Needs to alter a portion of the turnaround to safely accommodate the sidewalk and pathway. It appears to have been no discussion between planning, dpw, the developer and rec and park about this situation. What will be the effect on overall design, number of availing parking spaces, and most importantly, safety. The proposed development will be will jet into existing open space, forming a visual barrier compromising open space and visitation avenues. Only eastern parkways for children walking to and from their homes. Were considered about safety issues where open space will be narrowed and a blindspot created on public park land. Thank you. President hillis thank you. Next speaker, please . Good afternoon, commissioners. Im herman yi, urban spouts, nonprofit that works in the sunny dale housing project. And i would like to echo the concerns about the pathway. I work with an Afterschool Program at the boys and girls club, were partners. And many of the youth go behind the garden at 1654 sunnydale and go up the playground and up visitation. Its the main way that cars get up and down the eastern part of mclaren park. So theres definitely i would like to encourage the commissioners to consider the safety issue there with children walking up and down and ensure that there is enough space for the for all walkers to walk up and down that part of the park. And just to also say that the children that i work with very much value the open space and they are actively tending open space in the sunnydale project as well as the gardens, just bordering it. So i would just like to also mention that as well and would like to thank you for your consideration. President hillis thank you. Next speaker, please. Hello, commissioners. Im linda lighthighser and ive been a parked a vehicle park advocate and volunteer for 15 years. This will impact the Community Garden in particular. This garden is part of a 12 million bond appropriation thats been granted to mclaren park. For the first time in decades, mclaren park is finally get being some infrastructure and capital improvements. We worked very, very hard on designs. The picture doesnt show you where the building is. Its the pictures at the top of the building, the top of the beds, will be located. It will create a wall there that will cast shadow and seriously impact the ability for people arriving at that side of the park to get into the park. One of the things in the bond planning and envisioning, working on entrances and access points. Mclaren park is our Regional Park for the southeast section of San Francisco. Its vital that people in all the comments surrounding the park have good access into the park and to take advantage of it. Blind spots, dark areas, shadows, are the detriment to Community Gardens and the antithesis of what we were hoping that this area will become. We spent a lot of time working on this. Had we known that this property was privately held, that this land was not part of the park because for decades and decades, the city of assumed it was, even rec and park assumed it was. They maintained it. So the shock we had when this property was sold is now further along in the Development Process and we find that really disheartening. Were seeing our open space in spite of the fact that were being asked to appreciate and unite around more density losing any amount of open space creates a bad sign for the future of our city when open space is so needed. Thank you. President hillis thank you. Next speaker, please . Hello, commissioners. Im adrienne bolsega. Ive been a part of this valley for 25 years and i was shocked when i got there. I didnt know what it was like to experience children that didnt really have food, single parents, and not a Healthy Living situation. Or come to a school that was not very healthy. So i got involved and started working with the neighborhood and started doing a part of the greenway. In my time at visitation valley, ive learned a lot about land and children and i want to explain to you what its like, the southern part of the John Mclaren Park. Think of the park as a big circle and so if we start south of the east, we have a school, with a fence around it. We have condos and a house. We have the bottom of the hill. We have another school with a fence around it. We have a senior center, with a fence around it. Then we have the area that were talking about. Its the last segment thats open. Its right along visitation avenue. You cross the ave, and you have a golf course with a huge fence around it. So much of the land south of John Mclaren Park is fenced. We have one segment left for an entry into John Mclaren Park and its the area were talking about. If you were to enter John Mclaren Park from visitation ave, this is what it would be like. You would enter. The kauffman Swimming Pool on the left. A childrens garden. On the right, open space. The garden that you see here. On top of this, north of this, pg e is putting a rain water storm garden. And then we have the church that will be demolished. So it really would look lake three houses inside of a park. Its visually, no one knew that that land wasnt part of the park, because the church, its a visual, upstanding building. So i just want to say for the health of the neighborhood, its very important that we think about the future and how were going to deal with the children of the neighborhood. And i want it say one more thing. This avenue for the children goes to visitation valley middle school. The principal got a principal award for the year because he introduced meditation to that school. Everyone meditates at that middle school. Thank you it. President hillis thank you. Next speaker, please. Hi. Good afternoon. Im charlotte hill. And i worked for 15 years. I would see how the students use the path and i noticed after there was a project with rec park to improve the path, not only were the students using it, but there were a lot more adults going into mclaren, using that path. So anything that could impact the safety of the path as a potential for people not entering the park would really be a shame. So im also hear today to talk to sorry, in place of people that are not here. We have three surgeries, two at work, and two flus, people that were going to speak against this project. And they represented people from california native plant society, the mclaren Park Community project, which you saw the drawing for, neighbors, and members of the mclaren park come on collaborative. President hillis thank you. Any additional Public Comment . Project sponsor, you have 5 minutes. Let me open my power point presentation. Before you is the images of leland on the left and raymond on the right. This is approximately 13,000 square feet. What we did for the staff is they asked us to draw a map, which is in your packet, which shows the urban Development Pattern of this area, especially along raymond street, along here and on the on leland avenue. This shows you the boundaries of the site, which i think in our Previous Commission hearing, there was confusion, and we wanted to clarify that. The existing path that is used is always it always will be intact here and i will show you in our building structure drawing here, again, this is the north block face of rave monday and thats the south block face of raymond. And theres the south block face on your right of leland and then north block. Here in this diagram, it shows that the existing path. This is visitation. This is raymond. Heres the paths along there now. Our site, this is approximately 36 feet from this corner to visitation. In this area, 106 from this Property Line to visitation here. These trees are here. They will be staying in place. The five homes this is the development that the lady referred to along the Community Gardens, on the end of leland culdesac. Heres a development of five homes, one, two, three, four, five. Two on leland and three on the raymond side. What we also showed here, too, i think there was confusion about the landscaping. We have some areas where the lots are wider. Weve plan to put landscaping to screen the buildings. You can see were keeping the midblock open space here. Typical floor plans for the houses, 4 bedrooms on raymond. On leland, 3 and 4 bedrooms. I will go through them quickly. Raymond street profile of the new buildings. Theres existing buildings here. What you see, too, in our landscape elevation, this is the condition of the raymond culdesac. Our clients are taking on their own response to clear some of the trash thats being dumped out here. The Church Building is there. Theres a 40foot height difference between the cushion the corner from the leland area. And these are the drawings showing you the context of the buildings. Again, our landscape, as you can see, this end lot is much wider. This is approximately 35 feet and landscaping it, putting in a new fence, which is a willow, wood fence horizontally laid in there. This is a condition, like you see from visitation. This large tree in the center is on park property and that will remain. Heres the Church Building. Again, i think one of the concerns from the last Planning Commission meeting was a view from the park. This is a new landscape were proposing. Heres the fence, the willow wood fence mounted horizontally that we designed with our landscape architect. Heres leland avenue street. And heres raymond avenue street. Other views we generated this is a quick plan of the house on a triangular lot on leland. This is the culdesac as it is now. The area has been excavated, 598, 596. Again, just the floorplan showing the relationship to the Property Line to the house with landscaping on the side of the house. Again, the rendering. This is what it looks like from the street. We modlate where the buildings are going. The church sits on a 10foothigh terrace. And thats why its you have the steps here and the landscaping. Again, our landscaping, again, on the street, as you can see, and im available to answer any questions that you might have. President hillis all right. Thank you. We may. First, well take Public Comment in support of the project and opposed to the d. R. Mr. Smith . Good afternoon, again, corey smith. Obviously a little bit away from what were typically going for or advocating for on an active basis. Its not park land. And its sipping singlefamily homes. And specifically, the word is, families. It will be an opportunity for families live in San Francisco. We want access to the park to be maintained and continue to be used by the community. Were speaking against the d. R. And want the project to move forward. Thank you. President hillis thank you. Any additional Public Comment . Seeing none, ms. Martin, 2minute rebuttal. Sorry. I have to get assembled. Several years ago, the Planning Department held the eastern neighborhoods master planning process. Originally vis valley was included, but dropped without notice or reason. We have suffered from piecemeal rulings that have been a problem. In the past, theres been a denial of master plan and allowed our neighborhood to be used for what the rest of the city doesnt want in affluent neighborhood. Our main concern is that the land not be built upon, particularly on the raymond side. If the land were to be sold, there is possible financing with the vis Valley Developers fee, which our organization initiated. Malia cohen supports our efforts to save open space at the 590 leland site. Theres been a slow reduction of the park. In the recent past, housing was build on private property adjacent to mclaren park, creating a fortress around the park. The easy access and visibility has been denied to our community. The city needs to adhere to the general plans. Shadowing, public accessibility, and integrity has to be taken seriously the focus is on housing and muchneeded amenities. Planning should look at the entire vis valley neighborhood and think about creating a Healthy Community in a highneeds neighborhood expecting 5,000 to 10,000 new units of housing in the near future, which, by the way, we promoted from the beginning. This project adds no value. It just diminishes our neighborhood. Allowing it to go forward is shameful treatment of a community that has supported highdensity housing that other neighborhoods reject. President hillis thank you, ms. Martin. Project sponsor . 2minute rebuttal. Commissioners, just pack from my diagram here. As we pointed out, the pathway that many of the public has referred to is still intact right here. This is the pathway. Some of the work has gone in here, but this is the pathway. Sorry. This is the pathway that many of us refer to. There are already tall trees that you saw here thats on the public property that casts shadow. We had discussions with malia cohens office and their aide. And in all of our discussions, we were not aware of any positions taken by the office, but we kept them apprised of public concern. The housing, which is noted here, is when the lot the lots were never divided. The lots were actually combined for billing purposes to one lot and then resplit through a compliance letter so that the intention of urban development for this site is the continuation of singlefamily housing. Its the type of structuresable uses that is predominant in this neighborhood and we feel its compatible and it adds to the neighborhood by adding more housing. In this development, theres an opportunity for this site to be a buffer between the more established housing and the other housing and the park because of the landscaping and buffering that we propose on the site. We would like the opportunity to develop this property. We feel its a good value project for an infill project, particularly for a site where the structure is unutilized and vacant right now. Weve had numerous breakins on the church and Police Reports where weve been asked to get vandals and vagrants out of the property. So its been a problem for us to manage it and would like to develop it into singlefamily homes. President hillis that closes this portion of the hearing. Well open it up for commissioner comments and questions. Commissioner melger ill start. So its been a year since we saw this presentation. And im wondering if i could ask the d. R. Requester if there has been any progress made. I remember a year ago, you had talked about the conversations you had had with the parks folks about can you come up . Thank you. This is, as you know, private property and were limited as to what we can do, but youve had a year to have discussions. Did you make any progress . In terms of rec and park, i have to be careful what i say. We have had discussions, but its im not allowed to reveal. I know it sounds strange, but i cant say. Yes, weve had talks. And theyve been theres been some support in rec and park and i think if you recall there was a vote to support aquisition of the site and one of the Things Holding it up is financing. And we could get the financing quite possibly through developers fees. When we talked to supervisor cohen, i dont know how much it would cost. My concern is that it not be built on. We had to stop home depot. We had to get Community Planning going there. Once you build, its all over. We will never be able to do anything at that space. Its not an enormous amount of money. Ive been on Transportation Authority cac and different groups and 1 million or 2 million. Its a lot of money to me but in terms of the city, its not that much. In terms of the value that will be added by this land to that open space is im measurable. And i dont have an answer. I know that the community does not want it. We have different groups. We work with kids. There as school right there. Theres senior housing. I dont think that as jim mentioned, the land, where it comes in, it narrows down. Theres that theres two paths that are a sidewalk and a pathway, that are proposed to rec and park and dpw and, you know, the powers at be. Commissioner melger okay. Thank you. My question was only about if you made any progress during this year. I have a question for the project sponsor, if thats okay. So when we heard this the last time, there was a lot of concerns from the neighborhood that were raised about the path going from raymond avenue culdesac down to the Community Garden and i understand that theres no impingement from the project, but i remember that you had put up pictures of a very tall fence and, you know, i remember my worry being, well, so the kids are used to going down that concrete path right now a the at sort of left edge of the top of the hill. And now you will make them go around . And im wondering if you put a big, tall fence how that will go. So you showed some pictures of a newly designed fence, but i didnt get a sense of it. Can you show them again or if you have a better sure. Im one of the sponsors. Weve met many times with the d. R. Requesters and in one of the earlier ones, they raised the question. We sat there eight hours, four hours one day, four hours another, not holidays. We didnt see a single student. There was a lot of suspect activity at the end of ray monday, if anything. We didnt see anybody in two Different School days walk up and down. There were a couple of people with dogs walking, excuse me, maybe in all that. Theres a distinguish ed panel speaking against the item, but with every item, 293, you will see a lot of pictures that we took that show that almost none of the issues, if not all of them, are invalid. Were not blocking anything. Most of the area, as it is, of our area, is already already has a structure on it. Were not taking anything from the park. I have a lot of pictures here showing you up a the garbage thats all over the place. Commissioner melger i understand. I wasnt questioning that stuff. I was asking about the fence, if its been redesigned or if we can look at it. May i add something . We got an urgent call from rec and park asking us to meet them at the site. We get there, talk to them. They were concerned that we would block the path. We show them everything. We talked. We asked if they had any interest. They said they had none, but maybe they dont know. I cant say. The only concern is that they were going to redevelop or do something with that path that goes sort of along visitation avenue, that were not touching it, not putting anything on it. We have a slide showing 37 to 36 feet from our lot. There is no issues of soil. Its flat. Its full of garbage, but its flat. Thats what rec and park told us over a year ago when we met them there. They had tremendous concerns that were going to destroy the path or do something. Its out of our private property. Were not touching anything. Commissioner melger thank you. My question was about the fence. Nothing else. [laughter] i have this problem with my wife, too. I dont answer her questions right away. Let me pull that up real quickly. This fence. Theres another image, too, let me get to that, right here, that shows a fence to the right of raymond right here. This fence. Its a willow wood fence. Its made so that you can see through it, so its not a solid barrier. Commissioner melger all right. You can see the landscaping. Its more like a filter. Commissioner melger okay. Thank you. Thats better. President hillis commissioner moore . Can i ask a question on that same topic . Behind that and adjacent to 590 between the City Property and 589 raymond where you are showing that fence, what is the use of that land . Thats a side yard for that house. President hillis so it has a large side yard . Correct. Let me get to a site plan. Commissioner moore which one are you referring to . President hillis raymond avenue along the culdesac. This is the 35footwide that you saw with the rendering. This is a side yard to this house. And its landscaped. President hillis has there been any discussion about is that . Its a large side yard. Its nice for the property to have that side yard, but im wondering, is there any is there any way to somehow utilize that in a better way with no fence or remains an open easement between your development and the City Property there . I well, i think whats important to note there is that the site is very steep in this area. It also drops off very quickly. Its not as flat in this area where the as it is out along where the trail is. So this is if you can see it, theres a drop about 40 feet from this curb height to this curb height. President hillis yeah. What is the drop from that curb height at the corner to the to where the building starts at 589 . Probably 4 or 5 feet. I think you see it here on this let me get to this image. You see heres the if you can see the dotted line, thats where the street is in front of the house and heres the high point of the triangular corner, okay . So theres a drop. It goes down from there. [please stand by] the very large building is at the edge of the open space and the building is the maximized single residential in comparison to what is adjoining to the south. And im wondering why you pushed that particular building against the Property Line. If i could have the image up on the screen, we have the site plan here that shows it might appear on the garage level plan where the building and stairs are against the Property Line, but as it goes back, this footprint steps back. This is at grade. Commissioner i am using the overall site plan which is a cumulative image of all pieces together that outlines the building footprint as coming all the way to the property edge. And i dont know if that has changed. The one that we submitted to the staff is this one where it actually steps back, and its not against the Property Line. Commissioner for the commission, i am referring to this drawing. Dated 12162017, so thats for todays packet. Is the lead page and each of the five buildings with the building in question highlighted in yell yellow. That is 598 leland, correct . Correct. That is the only one this sits aggressively on the Property Line. This is what was submitted to staff. Commissioner that is accurate to what is in the drawing set. If you look at the, i guess, its hard because theyre all labelled 590. And the one package for 596 leland, you will see there is more detail provided. Right. And this diagram, i think this is the pdf sent to the staff, it is part of the record. What we do notice sometimes is when we send the pdf to the staff and they go and print it, the clarity of the prints that come from the Printing House arent the same as we get in our office. But if you look at this one here, this is 598 leland that shows the footprint in sort of that orange color and then the landscaping that is against the Property Line and the fence is there. If the building is not intended to be against a triangular Property Line, it is intended to have landscaping and grade. Commissioner and i dont have the one you are referring to. I have a site plan similar to what you are showing, and id be happy to show you the copy here. Sure. Commissioner im concerned that one building makes the project look rather massive. I dont have anything the buildings otherwise are fine. They are large. They fit the neighborhood. It is definitely a kind of like developerdriven housing. And is not spec housing and the building that looks similar architecturally i think they are fine. It is just that they are very large. And because they are large and you have a very sensitive site on which they occur, there is a little bit of crowding at the edges. That would be the best way i would describe it. Is there a way to that 598 lela leland, kind of the last jog of that property, could you eliminate that . I think we could work with staff to, how can i say, remove the love handles that you see on the side of the building. Commissioner right. The last 1 3. The last 1 3. Yes. Commissioner if you look at your design. And kind of emulate the 25food module already been expressed. Commissioner and the bedroom on the main floor and extra room on the top floor. I agree with that comment. I think that would be a good kind of effort. I dont think were at a place, at least im not comfortable in a place to deny this project. Its private land. I get that the folks from the area have worked hard to maximize open space in the neighborhood, and thats a kind of been supportive of development in the neighborhood. And this is not a cityowned site. There doesnt seem to be any Movement Towards i think that suggest would create more massing relief between the City Property and the family house. Yes. Commissioner commissioner moore . Commissioner moore since there is no reaction from park and rec, which i would have liked to have had to go through the larger ideas, hear their larger plan, and get a feel for what they think, i feel that what is really in front of us is five residential buildings which come forward as design on a large lot, subdivided into five individual lots. And that is basely cha it is. Theres nothing wrong with the unit. I think the modification that we are talking about here at least aleaves some of my anxiety of the alleviates some of the anxiety on my part and the more flowing nature of the garden next to it. And thats where i am. Commissioner is that a motion . Do you want to adjust the 598 leland portion project to maintain that 25foot, i think, width of the building throughout . And the module. Commissioner so you wouldnt bump it out at the last. Correct, correct. Second that if that is a motion. Commissioner its a motion, yeah. President hillis we have a motion and a second, jonas. If i understood that correctly, its just the motion is to take dr and approve the project with the amendment that the 598 leland project maintain the 25foot module to be consistent with the other properties. On that motion, commissioner fong. Commissioner koppel. Commissioner richards. Commissioner president hillis, excuse me. Thank you. That motion passes unanimously 50. That is it, right. So meeting adjourned. Thank you. Selfplanning works to preserve and enhance the city what kind hispanic the environment in a variety of ways overhead plans to fwied other departments to open space and land use an urban design and a variety of other matters related to the physical urban Environment Planning projects include implementing code change or designing plaza or parks projects can be broad as proipd on overhead neighborhood planning effort typically include public involvement depending on the subject a new lot or effect or be active in the final process lots of people are troubled by theyre moving loss of theyre of what we preserve to be theyre moving mid block or rear yard open space. One way to be involved attend a meeting to go it gives us and the neighbors to learn and participate dribble in future improvements meetings often take the form of open houses or focus groups or other stinks that allows you or your neighbors to provide feedback and ask questions the best way to insure youll be alerted the Community Meetings sign up for the notification on the website by signing up using youll receive the notifications of existing request the specific neighborhood or project type if youre language is a disability accomodation please call us 72 hours before the event over the events staff will receive the input and publish the results on the website the notifications bans feedback from the public for example, the feedback you provide may change how a street corridors looks at or the web policy the get started in planning for our neighborhood or learner more mr. The upcoming visit the plans and programs package of our we are talking about with our feedback and participation that is important to us not everyone takes this so be proud of taking a job. My name is heather im an society engineer start as an interim about the knowing that and after completed my certificates i received my professional engineering licenses and became a an social engineer i work on a chain of multi engineering we work on a plan through conduct and take ownership and are involved from the beginning to the he said end i take a lot of pride. Where you, you planning on uss this. At the top. At the top of interference. Its regarding ive been given more challenging projects working as a designer on smaller projects to tuvenl managing project im a huge go property of getting revolved in jerry, it is a field that month women dont know about the more educated theyll apply for college i love the professionals and the projects i work with its very tenderloin is unique neighborhood where geographically place in downtown San Francisco and on every Street Corner have liquor store in the corner it stores pretty much every single block has a liquor store but there are impoverishes Grocery Stores im the cocoordinated of the Healthy Corner store collaboration close to 35 hundred residents 4 thousand are children the medium is about 23,000 a year so a low Income Neighborhood many new immigrants and many people on fixed incomes residents have it travel outside of their neighborhood to assess fruits and vegetables it can be come senator for seniors and hard to travel get on a bus to get an apple or a pear or like tomatoes to fit into their meals my my name is ryan the cocoordinate for the tenderloin healthy store he coalition we work in the neighborhood trying to support Small Businesses and improving access to healthy produce in the tenderloin that is one of the most neighborhoods that didnt have access to a full Service Grocery store and we california together out of the meeting held in 2012 through the Major Development center the survey with the corners stores many stores do have access and some are bad quality and an overwhelming support from Community Members wanting to utilities the service spas we decided to work with the Small Businesses as their role within the community and bringing more Fresh Produce produce cerebrothe neighborhood their compassionate about creating a healthy environment when we get into the work they rise up to leadership. The Different Stores and assessment and trying to get them to understand the value of having Healthy Foods at a reasonable price you can offer people fruits and vegetables and healthy produce they cant afford it not going to be able to allow it so thats why i want to get involved and we just make sure that there are alternatives to people can come into a store and not just see cookies and candies and potting chips and that kind of thing hi, im cindy the director of the a preif you believe program it is so important about Healthy Retail in the low Income Community is how it brings that health and hope to the communities i worked in the tenderloin for 20 years the difference you walk out the door and there is a bright new list of fresh fruits and vegetables some place you know is safe and welcoming it makes. Huge difference to the whole environment of the community what so important about retail environments in those neighborhoods it that sense of dignity and Community Safe way. This is why it is important for the neighborhood we have families that needs healthy have a lot of families that live up here most of them fruits and vegetables so thats good as far been doing good. Now that i had this this is really great for me, i, go and get fresh fruits and vegetables it is healthy being a diabetic youre not supposed to get carbons but getting extra food a all carbons not eating a lot of vegetables was bringing up my whether or not pressure once i got on the program everybody o everything i lost weight and my Blood Pressure came down helped in so many different ways the most important piece to me when we start seeing the Business Owners engagement and their participation in the program but how proud to speak that is the most moving piece of this program yes economic and social benefits and so forth but the personal pride Business Owners talk about in the program is interesting and regarding starting to understand how theyre part of the larger fabric of the community and this is just not the corner store they have influence over their community. It is an owner of this in the department of interior i see the great impact usually that is like people having especially with a small family think liquor store sells alcohol traditional alcohol but when they see this their vision is changed it is a small Grocery Store for them so they more options not just beer and wine but Healthy Options good for the business and good for the community i wish to have moit. Shop dine in the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges resident to do their shop dine in the 49 within the 49 square miles of San Francisco by supporting local services in the neighborhood we help San Francisco remain unique successful and vibrant so were will you shop dine in the 49 chinatown has to be one the best unique shopping areas in San Francisco that is color fulfill and safe each vegetation and seafood and find everything in chinatown the walk shop in chinatown welcome to jason dessert im the fifth generation of candy in San Francisco still that serves 2000 district in the chinatown in the past it was the tradition and my family was the royal chef in the pot pals thats why we learned this stuff and moved from here to have dragon candy i want people to know that is art we will explain a walk and they cant walk in and out it is different techniques from stir frying to smoking to steaming and they do show of. Beer a royalty for the age berry up to now not people know that especially the toughest they think this is i really appreciate they love this art. From the cantonese to the hypomania and we have hot pots we have all of the cuisines of china in our chinatown you dont have to go far. Small business is important to our neighborhood because if we really make a lot of people lives better more people get a job here not just a big firm. You dont have to go anywhere else we have pocketed of great neighborhoods haul have all have their own uniqueness. San francisco has to all look at that beautiful jellyfish. The way to speak to students and motivate them to take action, to save the planet, they do, they care and my job is to speak to them in a way that they can understand that touches their heart and makes them feel powerful with simple actions to take every day. I was born and raised in the desert of palm springs, california. My dad was the rabbi in the community there. What i got from watching my father on stage talking to the community was learning how to be in the public. And learning how to do public speaking and i remember the first time i got up to give my first school assembly, i felt my dad over my shoulder saying pause for drama, deliver your words. When i was a kid, i wanted to be a teacher. And then when i got into high school, i decided i wanted to get into advertising and do graphic art and taglines and stuff like that. By the time i was in college, i decided i wanted to be a decorator. But as i did more work, i realized working my way up meant a lot of physical labor. I only had so much energy to work with for the rest of my life and i could use that energy towards making a lot of money, helping someone else make a lot of money or doing something meaningful. I found the nonprofit working to save the rainforest was looking for volunteers. I went, volunteered and my life changed. Suddenly everything i was doing had meaning. Stuffing envelopes had meaning, faxing out requests had meaning. I eventually moved up to San Francisco to work out of the office here, given a lot of assembly through Los Angeles County and then came up here and doing assemblies to kids about rainforest. One of my jobs was to teach about recycle, teaching students to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost, im teaching them they have the power, and that motivates them. It was satisfying for me to work with for the department of environment to create a message that gets to the heart of the issue. The San Francisco department of environment is the only agency that has a full time educational team, we go into the schools to help teach children how to protect nature and the environment. We realized we needed animal mascot to spark excitement with the students. The city during the gold rush days, the phoenix became part of the city feel and i love the symbolism of the phoenix, about transformation and the message that the theme of the phoenix provides, we all have the power to transform our world for the better. We have to provide teachers with curriculum online, our curriculum is in two different languages and whether its lesson plans or student fact sheets, teachers can use them and weve had great feedback. We have helped public and private schools in San Francisco increase their waste use and students are working hard to sort waste at the end of the lunch and understand the power of reusing, reducing, recycling and composting. Great job. Ive been with the department for 15 years and an environmental educator for more than 23 years and im grateful for the work that i get to do, especially on behalf of the city and county of San Francisco. I try to use my voice as intentionally as possible to suppo support, i think of my grandmother who had a positive attitude and looked at things positively. Try to do that as well in my work and with my words to be an uplifting force for myself and others. Think of entering the job force as a treasure hunt. You can only go to your next clue and more will be revealed. Follow your instincts, listen to your gut, follow your heart, do what makes you happy and pragmatic and see where it takes you and get to the next place. Trust if you want to do good in this world, that good morning. Today is wednesday, january 17,