 My name is Michael, followed by Diana's science. Good evening, my name is Michael, I live on 119 Baxter. Thank you everybody for staying this late, spending your evening here. I've been an Eastside resident for over 26 years, and my family is longer than that. We ended up in the Eastside because of projects like this that increased the cost of living in other parts of town. We've been displaced multiple times, just like everybody else in the Eastside. So, something about the Eastside that makes it very unique is the resilience of the people there. Everybody in the Eastside has been there for a long time, and it's something like that, that the city and the government has given us that makes our culture unique and shows how resilient we are. Now my big concern with this project is, aside from how ugly it is, is that the impact that it's going to have on the people that live around there, we've been displaced many times, and this just might deal with one more time. We can't afford these $1,000 apartments, like the person before me stated, $500, $600 is more or less what we've been able to afford our lives, and this is almost double that, and that's for the lower range. You know, the Eastside has been getting hit with gentrification very often, and there's another project down the street on commerce known as Echo East. That's as ugly as this, and we have the same impact as this will. So, we're here to try to stop this, try to help conserve the bridge, the bridge to view all the benefits that gives the Eastside residents a little bit of what they deserve. This is a historically alluded community that has been, you know, basically my slag for projects like this to see if they kick off, and not only is it very non-creative, but it's just another replicated version of other things we see around the city. I don't know if the developers here are the best or whoever designed this, but it's really ugly, it's not creative, and the Eastside does not deserve this. Aside from the forced story and blocking the view, it doesn't deserve in our community, and it just diminishes the art and the creativity of our community, and it also displaces us as well. Thank you for hearing this, and I hope you swatched this once and for all, so when I keep coming back here, I may be able to go back to the boards and spell vice a little right way and design something better. Thank you. Hi, my name is Dianna Sines, and I live in District 10. Eastside community is actually part of the community as a whole, San Antonio, and the History Bridge is a big part of bringing that together with a lot of the organizations that we have with the cycling organizations that have used this, the running organizations and also the yoga that has taken place on the bridge. It's shown the beauty of San Antonio, it's shown the beauty of the Eastside. This is not the beauty of the Eastside. This would actually take away from the historical part of the bridge, and the stories you hear from people on the bridge that go back to revisit the bridge of the memories that they had also from that they were engaged on the bridge or they could have their Pincigna pictures there, their photos there. They were once here and in fact had the front of San Antonio Women's Magazine. It's always used for a lot of photo ops there. We would like to have that bridge remain a part of the community and have community access. This developer will be surrounding the entire bridge and will eventually run the access to the community. This thing right here is something that we couldn't see in any part of the city. Even District 1 wouldn't have something that looks like that. We want that to be part of the community. We want that one little square, that one fort that's all the land that he's eventually going to, this looks like greed, it's a building of greed right there. If he could give that back to the community, that would be something that would be very, who would want to see some kind of a compromise, that might be a good compromise, since the way that the land was received anywhere was in question. It's a good one for you guys to have that in consideration. Thank you. Next to us we have Ruben Martinez, followed by Carol Fisher. Good evening, I'm Ruben Martinez. I'm from Nicaragua, District 4. Me and my boys, we like to go to the bridge. It's a beautiful place, kind of just iron and wood. When you look at it, I like to go and I always catch the best time when there's no one there. And that can be anytime, sometimes between 10 to midnight, sometimes from 10 to 11. When looking around, you see the chainchats, you feel the rumble and the noise and everything. And seeing this building coming up, I'm thinking about it. And I'm like, you know, we're going into 2018. We're in 2018. You're building a building that's already been done before. I was talking to some of the people on the team. If you're going to, if you are going to build something, if you are going to, which I hope you're not, all of the stuff that I'm hearing, there's so much dirt that was swept under so many rubs and all of that's going to get beaten out. We need to figure out, we need to dig deep into the storybook, deep into how all of these deals, how we got to this place, reanalyze everything again. Because you see that the people are concerned. There's a lot of different issues people are concerned with. There's this, that and the other. There's just so much stuff here. So for us to be pushing and pushing an approved order stamp, or let's keep it going, let's get the next step, let's break ground, let's, you know, hold on, slow that, wait a minute. You know, we haven't had any time. Let's not rush this. Let's not get married on Monday. I keep saying that. I've used that before. And I think you understand what I'm saying when I say that. So ultimately in the end, I mean, I say if you're going to put a building, do something that America has never seen, build like something revolutionary, or 90% recycled materials. I want like tires and hand-crete or whatever. I want something revolutionary. Put Santa on the map. This has, you know, this has been done many times. If you're going to put, if you're going to break ground, you're going to do something, make an awesome park on the side facing the neighborhood, and the apartment people can use the park, communal gardening, whatever they need to make a public space. This is for the community. This is not for profit. That bridge is not there to attract more profit. That bridge is there to attract the people from the community. And I didn't just before I drive up, and I find somewhere apart on the street, closest to the bridge. It's a jam. It's a diamond. Let that be for the people, not for them. A company or whatever. Madam Lord, anything. Thank you guys. Appreciate you. Thank you very much. Fisher, followed by Gary W. Houston. Ma'am, who helped you with your time? Yeah, they called me up, so do you want me to go? No, it looks like you signed in twice then? Okay. I just want to say, this meeting should be wired. It's cameras in all of these walls. I don't understand why you're not doing that or paying the third party to have this live streamed. Okay. Next person is Debbie Gary W. Houston, and we'll see you in six minutes. Welcome Mr. Gray. It's a good show. But it's going on. It's positive. I really like it. First of all, I just thought, I've got six minutes, and I think I'll only really need to bring it for myself. I want to make sure everybody knows who you've heard from has played a major role in getting this thing going. Doug Steppen is a former president of W. Simpson's Association of Engineers. Former president of the Society of Freshman Engineers, and really considered among engineers the kind of the dean of the engineering community. But as Alessandro mentioned last time, it looks like she came close to reference in San Antonio's President's Archives that during hemisphere, Mr. Steppen was suggesting that the bridge really should be restored to the point of a featured part of our new vision, San Antonio, back in the 1960s. Virginia Necklace, who you also heard from, from her first, is a former president of the Society of the Council. She has raised a society for 20 years. She was president of the Birkenheim Historical Commission. She is the reason that Union Pacific finally transferred title to the bridge to the city of San Antonio. I don't know if any of you have ever dealt with railroads, but it can be very difficult to get anything moving. Virginia made it happen, and she, as well as all of us, has had emotional time. I want to make sure that you appreciate here. Nettie and Doug Steppen are two of the people who, in fact, persuaded the donors of the land on which this building would like to be built to donate the land altogether. It wouldn't have happened without their role. You've heard a lot about the history bridge. We're not just concerned about the bridge as a historic landmark. To appreciate that history, and let's just look at a little context, you've got to be able to see the bridge. You've got to see the process and everything that Mr. Steppen knows you've been talking about. If that building blocks the sidelines to the bridge from a primary corner of a bar and chariot, which it will do, we will lose that iconic image of the bridge against the skyline. That will be a tremendous loss to a city that plies itself in historic civilization. Now to my more substantive point. I would like for you to help know on this project as being non-inclusive. It is non-inclusive because the building turns its back to the neighborhood. It's non-inclusive because the neighborhood is at the back door of the building. Non-inclusive because the parking garage shouldn't be where it's designated to be. People will know about these things that I do say that it really should be underground. It's non-inclusive because the token retail, the two retail facilities there will not likely serve the neighborhood in any sort of great way. They clearly are there just to qualify for some of the advantages of the mixed-use category. It's non-inclusive because the Paseo that is part of the design underneath the bridge is something to link the building, the apartment complex to the brewery and would in fact create a private enclave again from which the neighborhood, the community is excluded. It is non-inclusive also because the idea of the view shed has not been adequately appreciated. The massing is non-inclusive because it's higher than the bridge. The shorter span of the bridge is really not much more than 50 feet. There are two spans there. It dominates the shorter span which the building is much closer to. The model suggested that the higher span was the full height. So that's not accurate. The shorter span is lower. It's non-inclusive because it doesn't permit complete enjoyment that the community has shared in the bridge itself. He mentioned fireworks displays. Some of the fireworks facts that I know say they look like July 4th because you can watch the fireworks displays downtown and you can watch the fireworks displays at Fort St. Houston. All you have to do to enjoy them both is turn around. You will no longer be able to see Fort St. Houston if that building goes up from the bridge. It is not inclusive because the standards that it needs are standards that are not high enough. I can point out dormitories or barracks in this town that actually end up making a better design statement and relating to their communities better than this. I ask that you vote no on the certificate of appropriateness because this building is inappropriate. This is Miguel Padilla, followed by Celeste Ortega. My name is Miguel Padilla. I live on the east on the west side and I work on the east side. By the way, Senator Streets and Paul Hernandez Church. I'm against this probably because of many of the considerations that the persons have stated. Mainly it is about the parking space and this has been a really nice place for the community to be narrowing and opportunity to go on the entrances and walk. But the others of this, they will have that opportunity because they like the parking lot. On the east side, and the short term that I've been living on the east side, I've been noticed that this is a welcoming community and this is the sign that we made it to a welcoming community. So I am against this problem. Thank you very much. I'm against Celeste Ortega, followed by Erika Heises. Heisel. Hi, my name is Celeste Ortega. I'm going to try to keep this as short because I'm a teacher, so I have to go to bed soon. I live at 321, I'm actually category corner to this project. Just a bit in perspective, a little bit closer, and he ended up at Alamou Brewery, but Seymour has said that that gate is open, that you can go in at any time. And on Sunday, when my dog got out, he was stuck in there for an hour, and I was not able to get in. I'm against this project because as a resident for 26 years, that's how old I am. Born and raised in Dignoede, I'm not planning to leave. I was here before, I was schooled before all the gentrification happened. when I went away from college to the University of Texas at Austin, that my neighborhood, and what I remember of my neighborhood from when I was 18 was that I left, you know, we were still considering the hood. I came back. It's like, oh, everybody wants to move here. Those Cherry Street apartments came in. I've seen those become very dilapidated. The colors coming off. I'm not an architect. I was a history and African diaspora studies major, but I learned that just from looking at these, I know that this isn't a quality project from what has become into my neighborhood. So that is what I've seen. I've also, when I went to the meeting last week at Alamo Brewery, I was actually harassed because I know that this bullying where it has been used a lot tonight, I was actually harassed by one of Seymour's guys. My mother spoke out at that meeting and she, me and her, were actually followed by him leaving Alamo Brewery. We're reported on our way out. So I just felt that was important as a community member when we speak out that I'm seen as a threat in some way. So I wanted to mention that also parking, since I live so close, my parking is going to be affected in front of my house for me and my family. So I just don't support this and I don't see that being a reflection of the community and the community that I grew up in. So thank you. Commissioners for your service to the city. My name is Erica Heismont. I actually reside in the ordinance of coming out of district nine. I am a listed investor and properties in district five, three, two, as well as my homestead in nine since 2005. As a business owner, I'm developing my first commercial building on South Hackberry Street in district two. I do plan to run a quarter of my business activities there. I'm a member of three neighborhood associations. I'm a dues paying business member of Denver Heights and it was a fellow Denver Heights neighborhood association member inviting me to speak here tonight. I'm also a member of Hotwells, which is now called Mission Reach Hotwells. They educated me on the Alliance for San Antonio, which is around 350 members who fought a similar apartment project within a thousand feet of the mission. So you can imagine that this is not the first time that this has happened. I really just have two quick points. The bridge is clearly historic and the purpose of the committee is to protect view sheds of historic landmarks. It's older than the Eiffel Tower. This is an interesting fact I learned. 1881 Eiffel Tower was 1889 and as a business owner is the second most Instagram photo of San Antonio. So as a business owner and developer, I don't think it's in the best interest of the city. You've heard how it's not in the best interest of the community. Think about future revenue and tourism. Why people come here? They come here on for the animal, but for other things they have to offer as well from the machines just being dedicated as a both heritage site. So I'm not sure why staff are pervasive. I know that the building that I'm renovating on Hatbury was recommended by city staff to be demolished and it was the conservation society who informed me that it's actually historic. So I'm taking the time, the effort and the money to try to preserve something that is something that San Antonio has to offer that we don't really see in other cities of Texas. So I'm just reminding you that she's a brilliant staff at Hatbury. Thank you for your time. My name is Natasha Bechumbe followed by Barbara Garcia. Good evening. My name is Natasha Mokula, I live at 722 and more. First of all I just wanted to say let's say that Sanchez, Levy Hinton, Mr. and Mrs. Steadman and Alex Bernal and all the other adorable people because I'm by the way on the support side. The opposite of everyone that's been up here, even though these people on the other side of me, I think they're amazing and I'm so proud to be a part of the message that people can come from all over the world to come and talk and make decisions about about a little neck of the wood. So thank you even though opposite sides. From everything that everyone said, I get it there's so much room here that reasonable people can disagree but I also want to talk about the most important thing to me which is property rights. The fact is you didn't see one who owns that land. He can put up a tree house on it. It's his land. I gave you a chance to speak and I wasn't rude or interactive. And if people want to go back and revise what happened up until now I'm sure they're welcome to do that. There's so many avenues to do that but to sort of not have, I mean we were blessed today to listen to our elders here who kept a civil tongue in very wise heads and we have to emulate them and try and be civil about this no matter what side of the divide we're on. But every time something happens in our neighborhood, our neighborhood gets ripped apart. People can't talk to each other sometimes because we're on opposite sides of something that I mean it's a building in heaven's leg. We're a neighborhood. We're bigger than this. No matter where we are, we're in support or in opposition. We have to understand that we're all human beings. We all have to be civil. We all have to respect and love each other. And you do see more is not just some faceless person. He's a human being too. I think if we can just find a way to be civil, find a way to understand each other, and find a way to to have wiser heads on our shoulders, I think that we could come to to some sort of agreement about what to do with the lot. Thank you very much. I think that's time. Our next assistant is Barbara Garcia followed by Nancy. He has made a pity for me. He's a group that a company offered you. He's gone to you. Good evening. Thank you all for what you do and hosting so late. My name is Barbara Garcia. I live at 932 Dark Mind Street in Digno Lake Hill. I am in support of this project. I think it's a good project. I think it's needed. This type of housing, we don't have it in our neighborhood. And this is on the fringe of our neighborhood outside the historic district, so downtown. We currently don't have apartments in our neighborhood. And this is affordable compared to what is available in our neighborhood. People who are wanting to work or working downtown, want to live in our neighborhood, the nearest side, you can't get something that's this nice for a thousand dollars or less. I think this will benefit our neighborhood in a lot of ways. And I also think it will benefit the bridge. I don't know how many of these people or you guys actually go up on the bridge a lot. My husband and I walk in all the time. We're walking our dogs late at night. There's people sleeping up there. There's people drinking and smoking and other things going on. The graffiti is horrible. It goes up and down these historic trusses. And I think that this development will help with that. It'll be more eyes on the bridge. I think it will deter some of that kind of behavior. This bridge needs to be respected. There's also a lot of misinformation going out that these people are signing all these petitions. They're being told the bridge is going to be sold to the developer. It's going to be restricted access. People won't be able to go up there. And that's not true. The view of the bridge will be hinder from that corner. But if you walk half a block down, you can see it from on our street, the whole entire bridge. So I think we need this kind of development. Change is always hard. But our neighborhood is changing. Gentrification has already taken place. This is not going to make it worse. So I hope you guys will excuse me. Some respect. I listened to all of you guys like Natasha said. Gentrification has taken place. You can't buy a house for less than $300,000. So I do appreciate you guys and hope you vote in favor. Our next system we heard is I think it's Nancy Alford, followed by Juan Aguirre-Seal. Hi, my name is Nancy Alford. I live at 923 North Pine Street in Dignity Hill, about four blocks from the proposed development. Tonight I represent 43 members of our community who are in support of this development. And I would like to read to you the statement of support that has been provided for the commission. So that I also provide with the remainder of the signatures that I have here so that you can understand why we are in support of it. The purpose of this statement is to voice our support for the proposed apartments at 803 North Cherry Street. The neary side in Dignity Hill are currently undergoing rapid changes as investment in this area of the city has accelerated over the last few years. In our view, this is the kind of project that can advance economic and business development. We support the project for the following reasons. The property is zoned T downtown so the project is compliant with the development guidelines. The property is outside the adjacent to the Dignity Hill Historic District. This project will provide badly needed workforce housing that will bring at least 148 new residents into the area. The merchant ice building which is three blocks away from 803 North Cherry Street was recently towed assault to the Texas Research and Technology Foundation and has the potential for bringing 200 jobs to the neary side. Some of these people may want housing near their work. The project will provide needed retail in the area. The project has the potential to energize the area around the Hay Street Bridge and make it less desirable for criminal activity. Other considerations. The first, the view shed. We understand that there is no view shed protection for the Hay Street Bridge. In fact, view shed protection was applied for in April 2015. No action was taken by the HDRC as the applicant eventually withdrew the request. There's no city ordinance obligation or even expectation that anyone has a right to a view. The original landscape plan from the city of San Antonio's Taylor to accentuate views from the bridge, not views of the bridge. The opposition, we want to make clear that groups that have spoken against this project such as the Esperanza Group or the Hay Street Bridge restoration group do not speak for the neighborhood. Housing to the East Side. There's workforce housing and people are saying it's not affordable, perhaps it's not. But we need this kind of housing that's multifamily near downtown. People call them all the time asking for prices and roasts and technically, and basically the housing stock has become unsportable and technically built. So there's going to be a great option for folks who want to live downtown. I don't agree with Tony. Mr. Tony, there's no apartment building in San Antonio that can be beautiful. I mean, they're just functional housing units and that's what we need in San Antonio to build. Thank you so much. Here is Marilyn Davis, followed by Erin Reis. Can everyone be okay? I'm just going to say it's actually Marilyn Davis. I apologize, Marilyn Davis. So my name is Marilyn Davis. I was born and raised in the East Side, specifically District 2. And so I don't want to waste my time. I'm really ready for myself. I just have a couple of questions to keep in mind as we consider this a public proposal. First and foremost, when you speak to the people who actually live here, it is true that you don't know anything about the development. But you do find out that there are some that do, and the people who do know the most about the development are actually the transplants themselves. So this sort of begs the question, who is this development for? If the public is not consulted and the public is not involved in the process, it's not something they want to improve. Is this for? And more importantly, the majority of the housing around here is, you know, a virtual majority. And something as this, developments of this type have proven that they only increase property value. And so that brings the next question. In a city that has declared a crisis of inequality, why does Eugene Seymour want to rely on the gap? The bridge was preserved on community efforts. People like Mr. Steinberg, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And so when you look at it, you have to understand this isn't just this anathema, this is quite literally their life's work. When you shut that out of this inner process now, you're not just developing this bridge, you're burning this one. And so we have to understand, you know, it's been 300 years and in the coming tri-centennial, San Antonio was not the only city that's facing the tri-centennial next year. You could actually look at New Orleans and their own website, and they have a very different process of ours. They're funding infrastructure projects, community interests, they're restoring the city on a community level. And so we have to ask ourselves, it has been 300 years. When are we going to listen to our community as well as do we do capital? I think it's 5.04 on Monday morning. Earlier this year we became a first-time homeowner, church didn't really help for a few reasons. You know, charming historic homes, crossing to the downtown and all of its amenities. You know, a lot of my friends have moved here in the last year or two. And also just in the past, I guess the years that have been here, they're seeing the vibrancy of the community, I think, when you hear, when you listen to everyone, when they got jazzed and see if they made beer fest in the park, kick-ball, grabbing a beer, watching sports games, doing what he needs, you know, just seeing the vibrancy change, just to sort of care of time, and all the bars and restaurants are open. This particular development I'm in favor of, you know, I think it has diversity of the housing stock. I think it also helps extend that vibrancy that the Dignity LR party has, and kind of revitalize the economic dead zone in between downtown and Dignity, that industrial corridor. I think, you know, getting a hundred people down here, at a minimum, spending money, local businesses, encouraging future investment is here, but I think it's a great thing for the city and the city, but I'm pretty happy with it. Our next citizen to speak is Yana Flores, followed by Garrett Ramondo. Hola, my name is Yana Flores. I live at 62-22, UTS Able Park. I'm a resident of District 8, and as you can probably tell, I go to UTSA, I'm a senior, and I'll be graduating next year. I'm from San Antonio, and I grew up here. I moved of course for school, so I'm probably the only type of person that this learning complex wants to forget, right? Millennial, graduate from college. I guess the only difference is that I wouldn't want to live there. One of the department is, as we all said tonight, ugly. I really wouldn't pay money to live here. Second, it's unaffordable. Unaffordable to most people, including millennials. I live in student housing, which is, I'm sure we can all agree, a rip-off, and it's more convenient to give me more stays, and it's work less than these complexes. Another thing is that I would, without a second thought, not support conflicts that contribute to the justification of a city that I now call my home, and I love a lot. So, I did write a couple of things. So I urge you, as the members of the HDRC committee to protect the Hay Street Bridge, and to ensure the private interest is kept in public hands. When I first visited the Hay Street Bridge, I think four years ago, I was a little shocked that there's absolutely no parking. It's so hard to get to the bridge. You have to park on the street. Why aren't we maybe making a park a lot, or instead of park? Because, as I've heard, as I research myself, that was promised to our community. We were promised a park, and we are still left with this promise, and so what we're getting is a bill of an eyesore. So, clearly this project is corruption at its finest. Everybody spoke tonight about what went on behind the scenes, right, the way that this land was stolen from the community, and what they want to do with it. Ask you guys to be realistic and compassionate in your position. Please think of the people. Think of the East Side. I don't live on the East Side, but I can tell you that that's not something that they want. I would hate to see a city that I now call my home become another Austin. I didn't move to Austin. I moved to San Antonio. As a committee, I asked that you take into account the close to 16,000, 720 residents who have signed both the online petition and the grand petition as well, and please stand in opposition to this unethical project. Many voices here tonight have spoken against it, and many have as well in the past. We do not want this. Think of the East Side, not of the greedy people who have manipulated this project in their favor. Thank you. The next speaker is Garrett Marmondo, followed by Amy Holland. The heart is broken. Amy Holland is next, followed by Artis Holland. I need to say, Amy Holland, I'm 11, 12, Bernadette. How does it feel I moved to Digno when he killed five years ago? Because they all were recovering it. We felt that it gave new vibrancy to our family. I feel this also gives the same vibrancy. I ask you to vote in favor of this, because I look forward to the new neighbors that I'm going to meet in the bridge. Thank you. Next speaker is Robert Sauland, followed by David Proust. Barbara Sauland, 11, 12, Bernadette, Digno Dio. Also in favor, as is my wife. I want to bring up the great views of fireworks down to what people have, and I want to agree with Barbara Garcia that talking across this bridge from midnight to 7 a.m. is not such a great thing. When I ride my bicycle over at 6.30 to 7 o'clock in the morning, I have to dodge the people sleeping there. I have to dodge the puddles of whatever are on the bridge, and litter on the bridge. Which I also want to bring up, Eugene Seymour says his cruiser to clean the litter off the bridge that the city does not do. He's a responsible business owner under the bridge. If that area were to become a park, where you think more people are not asleep, there are already six parks within half a mile two of them two blocks away. We don't need another park. The city doesn't want another park. Parking. Sorry, excuse me one second. For people who complain about bullying, being rude and interrupting someone else is another form of bullying. So please be aware of that and now it reflects upon me. Parking. To use the bridge, see the bridge. See downtown from the bridge. True. People currently illegally park on this property and use it as a parking lot. The other foot of the bridge, now the city has built a parking lot under I-37, where it is parking available for use on the bridge. I'm going to favor I hope you vote who let the project develop. Our next citizen to be heard is David Cruz, both by Susanna Sakura. Good evening, my name is David Cruz and I live at 1-1-6-3-5 Temptation Street and I'm here to voice my concern about blocking the view shed and I hope you don't let this project go forward. I also think it's kind of funny that the city would spend all this effort to preserve the bridge and then block the view shed and damage the neighborhood. As far as people sleeping places, well that's a social issue that we could solve better than pointing fingers and not thinking. So I just think that with all the controversy of this project, I think it should be considered and I don't think it should actually go forward. Thank you. Next person is Susanna Sakura, followed by Brasila Sanchez, who will receive 9 minutes. Can not start yet. I'm just going to access this. This is Susanna Sakura, I'm from the 300 block of Idaho and I don't feel comfortable stating my exact address because I do feel a lot of tension coming from developers. I just want to remind you that Eugene Seymour has a pattern. He did apply to the National Register of Places for the Frederick Building and along with Miller purchased that building at a very low cost rate. The city gave him a lot of economic incentives and out of 500,000 square feet, he was only able to develop 10,000 square feet of office space and another 5,000 square feet and that building was never environmentally remediated or abated. It was a city landmark and he came to you and asked that you gift that landmark designation. You said no. They then went to the city and the city said, okay, if the developer can't do anything with it, we want to make sure that someone can. It was as simple as that, but the building is still listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Same thing happened with Merchant's Ice House. He filed an application to the National Register of Historic Places, took a lot of incentive money from the city and like a mouth to a flame, here he is at the Hague Street Bridge and what I am asking is that he not be allowed to build on that property to block the view shed of the bridge. There are many other places across the United States that have a very beautiful view. As you can see in this video, that's from the view from the top of the bridge. So even blocking the view of the neighborhood from the bridge or blocking the view of the bridge from the street level is unacceptable. It's really embarrassing, I think, when folks from the National Register are contacting me and asking me what's going on inside the building. We lose the University on Building and we're about to use the view shed for this Hague Street Bridge. You know, you are the stopping point. You are the historic and design review commission. You all are the experts. You all should be able to tell us what is possible and what is not possible. I don't know how other than I know Seymour's really good personal friends with Ex-Mayor Phil Hartberger that's been publicized in the Express News. He's been on riding trips with him, boating trips, and somehow he has a connection still and he somehow manages to convince architects, developers, engineers. I don't know how y'all get away with it. I mean, it's time. Seymour and OHP for supporting this project. I'm going to be here with Bras Elisantiaz and she'll receive my thanks. Good evening. My name is Gessia Elisantiaz and I live at 233 Lotus in District 1. The area is also about 5 minutes. I live close to the Hague Street Bridge about 5 minutes away. I am the director of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, a citywide organization that was invited to participate in this whole conversation back in 2012 by the Hague Street Bridge Restoration Group because of the work they saw the Esperanza doing for the historic west side of San Antonio and I'm also a member of the West Side Preservation Alliance. I was born and raised in San Antonio and I am committed to making this city be responsible and respectful to those of us who were born and raised here and who want to continue living in the city for the rest of our lives. I also welcome all new residents to this city as long as they respect and honor the history, culture, and values of a majority of its residents and not just those who are connected to the powerful of this city. This group is based on reviewing the future development in relationship to the downtown design guidelines. I'd like to remind us of some of those principles. The design principles for creating a livable downtown on page 13 in the downtown design guide states. Design on a human scale compact pedestrian friendly communities allow residents to walk to shops, services, cultural resources, and jobs and can reduce traffic congestion and benefit people's health. The current design is not pedestrian friendly gives it back to the historic neighborhood is so huge that it covers up the historic bridge and puts the community in the shadow of this monstrosity. Build vibrant public spaces is another element. Citizens need welcoming well-defined public spaces to stimulate face-to-face interaction, collectively celebrate and mourn, encourage civic participation, admire public art, and gather for public events. The land below the bridge is the only space that allows for the public space. The current design for public space that you have for this project is so small that only the residents of the apartments or those who drink or hang out at Alamo Brewery will have access to this quite limited public space. Another element is create a neighborhood identity. A quote sense of place gives neighborhoods a unique character enhances the walking environment and creates pride in the community. This building will destroy the neighborhood identity. Even the dignified neighborhood association, the bridge apartments would be limited, will have to change their letterhead to better stress than you and much more limited like iconic bridge that we now see. We will no longer be able to see the full view of the city from the bridge because although the new building will be a few feet away, it will still be a building so huge that it will erase view from the bridge when standing across this new building. Another element is protect environmental resources. A well-designed balance of nature and development preserves natural systems, protects waterways from pollution, reduces air pollution, and protects property values. The community will no longer be able to feel the northern wind or feel the back and forth of the wind as one currently can't wind up on the bridge since the new building will rock it. And another element is conserve landscapes which I think speaks to again public spaces which I already spoke about. Design matters. Design excellence is the foundation of successful and healthy communities. As you have heard, the members of the Dignity Architectural Design Committee have already raised many concerns since May 2017 and we know that the architects and developers have not responded to their requests and concerns. What we see here in their design is similar to the four and five story apartment buildings that can be found at the parole up and down Broadway and elsewhere but again do not make any sense by the Hay Street Bridge. The building blocks are designed to identify individual projects as they are the building blocks of great streets and neighborhoods. This requires particular attention to the way the building meets the sidewalk providing the transition to pedestrian scale and elements that activate the street. Respect historically significant districts and buildings including mass scale and neighborhood context while at the same time encouraging innovative architectural design that expresses the identity of an urban San Antonio. The Hay Street Bridge abuts to the decorating historic neighborhood. We should really be having more concerns in the design of this building which is next to this local and national historic bridge. Massing and street wall. Design building massing to reinforce the street wall with well-scaled elements or structures that are sensitive to the neighborhood context. We've heard from many people that this is not true. The thick slab-like structures that walled off views and overshadowed the surrounding neighborhood are discouraged. This is your own language or the downtown design language. Another one, a new building should be to the extent possible maintain the alignment of horizontal elements along the block. That means that they should be one to two stories or one and a half stories as surround the bridge this is not taking place and floor-to-floor heights should appear to be similar to those seen in the area. They are not. Our desire to have uship protection was requested by the community as early as 2011 when the San Antonio Conservation Society wrote a letter to then console woman Ivy Taylor. Taylor who is not interested in using this line as a part because she did not want homeless people in her neighborhood ignore the request and I say this very quickly because that's what she said. I do not want homeless people. I was at the meeting and she said it several times in several meetings I was at. In 2015 after the Hay Street Bridge Restoration Group won a jury verdict against the city of San Antonio. The city appealed the case and the court asked us to mediate. Our request is the historic Hay Street Historic Neighborhood Association was view shed protection of the bridge, bathrooms and a water for the hike and bike trail that was part of it. The city under now Mayor Ivy Taylor said no again and in May 2015 Office of Historic Preservation submitted view shed protection for the Hay Street Bridge. Unlike what we heard at last week's community meeting and even today it mentioned that the HDRC voted view shed down. What we understand is the Office of Historic Preservation who submitted the proposal pulled it because they didn't feel that maybe there were enough votes but they pulled it you all didn't vote on it. So three different moments that people have attempted to do view shed and because of the political powers we don't, you all haven't even gotten to vote for it or it hasn't gone before city. However we have an opportunity on November 21st 2017 City Council members signed a CCR requesting for view shed protection for the Hay Street Bridge and other important buildings in our city. So it's not just the five missions that we're protecting but because the city has that much more but Hay Street Bridge is very essential. We now know that the city's film commission gets the most request for permits to film the bridge and views from the bridge and to the bridge. This new development will happen for the city's most film photograph most Instagram structure in the city. Is this what we want? Political background deals have been influencing the entire development over under and around Hay Street Bridge. The developers are the only ones who will benefit at the community's loss if you approve the design today. The losers will be everyone in here and the future generations of people will no longer be able to view the bridge from the street level and see the entire city from the bridge level. We will no longer have the 360 degree view of the area. We will no longer feel the wind blow when it is blocked with its four story building and the future building that they intend to add to late to the bridge for their restaurant. You HDRC members need to say no to this development. You need to ask the city to write up new design guidelines for the downtown design guidelines at this time. This is what we're planning. There's a whole section on the river. There should be a section on the historic Hay Street Bridge. And because it's not here I don't think you have the ability to not micah or you all to do the right to have the right criteria to vote on this. Thank you very much. And I live at 431 fur which is sister of seven and my grandparents lived on the east side and I grew up on the east side quite a bit and my great-grandmother lived on the east side and I just want to remind people there's a reason why the east side is a predominantly black and brown community and that is because of segregation. The house I live in right now, sorry I could get really nervous. My grandparents could not have lived in that house because of the paperwork when I bought my house. It said specifically that Mexicans and Negroes are not allowed to live here. So there's a reason why this issue is very sensitive to people and I feel that outsiders sometimes have a difficult time understanding them. So my name is Christelle. We're taking with them my local ethnographic photographer and one of my specialties is photographing historical billions. When I was informed this view was endangered I set out to capture the best view of the photo I could. The photo I took on August 17th highlights the entire structure of the Hay Street Bridge. From the best perspective left available I capture the entire bridge. This includes our iconic city scheme. This exact location happens to be within the middle of where the four-story complex would be built. A location that is currently within a changing fence installed by Eugene C. R. Company. We don't often see a jewel in the rough until someone comes along and sheds light on beauty and plain sight. We cannot imagine what is possible until someone wants their drink. And that's what I'm here to do. What I did this is my responsibility as a native San Antonio resident. Like I said I'm a local ethnographic photographer and so I feel like this is my responsibility. Historic preservation is self-preservation for those of us who have roots here for centuries. It is the answer to the loss of cultural identity in the name of new development that we have been erasing in San Antonio for decades. So accuracy. When I looked at the drawings and perspectives that were shown I kind of questioned it. So if you look here at this image I used the second tree the little small tree right there for reference and all the following images were taken with a 50 millimeter lens which is the closest to human view point. The architect image shows a much smaller tower and a step further back from the second tree which I used as my reference point. This would be somewhere inside the retail store of the complex itself. Therefore this perspective would actually not be possible to be seen because you would be inside the retail space. This is where I think the developer was telling. You can see what the red arrow is saying. The next picture right there says KEP that's me. And that's where I was standing to try to get the closest view point. And you can see I would probably still catch part of the building if I was trying to take a picture. The final one I went ahead and I photoshopped in where that building would be. And it would be blocking still blocking part of the view of the bridge. So I wanted to show you this a little closer. It was taken from the view point closest I could get to the angle of the bridge up to replicate the architect's photo of the fence. And if you notice you do not see the tower and you do not see the cityscape like he had in his image. Which again the cityscape is what gives this a point of reference. So this is taken from the farthest corner. I was standing about maybe like 5 feet in standing against the fence. And this is the view point. And I believe from this view point you would be blocking that in part of the bridge. So as I put right here I was standing close to Cherry and at the edge of the building we blocked the edge of the bridge from this perspective. So HTRC like Graciella noted talked about the standards. What it says here is respect historically significant districts and buildings including massing and scale and neighborhood context while at the same time encouraging innovative architectural design that expresses the identity and authenticity of urban San Antonio. And she read some of this on the other side and I'm sure you guys are familiar with it but I felt it was important for the people here to also know what it states of this. So design. As many people have said this is not a very attractive building. And if you look at the first picture right here you cannot necessarily distinguish that those drawings were not done for the pearl. And if you look at the picture next to it it basically looks like what they did was copy exactly what was done at the pearl house and just put it here. Would somebody like to get any time? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Why it matters? The view shed of this with the cityscape and the view is what this development is without the cityscape and view to get context it becomes just a beautiful photo taken in an unnoted city. An example of the magnitude of ignoring view shed is pearl brewery development. All its activation is considered a success the ten story building and surrounding that you can see from every direction. The bridge has become an iconic location showing countless advertisements, engagement photos, police department promotions, and the rebranding of San Antonio video. Hey Street Bridge is one of the top Instagram locations in San Antonio. This view has potential to become another iconic San Antonio image. As iconic and recognizable as a photo of the San Antonio style line in the Alamo. This view is not only something the residents of San Antonio should be able to enjoy and appreciate but also the tourists that come to spend their money in our city. I think the over 15,000 unlike the rich ones reflect that many people who live outside the east side of San Antonio see this view as something extremely important. So this was taken from the back of my truck so I could get a viewpoint over the fence. This is on the corner. So this is the drain. This is the park and this is my management and Photoshop class. This is what you can do. Next. So I just kind of highlighted here some of what I put in. The lighted artwork is done by local artists Molo and Bamba who use a lot of repurposed metal which I thought could be repurposed from railroad right there. Lots of gaping public restrooms like the one we have downtown going through our path. We could have food trucks along the side and Mr. Seymour's parking lot, multicolor solar lighting under the bridge and a small fence dog park under the bridge to help people, protect people from sun and rain. This would be a great element for the neighbors. And presence and absence. The complex that moved forward will block the view of this 100 plus year old gem. The gesture reached back to the mandated segregation of the east side, robbing residents of an iconic symbol. They take pride in and work hard to save in order to connect the east side to the heart of the city. We have more issues than just one tied up here. There are so many rolled up into this complex. It has come to represent more than just development like the bridge itself it has come to represent more than just structure. What is seen as a symbol of pride and what is seen as a symbol of continued oppression and division. I leave you with this thought. We often do not completely understand the magnitude of the presence of something that shall be missing. Presence and absence. Followed by the final citizen to be heard, Gloria Abramirez. My name is Emily Rodriguez and I live at 4400 and I'm going to read a letter on behalf of the members of the WPA historic landmark designations of committee. But I also just want to let you all know that I brought along 500 signatures from petitions that community members and I helped to fill out. So if we could submit that. I participated recently through TSA and it did work full time and even working over 40 hours a week I would not be able to comfortably pay a thousand dollars and still have money for gas and food and you know just to live like happily and comfortably. So here's the letter. Dear Mr. Guadino, we the membership of the Preservation Alliance WPA right in support of the residents of the historic Digno Witty Hills neighborhood concerned with preserving the public space and view shed of the historic pastry bridge in which the proposed four storey apartment retail building at 803 North Terry Street will have shut. As a committee based historic preservation organization concerned with preserving the history and culture of working class communities in San Antonio in general and the west side in particular and as a tax-paying residents of San Antonio we want to ensure that the view from the historic pastry bridge not be denied to the public. Specifically the WPA is opposed to the proposed structure because it would block the view of the bridge from surrounding streets. Only residents and other tenants of the proposed apartment mixed use complex would have the privilege of enjoying the view of the iconic bridge against the downtown skyline. In brief the bridge would be privatized for the benefit of a privileged view. We steadfastly opposed the privatization of public space. The bridge and the view of it from the neighboring streets is one of the precious few remaining landmarks on the east side. Access to the public view should be protected not obliterated. Proponents of the proposed structure would have us believe that the brewery and apartment building are the stimulants for the revival and growth of this immediate neighborhood. Actually the catalyst of the revival is the bridge itself. It has become a major icon of San Antonio skyline. An icon which not only attracts tourists and residents alike to the east side but also new businesses including the brewery and now the proposed four-story structure as 803 North Cherry. It is the bridge itself and being able to view without obstruction that is the draw. From our perspective privatizing that view to the benefit of a privileged view denying the view to the general public is not only counterproductive it is that's contradictory. It belies the equity lens the equity lens that Mayor Niren Boeck has defined as the guiding principle by which San Antonio is to be governed. We ask you and each DRC commissioners to act on behalf of the public to protect the view shed of the history bridge to ensure it remains public space and not to privatize it since you leave the rest of the preservation lines. Thank you. And I live on Little Street just down the street from the East Street Bridge. I find it ironic every time I'm at this center that it is called the Cliff Morton Development and Business Center because how can a developer be honored with the name of this center who will represent the people of San Antonio and the interests of the person on the street who does not have in their mind making a dollar. When it comes to the person that made the brewery Mr. Jean Seymour I have a deep compassion for him because he is ruled by the almighty lord and it will not stop with the brewery it will not stop with this building it will continue. In his plans if I recall correctly he had dreamed of taking over half of the history bridge and allowing runners to run by as he set up dining tables for diners in his restaurant there is more to this than meets the eye. There is more than just blocking the view shed than just putting up homes at a thousand dollars a month which I could not afford. I am a retired school teacher I was fortunate enough to have chosen San Antonio as my home 40 years ago a refugee from Austin Texas. I was foresighted enough to come here because I appreciated the culture and the language of this city and I wanted to work as a bilingual educator teaching children to be proud of who they were because I finally after 40, 50, 60 years was proud of who I was and Austin Texas did not reflect who I was. San Antonio Texas does the Hay Street bridge reflects what I believe in. It reflects in working for neighborhoods and for empty people. There are people here that have made the Hay Street bridge their livelihood, their life's work and there are others that he hinted was another glory is another. There are many more those are the people that preserved this bridge raised money, paid for it got a part donated to the city got a land that was donated to the city because it was thought that it was going to be a part but money rolls and I'm very cynical that's why I don't like to come up here and speak anymore. Thank you.