head, of which we are developing, is significantly important, and we're happy to join together with the African American culture to establish something that's long, stable, and that really hasn't been done before as the glue to the community.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

So the next speaker, please.

Good afternoon.

My name is Damian Posey, affectionate community, is Uncle Damien, a people's champ.

Um I'm also honored to be the Southeast Community Centers uh chair uh commissioner appointed by the previous mayor.

I also have the extreme pleasure of being executive director and founder of a youth leadership and violence prevention organization based out of the Bayview, call Us for Us.

I just wanted to come up here.

Uh we wanted to come up here and express our extreme support for the chess report and the African American Cultural District, especially under the amazing leadership of Miss April Spears, who's been doing a phenomenal job since she took over.

Yeah, we can clap for that.

I got time.

I got time.

Everybody, please, please.

We can't hear him when you're clapping over his speaking.

I've paused your time.

Oh, thank you.

Please please don't interrupt proceedings with the clapping.

I told him it was.

I told him it was kudo.

I'll start your time again.

I told him it was kudo.

Um, being um a small nonprofit organization is based out of the Bayview.

We don't always get uh looked at and always supported, but ever since our inception, the African American Cultures District, once again under the leadership of Everett Spears has supported us in so many different efforts and giving back to the community from feeding the homeless to uh backpack drive.

We just had where we just gave out a thousand backpacks to baby residents.

So we appreciate y'all's support and continue support, and we want to show our solidarity and support for the African American Cultures District, the Chess uh report, and April Spears and all of his members.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So the next speaker, please.

Hello, supervisors.

Um, David Wu with the Soma Pilipinas, Filipino Cultural Heritage District and the South of Market.

Um, yeah, just want to express our full support um for the San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District Chess Report, and want to congratulate um uh all the the hard work and important work that that went into it and urge the the Board of Supervisors to um to also support and adopt um the chess report and also importantly when the the strategies um and important uh um you know issues come back that the board continues to support uh the community um and work work with folks to implement the chess report.

So thank you.

Thank you for your comments to the next speaker, please.

Thank you, supervisors for being here with us today.

Shamon Walton and everyone here today.

I just want to thank God for being here.

My name is Minister Curtis Thomas.

I'm Dr.

Aurelius Walker and Driver.

I'm also a minister at True Hope.

I'm also a business owner at 6295 Thurst Street.

I'm grateful for that.

I also do watcher security.

I have done major events.

I work with Brother Larry, I have done a feed of 5000, the Carnival, and other events, but I really just thankful for you guys to be here hearing us today, and I am with the community, and we're just hear, we just want to support the community.

I will say to have a world-class city, you need a world-class leader, and he's sitting right here.

God bless you.

Thank you for your comments.

Do we have anyone else who has public comment for agenda item number one?

Okay.

Supervisor Walton, do you have any parting words of wisdom before we move?

I actually don't just want to thank the committee again and of course thank the community for coming out and speaking on behalf of the cultural district and for all the great work that's in front of us.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor.

Um, I would like to make a motion that we send this item out of committee to the full board with a positive recommendation, Mr.

Clerk.

On the motion offered by the chair that the resolution be recommended to the Board of Supervisors, Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Machmud, I.

Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I.

Madam Chair, there are three ayes.

Okay.

The motion passes.

Thank you, everyone.

Thanks for coming.

Hi.

All right.

Thank you all.

Uh, Mr.

Clerk, let's go to item number two, please.

Agenda item number two is an ordinance modifying the Geary Boulevard Neighborhood Commercial District to authorize outdoor hand washing, vacuuming, and detailing of automobiles as an accessory use in certain automotive service stations.

The ordinance affirms the department's, sorry, affirms the planning department's secret determination and makes findings of consistency with the general plan and the eight priority policies of planning code section one one point one and makes findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare pursuant to planning code section 302.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh, we are now joined by District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan, the sponsor of this ordinance.

Welcome, Supervisor Chan.

I'll turn it over to you now.

Thank you, Chair Malgar, and thank you, colleagues on this committee uh for scheduling this hearing.

Um, and I am uh really grateful uh that um for this item to come before you um this item uh as indicated um in its title is to modify the Gary neighborhood uh commercial district uh to authorize outdoor hand car washing services as an accessory use, which will simply eliminate a condition requiring a car washing business located at a gas station uh where staff wash cars by hands to construct a separate structure at the station in uh along Gary Boulevard uh within the neighborhood commercial district.

This legislation will not only help an existing and beloved um car hand washing business uh that has been operating at one of our local gas stations, uh, but also allows uh for this neighborhood serving service to remain accessible to residents uh in the richmans.

I would like to uh um propose to you an amendment that would also clarify the intent of this legislation to apply to current and future gas station uh in the Gary neighborhood commercial district, and the amendment um is on page five, lines two to three to strike out existing uh as of the effective date of the ordinance in the board file number two five zero seven one six.

Uh, I do have the hard copy uh of the legislation with me.

Uh of course uh we also have sent out um thank you to my uh legislative a um Calvin Yen on our team.

Um also sent to you an electronic copy and update at one uh in your inbox right now, and uh colleagues, I hope to have your support and approval of this legislation.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Uh Supervisor Chan.

We do have a presentation here from uh Lisa Gluckstein.

Welcome, Miss Gluckstein.

Good afternoon, supervisors.

Um Lisa Gluckstein, planning department.

Uh, I just wanted to indicate that the Planning commission did hear this item on September 19th and adopted a recommendation of approval with modifications.

The amendments recommended by the commission were to allow hand washing as an accessory use to any automotive service station across the city.

In other words, the amendments recommended by the commission would expand the applicability of the ordinance to all zoning districts and remove the limitation that Supervisor Chan mentioned that the provisions only apply to hand washing uses in existence as of the effective date of the ordinance.

Here for any questions.

Thank you, supervisors.

Thank you so much.

If there are no questions or comments, colleagues, let's go to public comment on this item.

Thank you, Madam Chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number two permitting outdoor hand washing, vacuuming and detailing of automobiles in the Geary Boulevard N C D.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to the lectern at this time.

And Madam Chair, it appears to have no speakers.

Okay, there uh public comment on this item is now closed.

Um, I would like to make a motion that we adopt the amendments as read into the record by Supervisor Chan.

On the motion offered by the Chair that the ordinance be amended as presented, Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Machmoon Machmood I, Chair Malgar.

Aye.

Melgar I.

Madam Chair, there are three ayes on amendments.

Okay, thank you.

And thank you, uh, Supervisor Chan for your work on this issue uh and for the amendments that you presented today.

Uh, since these amendments are considered substantive, uh we have to let them sit for another week.

So um I am gonna make a motion that we continue this item until our next meeting, which is next Monday, October 6th.

On the motion offered by the Chair that the ordinance be continued as amended to the October 6th meeting.

Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Makmoon, Machmud I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Madam Chair, there are three eyes once again.

Thank you so much.

Uh, and again, thank you, Supervisor Chan.

Um, let's go to item number three, please.

Agenda item number three is an ordinance amending the planning code to designate the Mint Mall and Hall at 951 to 957 Mission Street in the South Side Mission Street between 5th and 6th Streets as a landmark consistent with the standards set forth in Article 10 of the Planning Code.

It affirms the planning department's secret determination and makes findings of public necessity, convenience, and welfare under planning code section 302 and findings of consistency with the general plan and the eight priority policies of planning code section 101.1.

This item is on our agenda as a potential committee report, and it may be sent for consideration by the Board of Supervisors on their agenda tomorrow, September 30th, 2025.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

We've been welcoming all our colleagues here to the ladies' committee today, but our most frequent guest, uh Supervisor Dorsey is here with us, so I will turn it over to you, Supervisor Dorsey.

Thank you for being here with us.

Thank you, Chair Melgar.

It is great to uh be here for one of my guest appearances.

Um, and thank you to the members of the land use committee.

I'm proud to be here today to speak about the community-initiated landmarking of the Mint Mall, a significant cultural site for San Francisco's Filipino community and a cherished neighborhood gem.

As you'll hear from planning department staff, the Mint Mall is an important cultural institution in South of Market.

It's a community gathering space, a landing spot, and an inclusive venue where immigrants and long-time neighbors alike can get a home cooked Filipino meal, a haircut, and any of the services or support that the beloved small businesses and organizations base there have to offer.

This institution has a long and storied history.

The Mint Mall as we know it today may not have survived if not for the care and activism of many of the people who are present here today.

Uh as a longtime neighbor who lives a block and a half away.

It is where I have hosted many constituent meetings.

Uh it's where I've enjoyed many meals.

It's where I have joined many others to celebrate numerous holidays and retirements and birthdays, including my own, because there's many of us who have February birthdays, including Madison Tam, that are celebrated there.

It's where I have never and will never take part in karaoke, despite extraordinary pressure to do so on many occasions.

And it's where that I uh get my haircut at Addies because this caliber of hair care and grooming doesn't just happen by itself.

Now, as I mentioned, many of the folks I know from the Mint Mall.

I know from St.

Patrick's down the street, but I will say, as a newly appointed supervisor a few years ago, it truly meant the world to me to be embraced by Tita Tess and Juan at JT Restaurant as well as Addy and everybody at Addy's Beauty Shop, and just shown the ropes of Soma's tight-knit Filipino community, which I have always valued but have truly grown to love the longer I have the honor of representing it on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

The Mint Mall is where everyone can find in community, no matter who you are.

This worthy historic landmarking was initiated by the SOMA community, and they have ably championed it through every step of the process.

Their report was formed through thoughtful oral histories and interviews.

And notably this historic landmarking will itself be historic.

It will be the first such report in San Francisco history to be also written in Tagalog.

So I want to thank the many members of this community for spearheading this process.

Thanks as well to everyone here today to support it.

Chair Maldor, that concludes my opening remarks, and I'll defer to you to invite up the representatives from planning and the community for their presentation.

Thank you, Supervisor Dorsey.

I can see the Aquarius.

So we now have Moses Corrett from the planning department who will do a presentation.

Thank you very much.

The Mint Mall is the street level basement and mezzanine.

The Mint Hall are four levels of residential above that.

The Mint Mall and Hall landmark designation is part of the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Department's commitment to equity landmarks.

And it is also part of the Soma Filipinas Chess Report.

So we just adopted one and now we're seeing the implementation of another.

The Historic Preservation Commission does recommend adoption.

And one of the comments that we received was that it would be nice to see more images of perhaps the people that participated in the designation.

So we will be working on making an appendix to the um uh the report, which would not necessarily need to be adopted, but it's going to be part of the administrative record for the planning department, doing just that.

Um as Supervisor Dorsey said, this is the first landmark in which uh two languages are being presented for the uh the report.

Um that this is also a report that the designating ordinance will include some interior features of the publicly accessible mall.

Um, with that, I would like to introduce uh the uh primary author of the report, Zachary Fryel, uh, who will uh detail some more of the history.

Thank you.

Hello, welcome, Mr.

Frale.

Thank you.

Uh yes, thank you, Moses, and of course, thank you, Supervisor Dorsey as well.

Um, good afternoon, um, supervisors.

My name is Zachary Freel.

I'm the social development and policy coordinator with the South America Community Action Emperor, Som.

Um, in our interviews with residents, business owners, and community members, the Mint Mall has been described as a nurse center for the community, a gateway building, and a starting point for Filipino immigrants to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Many Filipino families first established residence in San Francisco in the Mint Hall due to its affordability, and they often hold on to their units to allow other relatives to also start taking root in the city.

Down below the two floors of the Mint Mall have been occupied by Filipino tenants since at least 1981 with the opening of the Filipino Cafe.

Significant tenants over the years have included Archipelago Books, Bindle Sith Studios, and JT Restaurant, as Supervisor Dorsey said, a very uh strong favorite of his.

So, archipelago books and JT Restaurant, then called New Filipinas, were at the forefront of the Save the Mint Mall campaign in 2000.

Filipino tenants in the Mint Mall were being served eviction notices, uh, and it was unclear if many of these Filipino businesses were uh nonprofits were going to be able to remain in the building.

This was happening in the context of the dot com boom, which was causing widespread gentrification and displacement in Soma.

And the owners of the Mint Mall wanted to convert retail spaces in the buildings to office spaces for dot-com startups.

So led by Marie Romero of Archipelago Books, Bill Sorro, Jenny Batayonis, and Roy Risha of Som Can, the Mint Mall organizing committee challenged the owners on the grounds of zoning code violations, illegally converting these retail spaces into office space.

And the MMOC was successful in negotiating long-term leases for these Filipino businesses, allowing them to then remain in the building.

To this day, the Mint Mall remains a touchstone for the Filipino community, not just in the South Market, but for the entire Bay Area.

As mentioned before, many Filipino families get their start in the city in the Mint Hall.

So even after they move out of the hall and into the Bay Area suburbs, they continue to come back to eat at JT, get a haircut at one of the local barber shops, and to visit local nonprofits for services.

So after this presentation, you'll be able to hear from one of our one of the long-term tenants in the building about why the building is very special to him and his family.

So thank you so much for being able to listen to this presentation and for considering this landmarking.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much for that.

Are there any questions or comments, colleagues?

I just want to say thank you, Mr.

Corrett, Mr.

Fryal, and thank you, Supervisor Dorsey, for bringing this to our committee.

And also share your affection for this community.

And I would like to be added as a co-sponsor if that's okay.

Let's go to public comment on this item, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number two, landmark designation for mint mall and hall.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to the lectern at this time.

Hello, supervisors.

My name is Ramon Bonifacio, and I'm a resident of 957 Mission Street, which is the Mint Hall of the Mint Mall building.

Just want to clarify that.

Our community members who have also stands in support of the landmark designations, Mint Mall and Mint Hall at 951 957 Mission Street.

First of all, I would like to thank Som, Soma Pilipinas and Moses from planning who came together, created the process to get this building landmark and coordinated to ensure residents like me and small businesses in the mint mall and the larger community is part of the every step.

Steps to our building landmarks.

And over the years, I have witnessed countless changes within its wall.

I have seen the walls shift colors from yellow to white, the floor change from rubber to wood, and managers come and go.

But despite all those physical changes, there is something that has never changed, and that is the sense of community and belonging that that lives here.

For me and for so many of my neighbors, 957 Mission Street is not just a building.

It is where our friendship was formed, where neighbors become families, where we build a strong community based on trust, support, and care.

I have shared meals with my neighbors.

I have seen families come together for celebrations.

I have seen children grow up running and playing in the hallways.

The everyday moments were even simple.

But they represent the very heart of what makes this place a special.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Do we have any other speakers for agenda item number three?

Okay.

Public comment on this item is now closed.

Supervisor Dorsey.

Thank you again, Chair Melgar and members of this committee.

Um also thanks to SOMCAN and Soma Filipinas and planning for all the work that has been done on this.

I just I appreciate it not just as a supervisor but as a neighbor.

Um and I want to say thanks to Chair Melgar for scheduling this item and for accommodating it as a committee report.

I know the community is excited to get this passed and on the mayor's desk for his signature during the month of October, which is Filipino American History Month, which starts in just a couple of days.

So I really appreciate it.

Of course.

Thank you so much.

Mr.

Clerk, I would like to make a motion that we send this item out of our committee with a positive recommendation as a committee report.

On the motion offered by the chair that the ordinance be recommended as a committee report, Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I.

Member Machmud Mahmoud I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Madam Chair, there are three eyes.

Okay.

That motion passes.

Thank you, Supervisor Dorsey.

Let's go to the next item, please, Mr.

Clerk.

Agenda item number four is an ordinance submitting the building code to allow affordable housing projects and certain other projects to defer payment of certain administrative fees and affirming the planning department's secret determination.

Thank you so much.

This is an item that was uh introduced and brought to our committee by Supervisor Mahmoud.

So the floor is yours.

Thank you, Chair.

Colleagues, as we know, financing 100% affordable housing is like building a house of cards.

It involves mixing local, state, and federal grants and loans, all with their own deadlines.

Matching requirements and strings attached.

A delay or even an extra cost in the predevelopment phase can be the difference between homes being built and a card toppling the entire project to fall apart.

As a city, especially in this difficult financial environment, we must do everything in our power to speed up and facilitate the building of affordable housing.

So this item that we have before us that we're bringing forward is related to fee deferral for housing projects, an often overlooked yet significant tool in our city's fight against the housing shortage to help push us to meet our state goals around housing production.

And this legislation does that.

It allows for affordable housing builders to defer the bulk of their administrative fees owed to the Department of Building Inspection from the time of permit application to instead the time of permit issuance after the permit has gone through the month's long approval process.

This item only applies to a hundred percent deed restricted affordable projects.

Moving these administrative fees to later in the development process provides more time for these projects to line up financing and also helps them with often difficult 100% affordable housing projects to pencil, get built, and become homes for San Franciscans who need the most.

Tate is here to answer any questions you might have, and I humbly ask colleagues for your support in moving this legislation to the full board with a positive recommendation.

Thank you.

Thank you for doing it.

I would like to be added as a co-sponsor.

I don't have any questions for Mr.

Hannah, but thank you for being here.

And seeing no one else on the roster, uh, Mr.

Clerk, let's go to public comment on this item, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comments related to agenda item number four, affordable housing projects administrative fee deferral.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to the lecture at this time.

Good afternoon, supervisors, members of the land use committee.

I'm here to speak in support of this proposal.

This is something that Hack is really excited about.

My name is Brianna Morales, and I am the San Francisco community organizer for the Housing Action Coalition.

We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for housing at all income levels.

And affordable housing is especially important and very difficult to get funded, as all of you know.

The stars need to align, a thousand things need to happen, and financing is incredibly tough.

We hear from our members and our nonprofit builders all the time that the uphill battles that they face are something that can make or break a project really easily.

They're facing rising construction costs, tighter financing conditions, and the reality is that every single dollar matters, and when those dollars are spent is incredibly important.

When we add heavy front upfront costs, we risk delaying or even stalling the project before they can get off the ground.

By allowing these fees to be collected later in this in the process, it gives our nonprofit builders a little bit more breathing room to be able to actually get things built.

And the payoff is huge.

We're able to make more affordable housing, and that specifically and directly benefits the community members, seniors, workers who are struggling to stay in San Francisco in the middle of a housing crisis.

And it also allows us to be able to meet our very bold housing element demands.

We really hope to see this proposal move forward and we thank the supervisors for their work in putting this together.

Thank you.

Thank you for comments.

Do we have anyone else who has public comment for agenda item number four?

Madam Chair.

Okay, public comment on this item is now closed.

Supervisor Mahmoud, would you like to make a motion?

I would like to introduce a motion to send this to the full board with a positive recommendation.

On the motion offered by Member Mahmoud that the ordinance be recommended to the Board of Supervisors, Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Mahmoud.

Aye, Mahmoud I, Chair Malgar.

Aye.

Madam Chair, there are three ayes.

Thank you so much.

Let's go to item number five, please.

Agenda item number five is an ordinance amending the building and planning codes to comply with California Government Code Section 66007 by postponing the collection and development impact fees for designated residential development projects to the date of first certificate of occupancy or first temporary certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first.

Affirming the planning department's secret determination and making other appropriate findings.

Thank you, Chair Melgar.

Uh, the second fee deferral item applies to development impact fees.

These fees can be over $10,000 per unit and historically have been paid prior to permit issuance years before when residents move in.

Last year, last year's SB 937, authored by Senator Scott Weiner, defers the due date of development impact fees for certain projects to the point of issuance of a temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy.

This law applies to 100% affordable projects, projects that use the state density bonus or a state streamlining law, and projects with 10 or fewer units.

Allowing for the due date of these fees to be closer to when buildings start making revenue means less reliance on pre-development financing and makes it more likely for these projects to become a reality.

This legislation modifies the building code to codify the state law, which is already de facto practice at DBI since the law took effect earlier this year.

It also builds on legislation from former mayor breed introduced in 2023 that created an opt-in local fee deferral program.

Not only does this legislation implement state law, but it also solves a problem that has been identified locally too.

One of the recommendations from the housing element implementation program approved in 2023 was to defer fees to the point of certificate of occupancy issuance, which is what we're doing with this legislation.

This legislation also claims up references in the planning code to impact fee reduced due dates, centralizing rules and building code section 107A.13 point three for ease of understanding by the public and staff.

I'd like to once again thank Tate Hanna from DBI as well as his colleagues Patrick Hannon and Kelly Omron for their work on this item.

I also want to thaw thank Rob Kapla, our drafting attorney, and Supervisor Dorsey for co-sponsoring.

Tate is here to answer any questions you may have.

And I believe Lisa Gluckstein is also here from planning to give the planning commission report.

I humbly ask for your support on this measure.

Thank you, Supervisor Mahmoud and Ms.

Gladstein, if you could come and give your presentation.

Thank you.

Lisa Gluckstein, Planning department.

Good afternoon again.

The planning commission heard this item on September 11th and adopted a recommendation of approval as an item on the consent calendar.

Thanks.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um thank you again, uh, Supervisor Mahmoud for uh this legislation.

Uh, strongly support it.

Uh we've done versions of this before during difficult times.

Uh, in definitely we need it.

So with that, uh, I don't see anyone else on the roster.

Let's go to public comment on this item, please.

Thank you, madam chair.

Land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number five, building and planning codes, development impact fees for residential development projects.

If you have public comment for this item, please come forward to like turn it this time.

Hello again, supervisors.

My name is Brianna Morales with the Housing Action Coalition as their community organizer.

Um, and we're here again to support this proposal.

This ordinance brings San Francisco into alignment with state law, specifically SB 937, a bill which hack proudly supported in Sacramento.

Um it is designed to make housing production more predictable by postponing fee collection until time of occupancy when a project is actually ready to house residents.

So, right now the structure the the way we structure impact fees at the front end of a project adds unnecessary risks, and we definitely want to see housing move forward at a time when it's really, really hard to get housing.

Um, we're in the middle of a housing crisis, families are leaving San Francisco, the affordability is really high, and it's causing people to either leave San Francisco or not be able to come and make their opportunities here.

When housing doesn't get built, the city doesn't get to collect any fees, communities don't get new neighbors and families lose out on the opportunity to create stable homes.

This ordinance helped fix that problem by aligning San Francisco's rules with state law and moving fee collection to when a project is actually ready for occupancy.

This creates stability, predictability, and ensures the city has the resources it needs to front infrastructure projects and transit and community benefits.

Ultimately, it just recognizes that today's market is hard while protecting the city's long-term commitments.

So we really hope to see this move forward.

And again, we thank the supervisors for their work in bringing more housing to San Francisco.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Do we have any further speakers for agenda item number five?

Madam Chair.

Okay, public comment on this item is now closed.

Supervisor Mahmoud, would you like to make a motion?

I'd like to introduce a motion to send this item to the full board with a positive recommendation.

Motion offered by Member Mahmoud that the ordinance be recommended to the Board of Supervisors.

Aye.

Mahmoud, I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I, Madam Chair.

There are three eyes.

Okay, motion passes.

Thank you.

Um, let's go to item number six, please.

Agenda item number six is a resolution urging the controller's city services auditor and the Department of Public Works to develop objective streetscape and landscape maintenance standards and finding that well-maintained streetscapes and landscape assets are integral to support small businesses and economic development on commercial corridors.

Thank you.

We um today is the day we welcome all our co-workers of the Lake Use and Transportation Committee.

Um, welcome, Supervisor Engardio.

The floor is yours.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chair Melgar, Vice Chair Chen, and Member Mahmood.

I want to explain the purpose and intent behind this urging resolution so that this board can continue work on this matter.

I took an interest in performance standards for San Francisco's landscapes and streetscapes after working with constituents on improving conditions on Sunset Boulevard, which is maintained by the Department of Public Works.

Local residents claimed, quote, we want a park presidio level of maintenance on Sunset Boulevard.

And for those who aren't aware, Rec and Park maintains park presidio, whereas Department of Public Works maintains Sunset Boulevard.

When I assumed office, my predecessor, Supervisor Marr, secured one million dollars over two years for additional gardeners on Sunset Boulevard.

San Francisco's Capital Planning Committee also committed over two million dollars for irrigation repairs and design and engineering for a new recycled water line.

What is the level of care and baseline level of service necessary to keep our landscapes and street cap streetcapes functional and well maintained?

What level of funding is truly needed to keep our street mediums planted, our street trees watered, and our major streetscape projects in a state of good repair.

What is reasonable for our residents to expect when it comes to a standard level of care for city maintained public spaces?

Oftentimes, the public does not discern between the different departments that maintain spaces: Wreck and Park, Public Utilities Commission, and Department of Public Works.

All three departments employ the same job classifications gardeners, plumbers, laborers, cement masons, carpenters, and the list goes on.

I know there are very capable and talented people within each job class and employed by all three departments.

Yet the perceived quality of public spaces under each department's purview varies wildly.

In 2004, San Francisco voters approved Prop C to create the city services auditor within the controller's office.

The city services auditor monitors the level and effectiveness effectiveness of services provided by the government to the people.

This group helps departments establish benchmarks and performance standards, measures workload and assesses the need for city services, measures the effectiveness and quality of service provided, and the extent to which a service meets the needs for which it was created.

I believe the development of landscape and streetscape performance standards is especially timely.

Across districts four and seven, the city has just completed the decade-long nearly 90 million dollar L Teravel improvement project.

This major west side infrastructure and streetscape beautification project includes new landscaping, street trees, placemaking elements and public art and street furniture.

We know this investment will revitalize a crucial west side transit line and commercial district.

As new businesses open and new customers come to eat, dine, and discover the Terravel corridor, this project should generate economic development dividends for years to come.

In addition, 2026 marks the 10-year anniversary of the city's passage of Prop E, which turned over street tree maintenance to the Department of Public Works, as well as tree-related sidewalk repairs.

If we care enough to allocate and prioritize funding for these projects and programs, then we need to treat our landscapes and streetscapes like infrastructure assets.

In turn, we need to understand the city's performance managing these assets.

When I look at Wreckin Park and controllers office parks maintenance standards, we have qualitative measures that help inform citizens and policymakers how well the city is performing to provide parks that are clean, safe, and ready for the public's use.

These spaces are fundamental to supporting equitable access to recreation and open space.

They support our residents' well-being, mental and physical health.

As a city, we've categorized every single park our Wreck and Parks Department maintains.

We've segmented our parks according to their functions and the roles they play within the city.

We know each park has a different set of features which are evaluated on a quarterly basis, including athletic fields, buildings and general amenities, children's play areas, dog play areas, green space, hardscape lawns, ornamental beds, outdoor courts, restrooms, table seating areas, and trees.

These evaluations generate qualitative performance measures for our parks department.

This information helps us answer fundamental questions for policymakers.

Do we need to allocate more funding for playground resurfacing, for restroom cleaning?

Do we need to hire more gardeners for landscape maintenance?

In comparison, the Department of Public Works performance standards are entirely quantitative.

How many trees were planted or maintained?

How many potholes were patched?

How many new curb ramps were installed?

How many graffiti tags were abated?

Our constituents deserve to know baseline levels of service for our major infrastructure projects and key city assets.

When we approach a department's work and impact through a citywide performance lens rather than on an asset by asset basis, we miss key qualitative data that's necessary to determine if a department is adequately staffed and resourced.

When a department asks for an additional one million dollars for additional gardeners, we should be able to answer how this translates to meeting a baseline level of service and care.

And for major streetscape projects, whether on Terravel, Van Ness, or the outer mission in the Excelsior, do we expect the trees and landscaping to survive after being planted?

How often do we expect the city to inspect streetscape assets?

What resources and additional staffing is necessary to keep these assets in a good state of repair?

So today, colleagues, I ask for your support on this resolution, urging the controllers, city services auditor, and public works departments to develop objective streetscape and landscape maintenance standards.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor Nguardio.

Supervisor Chen.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Supervisor Engadio.

I'm very supportive of this resolution.

This is similar issue and concern that I have heard from my constituents over and over in the last eight months.

I also um just had a ribbon cutting at a Kenny Alley Way this weekend, which I think in San Francisco, our community challenge grant is also investing a lot in our public space where we invest in Mosai, mural, any verification that we can make our neighborhood prettier and more scenic for our neighbors.

So with that, I also want to make a uh amendment uh to um the resolution that you introduced today to uh include stairways.

So uh with that um uh chair chairmelga, may I just introduce an emotion to add uh an amendment to inserve the stairways uh where uh wherever street uh streetscape and landscape appear in the resolution.

So this appear on just so you know on page one, line one and nineteen, on page two, lines four and nineteen, on page three, line five, number five.

So, and I again I this is um a very um important resolution uh resolution also uh to my district and I uh really appreciate um the introduction and thank you.

Thank you, and mine as well.

So I really appreciate it, Supervisor Ngardio, and I very much appreciate the amendment, Supervisor Chen, because I like you have many stairways that are uh maintained by different actually they're maintained by neighbors.

So uh having standards, of course, is really great.

Thank you.

Uh with that, let's go to public comment on this item, Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you, madam chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item number six, urging the city to develop streetscape and landscape maintenance standards.

If you have public comment for this resolution, please come forward to the lectern at this time.

And madam chair, it appears you have no speakers.

Okay, public comment on this item is now closed.

Supervisor Chen, would you like to make a motion to adopt the amendment?

Yes.

Yes, I would like to make a motion to adopt the amendments and the resolution with a positive recommendation to the full board.

Two motions offered by Vice Chair Chen.

The first to amend to add applicability to stairways, and then the second to recommend the resolution as amended to the Board of Supervisors.

On those motions, Vice Chair Chen.

I Chen I, Member Machman, Makmoud I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I, Madam Chair, there are three eyes on each motion.

Okay, thank you so much.

That motion passes.

Congratulations, Supervisor Nguardio.

Um, uh, Mr.

Clerk, let's go uh to item seven through 10.

Call together, please.

Agenda item number seven is an ordinance amending the planning code to create the 530 Samsung mixed-use tower and fire station special use district, including a conditional use review and approval process, allowing streamlined approval and exceptions from certain planning department requirements and the conditional rescission of an existing Article 10 landmark designation for 447 Battery Street within the special use district, revising the zoning map to increase the maximum height for assessors parcel blocked lot block number 0206, lot numbers 13, 14, and 17 within the special use district.

Agenda item number eight is an ordinance amending the general plan to revise the urban design element downtown area plan and land use index to facilitate the 530 Sansome Street and Fire Station 13 development project.

Agenda item number nine is an ordinance approving a major encroachment permit for EQX Jackson SQ Hold Coat LLC to occupy portions of Merchant Street between Sansome and Battery adjacent to 425 Washington, 439 to 447 Washington, and 530 Sansome Street.

These are assessor parcels blocks 0206 and lot numbers 13, 14, and 17 for the purpose of installing and maintaining decorative roadway and sidewalk paving, tabletop crosswalks, overhead string lighting, various pedestrian and bike oriented improvements and other non-standard infrastructure and new street trees, waiving certain requirements under planning code.

Sorry, under public works code section 724.7, 786.3, and 806, as well as administrative code section 1.51 in connection with the permittees implementation of the encroachment permit and project development.

Delegating to the public works director the authority to accept an irrevocable offer of the public infrastructure in merchant street, dedicate such infrastructure to public use, designate it for street and roadway purposes, and accept it for the city maintenance and liability purposes, subject to certain limitations.

Accepting a public works order that recommends the major encroachment and delegation to the public works director of the acceptance and related actions for the public improvements and authorizing official acts as defined in connection with the ordinance.

And finally, agenda item number 10 is an ordinance approving an amended and restated conditional property exchange agreement between the city and county of San Francisco, and EQX Jackson SQ Hold Co.

LLC for the exchange of 530 Sansom Street and 447 Battery Street, and the construction of a new fire station on 447 Battery, affirming exempt surplus property finding declaration, waiving the appraisal requirements of administrative code chapter 23rd, ratifying past actions and authorizing future actions in furtherance of the ordinance as defined herein.

Each of these ordinances make findings as related to CEQA, findings of consistency with the general plan and the eight-party policies of planning code section 101.1 and findings of public necessity convenience and general welfare under planning code section 302 as appropriate, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

That was quite a mouthful.

We now welcome District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter to the Land Use and Transportation Committee.

The floor is yours.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Colleagues, thank you for letting me join you today.

You have before you four items pertaining to 530 Sansome and 447 battery.

So if you'll allow, I want to give a bit of context on these.

You may recall that this project includes a new mixed-use downtown building with office and hotel and a new state-of-the-art fire station 13.

When completed, this will generate more than 800 million dollars in annual economic activity.

And this project makes it clear that our downtown recovery is real, but I am most excited about this project because of all the neighborhood benefits that it will bring.

This project will generate nearly 15 million dollars in affordable housing contributions to the city, and that includes funds to support the creation of 100% affordable senior housing at 772 Pacific Avenue, the New Asia project in Chinatown.

This will also result in a new state-of-the-art fire station that will serve the financial district in Barcadero and Barbary Coast, Telegraph Hill, Chinatown, North Beach, and Jackson Square.

And finally, this project is estimated to generate $14 million annually to the general fund.

I want to also mention that we've been working hard to address concerns from the historic preservation advocates on this project.

I'm happy to share that later this week at our GAO committee meeting, I plan to introduce an amendment to the development agreement, which will direct funds collected for the downtown park fund to be prioritized for historic preservation efforts in district three, namely in the Chinatown or Financial District area.

I hope this project and these items will earn your support today.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor.

We have Jonathan Cherry here.

Welcome.

Thank you, Supervisors.

Jonathan Cherry with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Joined today by colleagues from the planning department, from the San Francisco Fire Department, and from the real estate division.

And if I could ask, thank you.

Also present are the developer-related California and their architect SOM.

This proposal builds on years of thinking about the site and was initiated by the city in a developer selection process in 2019 for 530 Sansom Street, the current location of Fire Station 13.

Related was selected out of that process on a property exchange agreement, was originally signed in 2020.

From the beginning of this effort, the city identified three key objectives for this project.

First, to rebuild Fire Station 13 with a brand new facility that meets the department's modern operational needs.

Second, to bring increased activity to a key downtown site and the neighborhood.

And third, to generate new funding, as you heard, to build 100% affordable housing in Chinatown and District 3.

We were here in December of last year when this committee and the full board adopted a resolution endorsing key terms for a new approach to this project.

Since that time, this team has worked to refine the details and get aligned on the set of documents that is before you for your consideration today.

The full package of legislative items before the board consists of six ordinances.

Two of those ordinances will be considered by the GAO committee on Thursday.

I will provide an overview of the project and walk through the four items on today's agenda.

We think this project has the potential to be a catalyst for stimulating investment and generating continued energy downtown.

Equally important, this project creatively leverages that private investment to renew a key public safety facility serving the neighborhood.

This site is at the northern edge of the financial district, just a couple blocks from Jackson Square.

The site is bordered on all four sides by existing tall buildings with 10 to 13 story buildings to the north and south.

The Trans America Pyramid on the block to the west and one Maritime Plaza occupying the block immediately to the east.

The site consists of four parcels.

The city-owned fire station 13 is on the western edge of the site facing Sansome Street.

Mid-block, there are two vacant commercial buildings, and those parcels would be combined with the existing fire station parcel as the site of a mixed-use tower.

On the eastern side of the site is an existing three-story building at 447 Battery Street.

That parcel is the proposed location of a new Fire Station 13.

To the south is Merchant Street, an existing alley that provides a visual connection between Maritime Plaza and the Trans America Redwood Park.

The developer would make a number of pedestrian improvements on all four sides of the block, with a special emphasis on Merchant Street with widened sidewalks, special paving, new raised crossings at both ends of the street, new street trees, and new lighting.

The ground floor of the tower, along with the design of Merchant Street, builds on the streetscape improvements directly across Sansome Street as part of the ongoing Trans-America project, including the design of Mark Twain Alley seen here on the left.

On the right, this is the podium at the base of the new building, which would contain the most active public floors and a view down the redesigned Merchant Street.

Here you can see the existing fire station facing Sansome Street and a view down merchant in the same orientation as the previous slide.

The image to the right shows the proposed fire station orientation facing east toward Battery Street.

The design of the fire station has been carefully coordinated with the fire department with technical support by Public Works.

The exterior of the building has been shaped in conversation with the planning department and the arts commission, and the fire department and public works have provided the detailed program and operational requirements.

All of those design controls are incorporated into the approvals before you today.

This copper sculpture with its firefighter motif is currently on the facade of Fire Station 13 and is part of the city's civic art collection.

The sculpture would be preserved and relocated to the facade of the new station.

Shifting back to the mixed-use tower, here you can see the program.

At the base would be the public entry, retail, restaurant, and meeting room uses, 11 floors of hotel guest rooms would be above that, and the tower would be topped by office space.

You can see that the upper floors step back on both the north and south sides, creating a profile that is gradually more slender toward the top.

That profile is also designed to mitigate shadow impacts of the tower, in particular, almost eliminating any afternoon shadow on Sioux Beerman Park.

I'll mention the site south of Washington Street within the traditional financial district, is ideal for a tower of this height.

You can see in this skyline view from Telegraph Hill that SOM has considered how the building would fit among the existing towers of Embarcadero Center, one Maritime Plaza, and of course the Trans-America Pyramid, whose pinnacle is approximately 300 feet taller than this project.

Now, the development agreement is not on today's agenda, but we just wanted to spend a couple minutes going through the high points of that agreement so the committee has that context.

The development agreement would have an eight-year term, which includes an approximate three year construction period.

The DA would integrate with the other project approvals, including the property exchange agreement on today's agenda.

A primary community benefit is, of course, the new fire station, Fire Station 13 was built in the early 1970s and does not meet today's operational or accessibility standards.

The new station would be designed to lead gold and to modern seismic standards for an essential facility.

Let's see.

There would be a maximum 30-month timeline that I mentioned, and completion of the new fire station would be required before completion of the new tower.

The mix of uses in the project would be a benefit to downtown.

Construction will also generate approximately one million dollars in downtown park fees.

The developer will participate in the 1% for art program, and through hotel taxes, we estimate the project will contribute approximately $600,000 each and every year to support arts and culture programs.

The affordable housing payments as part of the development agreement would total nearly $15 million, and that is nearly three times the affordable housing payments that would have been due for the previous approved tower on the site.

Of this amount, related has agreed to pay over two million dollars within six months of entitlement, and regardless of whether a project is actually built.

Those dollars would be used by the city to fund the construction of 100% affordable housing with first priority given to the 772 Pacific Avenue Senior Housing Project in Chinatown.

The project will pay a number of other fees, including more than seven million dollars to the SFMTA.

Like all of our DAs, this one contains a workforce plan.

This plan includes prevailing wage requirements for the construction of both buildings, as well as first source local hire and LBE obligations.

The investment in this project will create hundreds of jobs both during construction and on an ongoing basis.

I'll just briefly summarize the technical aspects of the four ordinances.

First, the item seven on today's agenda is the planning code ordinance.

This would establish a special use district with land use controls, including the increased height limit and provides for a conditional use review process.

Another aspect of this ordinance relates to 447 Battery Street.

The existing building is shown here, built in the early 20th century.

In 2022, the Board of Supervisors designated the property a planning code Article 10 landmark based on its association with the city's early 20th century coffee industry and reconstruction after the 1906 earthquake and fire.

The planning code ordinance would rescind that designation contingent on the project moving forward and the city actually acquiring the property for the new fire station.

The planning commission found that in spite of the impacts on a historic resource, the significant benefits of the project support approval.

The project's mitigation measures require archival quality documentation of the building and its historical context in the form of drawings, photographs, and a report.

The developer will also implement a material salvage plan.

They will also be required to work with the planning department to design and implement an interpretive plan in a high visibility public location that educates visitors about the historical context of the site.

Item eight on today's agenda is an ordinance updating maps in the downtown area plan on the urban design element to show the project's SUD and approved heights.

Item nine would approve a major encroachment permit for the developer to construct the merchant street improvements and obligates the developer to maintain those improvements for the life of the tower.

And the last ordinance, item 10 is the amended property exchange agreement.

In the original version of this project, approved in 2020, the new fire station would have been integrated into the lower floors of a hotel and office tower.

The proposed amendments include two main updates to implement the current project.

First, the city would instead receive the adjacent property at 447 Battery Street, which allows the fire station to be built on a standalone parcel that the city would own free and clear.

And second, the amendments remove the cap on the developers' costs that were included in the original agreement.

The amended agreement requires the developer to construct the new station regardless of cost, other than any later city initiated additions to the design.

That brings us back to the schedule.

Since this committee last saw this project in December of last year, there has been an extensive environmental review process that culminated in July with the certification of the EIR.

In parallel, the project has been discussed at a number of commission meetings shown here.

Thank you for your time.

Supervisors, I will stop there and Chair Melgar, with your permission, I'd like to invite up Assistant Deputy Chief Michael Mullen of the San Francisco Fire Department, just to conclude the staff presentation.

Hi, Chief Mullen.

Good afternoon, Chair Mulligar, Supervisor Chen, Supervisor Moon, Supervisor Sauer, Mike Mullen, Assistant Deputy Chief of Sports Services, and I'm just here to express our thank to the board, the planning commission, uh Park and Rec for supporting this project thus far, and we need new fire stations.

We have some that are as old as from 1912, so we assume this will be part of the historic uh history of this city going forward, and we are in full support.

And once again, thank you for your uh continued support.

Thank you so much.

Um, Supervisor Chen.

Thank you, Margaret Chair Melga, and thank you uh for the great presentation, and thank you, Deputy Chair for uh Deputy Chief for speaking for support.

Um my comment is I also believe in that our this is our responsibility to ensure that projects like this one, particularly this one, that really have a strong role for the city, upholding high standards to achieve strong community outcomes.

I know there has been tremendous amount of work to get it to its current form, and I believe the time and work has made this project a much better project.

I am also very happy to see the affordable housing fee is not waived in this project, and that in fact it's actually double and investing in Chinatown New Asia project.

It feels like over the last year, we have been on the race to the bottom to sacrifice critical impact fees uh for affordable housing and projects like this one have demonstrated that it's another way forward.

I understand that it's commitment to pay this fee also within the first six months when this agreement is approved, not to wait until the project breaks ground.

This is also another demonstration that this is a very well supported project from all uh the community, uh the uh all the stakeholders that was involved.

And I also want to urge our CD to continue to ensure that affordable housing that it's involved, it's get to build as soon as possible.

This project is also comes with a very strong workforce agreement.

Um, and I understand the support from the organized labor, both in the services sector and also the construction side are very supportive.

So thank you for that labor agreement as well.

There are also contribution to the downtown pot fund as well as the commitment of public infrastructure through the new fire stations, all these provisions show that we can achieve, we can achieve a triple bottom line where we are elevating workers' affordability and public infrastructure that is needed, such as the cost of doing business for luxury developments in downtown area.

If I have to really live out one concern, which I would point out that how we are addressing small business displacement in projects like this, it's critical.

This topic, it's also very timely now, not just for this one, but for many kinds of projects coming before the city.

I don't think the city should participate in any project that will directly be contributing to the displacements of our small business.

I want to urge OEWD to activate grants and loan programs, technical assistance to find new spaces, and developers to also to see part of how we can continue to have a collective application to provide relocation support to small business and that it's being displaced it.

And I'm also very proud to support this project, and I'm going to vote in yes for this project.

Thank you.

Thank you, Supervisor Chen.

So I do have a couple questions specifically about the relocation of the business.

Um, but also, and I guess this is for Mr.

Cherry.

Why do we have to revoke the landmark designation?

We're doing mitigation anyway.

So can you just talk me through the process?

And I am totally supportive of the project.

And thank you, Supervisor Sauter, also for all your work on this.

I think this is going to be a net positive for our city.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

Great question.

So I'm Jonathan Vinmer with the planning department staff, and my manager, Rich is also here.

The landmark decision is fundamentally, I would say a legal necessity in that the only way to demolish a locally designated landmark property is to get a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the building.

And a certificate of appropriateness comes with certain findings, including compliance with Secretary of the Interior's standards that I think we and our commission, the historic preservation commission in this case, would agree or not, achievable.

So in order to remove that building and allow the project to proceed, the path had to be a legal mechanism wherein the designation was removed.

You no longer needed a certificate of appropriateness and all the associated legal findings that are tied into that designation.

So it was a C of A to demo a building.

I don't know how we would get there when it's listed.

If it's not listed, we're talking about CEQA and the ER, which we completed.

So are you saying that it's the case that any locally designated landmarks cannot be demolished unless we have a certificate of appropriateness that says that?

That's correct.

I mean, you can't replace a window on a locally designated building without a certificate of appropriateness at one of the staff level or at the HBC level.

So you can't make exterior alterations to these things.

So technically, a certificate of appropriateness could be granted to demolish an Article 10 property, but at a department level, and I believe I'm not speaking for them, but I leave the but believe the HVC would agree, there's no way to make those findings to justify it under a certificate of appropriateness.

And Rich, if I yeah.

Okay.

And um Chair Melgar to address your question about small businesses and also uh Supervisor Chen.

So uh we are fully aware uh of there's one small business in the 447 battery building that would be impacted by this project.

Uh we're fully aware of that situation.

Um we're in open conversation with that business owner.

Uh OEWD hosted uh meeting this summer in our office and discuss the various types of support, both um, you know, grants and loans as well as relocation technical assistance that our office and the office of small business offers.

We had the opportunity last week to um meet on site with the business owner uh with the Office of Small Business.

Um, you know, the uh OSB has offered the full range of their services uh at the right time if and when this project goes forward and if and when that business is impacted because we certainly understand the issue.

Um, you know, the the developer related, I understand is also in conversation with that business owner.

They're here today if you want to hear directly from them, but that's a summary.

Okay, thank you so much.

Um, so uh I don't see anyone else on the roster.

Or did you want to say a few more words?

Okay, thank you, supervisor.

Um, let's go to public comment on this item, please, Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Chair, land use and transportation.

We'll now hear public comment related to agenda item numbers seven through 10.

These impact 530 Sansome Street and uh 447 Battery Street.

If you have public comment for these uh four items, please come forward to the lecture at this time.

Ms.

Gomez, good to see you.

Come on up.

Hello, good afternoon, supervisors.

It's good to be back here with you.

Cynthia Gomez, research analyst, Unit Here Local 2, the Hotel Workers Union, and as referenced, yes, this project comes with an agreement that will ensure that the workers uh who eventually come to Statha's Hotel would be able to organize without intimidation or repression.

And these are agreements that uh we are always very proud to support agreements that uh that come with a promise of good jobs, the kind of jobs that every cyber disconne deserves to have.

And so we come and supported this project.

From what I understand, this project will also, as mentioned, come with similar agreements for the construction.

So it is it comes with a great deal of voluntary agreements on the part of the developer and will also supply us with a very much needed.

I'm sure there would be lots of agreement there.

New fire station.

So we're proud to support this project and uh thank you very much.

Thank you for your comments to the next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, everybody.

Uh my name is Cameron Robbins.

I represent the operating engineers local three, and I work in the San Francisco building trades here in San Francisco.

I'm asking you to approve 447 battery and 530 Samsung Street because it means a real job for blue-collared workers.

Hundreds of us will get good union construction work building it, and uh when it's done, there will be over a thousand permanent jobs.

It also gives the city a brand new fire station paid for the by the project, not the taxpayers.

Affordable housing and safer and more welcoming streets.

Sorry.

Uh this project uh uh that helps workers, it helps the community and helps San Francisco move forward.

Please say yes uh through items seven through ten.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon.

My name is Joe Sanders.

I represent the Painters and Drywall Finishers Union with District Council 16 here in San Francisco.

We're affiliated with the San Francisco Building Trades and uh here to support items seven through ten.

The proposed ordinance will move this important project forward, authorizing the encroachment permit and property exchange, will facilitate a new and much needed fire station.

This will add public safety, uh public safety infrastructure in addition to the new mixed-use tower.

The project will create uh good paying construction jobs and open up uh career opportunities for local apprentices.

I respectfully urge you to support this.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

So the next speaker, please.

Uh good afternoon, Chair, supervisors, and staff.

Uh my name is Greg Hardeman.

I represent the elevator constructors local eight, and uh, we are in strong support of 447 and 53047 battery and 530 Samsung.

Project for reasons grounded in jobs, community benefit, and public safety.

Uh first and foremost, this project delivers real meaningful jobs for San Francisco during the construction phase.

This project uh is expected to generate roughly 600 jobs.

Uh the work will flow to local contractors, tradespeople, apprentices, unions.

That means paychecks and benefits, training opportunities, and careers built right here at home.

Uh, once once built, the project will support 1500 uh permanent jobs, including 150 new hotel workers.

Steady employment that uh strengthens our local economy and builds middle-class uh opportunities.

Second, the project makes a direct uh important investment in public safety.

It includes a full cost of building a new firehouse, station 13, a modern four-story facility with appropriate uh bay with apparatus with four apparatus bays, training training roof, uh, living quarters, and uh the gear for the SF fire department uh that need to keep the city safe.

Uh um the third, the community stand uh the third uh the community stands to gain from uh significant uh public benefits, uh among them 15 million uh in affordable housing payments, construct contributing to the San Francisco's urgent housing needs, a positive physical contribution to the city's general fund and revenue that can help support the schools, transit parks, and other essentials.

Uh, and um uh and I ask you to support uh items number seven through ten.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, supervisors.

My name is Sharon Ng, and I'm here to speak on behalf of the Chinatown Community Development Center in support of the 530 Stanson Project.

As part of the development agreement.

This project provides critical funding for affordable housing in District 3, where the need is urgent and growing.

As others have noted, these funds will directly support an 100% affordable senior housing development in the heart of Chinatown, delivering 175 deeply affordable units.

This will be the first new construction of affordable housing in Chinatown in over two decades since the I Hotel, and it represents a crucial opportunity to meet the needs of low income seniors who have helped build and sustain the neighborhood and ensure that longtime Chinatown residents can eat in place with dignity and stability.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Next speaker, please.

Hello, supervisors.

My name is Emanuel Sanchez, representative with the iron workers, local 377 here in San Francisco.

I stand here on behalf of the local iron workers and building trades families who want San Francisco to thrive.

We hear every day about the need for affordable housing in the city.

This project directly contributes more than 15 million towards the goal money that will go into creating homes for family who needs them the most.

At the same time, it transform it transforms merchant street into a true living street with new plantings, safer sidewalks, and welcoming environment that connects people to Maritime Plaza.

This also it's also just another, it isn't just another office tower.

It's a project that brings tangible community benefits, housing, open space, safer streets, and local jobs.

It also makes downtown a place where worker workers, families, and visitors all feel welcome.

When private developers step up to contribute at this level, it's and it's partnership, the city should embrace.

Please approve seven through ten for this project and let those benefits reach the people who need them.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Let's have the next speaker, please.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board.

Um I want to offer my appreciation to the staff that have worked so hard across many departments to bring this forward.

We partnered, we the San Francisco Building Trades Council and our affiliated unions partnered with the developer on this project back in 2021.

I think it was.

This is really truly at the intersection of the financial district in Jackson Square, uh, a promising area for our economic development.

And in addition to the funding for Chinatown and for the affordable housing component, uh obviously the the fire department and the hardworking uh men and women there will be beneficiaries of this infrastructure investment.

Um, the final comment in support of items seven through ten really center around public private partnerships.

That's something that the new administration has been talking a lot about.

We think that related uh with its commitments uh to all the community benefits and organized labor is demonstrating what a true public-private partnership uh can be and how we can realize that for the benefit of all of our citizens and finally the revenue piece we kind of gloss over sometimes, but we are not out of the woods when it comes to the budget challenges that our public services uh are facing here in the city and county of San Francisco, and this will also provide uh future revenue for public services and therefore uh benefit the entire city uh and all of our city services we've come to rely upon.

So we urge you respectfully to support item seven through ten.

Thank you.

Thank you for your comments.

Do we have anyone else who has public comment for agenda item numbers seven through ten?

Madam Chair.

Okay, uh public comment is now closed.

Supervisor Sauter, did you want to make any okay?

Uh so with that, um, I would like to offer a motion to uh move these items out of committee to the full board with a positive recommendation.

A motion has been offered by the chair that all four of these items be recommended to the Board of Supervisors on that motion.

Vice Chair Chen.

Chen I, Member Machmood Machmood I, Chair Melgar.

Aye.

Melgar, I, Madam Chair.

There are three ayes.

Thank you.

That motion passes.

Uh, Mr.

Clerk, what's our next item?

There is no further business.

Great.

We are adjourned.

Thank you, everybody.