MEMBERS PRESENT: John McLemore (Chair), Michael Burns, Jim Hartnett, Arthur Lloyd, Sophie Maxwell, Michael Nevin (arrived at 8:30 p.m.)

MEMBERS ABSENT: Don Gage, Ken Yeager

JPB STAFF PRESENT: Michael Scanlon, David Miller, Ian McAvoy, Jennifer Buhr

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Michael J. Antonini, Shelley Bradford Bell, Edgar E. Boyd, Lisa Feldstein, Kevin Hughes, Sue Lee, William L. Lee

PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF PRESENT: Larry Badiner, Craig Nikitas, Joan Kugler, Dominick Argumedo, Patricia Gerber, Nora Priego, Linda Avery

Planning Commission President Bradford Bell called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.

The motion from the Planning Commission (Feldstein/Huges) to designate Ms. Bradford Bell as the chair of the joint meeting passed unanimously.

Chairman Bradford Bell stated that the purpose of this joint meeting was to consider certification of the final EIS/EIR for the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown Extension Redevelopment Project. The Planning Commission, as a separate action, would also consider approval of amendments to the Transbay redevelopment area preliminary plan.

Lawerence Badiner, Acting Director of Planning, clarified that this meeting was for the certification of an EIS/EIR and not about whether the project is a good or bad project.

Joan Kugler, Major Environmental Analysis of San Francisco Planning Dept., reported that the environmental document was prepared for the proposed Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Redevelopment Project is a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The three lead agencies include the JPB, the City of San Francisco and the Redevelopment Agency. The draft EIR was published and distributed on October 4, 2002. Public hearings were held before the Redevelopment Agency, the Planning Commission and the JPB. Public comment closed on March 25, 2004.

Ms. Kugler reported that the Redevelopment Agency held its certification meeting of the EIR for this project on Tuesday, April 20, 2004. She noted that 31 members of the public spoke with 19 urging the certification of the EIR. The main concerns of the EIR included a proposal for a different alignment; property owners receiving insufficient notice of environmental process; private property should not be acquired for any part of the project; ridership figures were overstated because the high-speed rail project is not approved; the financing plan includes sources that were not approved; noise and air quality impact at the proposed bus storage area have not been addressed adequately; any amount of vibration or noise to historic properties is unacceptable and additional mitigation measures should be taken; the document does not say enough about the potential financial impacts to Second Street property owners; and there were concerns regarding the 80 Natoma development project.

Ms. Kugler further stated that all correspondence regarding this project were available for review.

Ian McAvoy, Chief Development Officer, reiterated that the only action before the board was the certification of the final EIS/EIR for the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown Extension Project. Since the board is not adopting a project at this time, it is not required to consider the merits of the project, nor is it required to make detailed findings or adopt any mitigation measures. Instead, the board is only required to certify that the final EIS/EIR has been completed in compliance with CEQA, that the board has reviewed and considered the information on the final EIR/EIS and that it reflects the board's independent judgment and analysis.

Public comment was received by Sharon Johnson, Jim Salinas, Emilio Cruz, Rebecca Kaplan, Jane Morrison, David Schonbrunn, Norman Rolffe, Margaret Okuzumi, Molly Last, Ken Bukowski, David Gleeson, Bob Tandler, William Blackwell, Howard Strassner, Walter Johnson, Jim Haas, John Spangler, Anthony Bruzzoni, Maurice Palumbo, Matt Matthews, George Yamas, Jan Mathews, Andrew Sullivan, Daniel Krause, Andre Custodia, Joyce Roy, Jack Myers, Andrew Ball, Jeffrey Heller, Steve Atkinson, Erick Lundquist, Shepherd Heery, Elizabeth Carney, Ryan Hoover, Scott Mace, Bruce Barnes, Jeff Dye, Jaime Hahme, Rom Burmigham, Norman Weil, Mark Janus, Richard Mylnarik, John Gasser, Michael Kiesling, Robert Meyers, Adrian Brandt, Lock Holmes, John Kaufman, Tom Radulovich, John Bacan, Jeff Carter, and Maria Ayerdi.

Chairman Bradford Bell closed the public comment after all testimony was heard.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved, by roll call, the motion to certify the final EIS/EIR of the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown Extension Redevelopment.

The JPB unanimously approved, by roll call, the motion (Hartnett/Lloyd) to certify the final EIS/EIR of the Transbay Terminal/Caltrain Downtown Extension Redevelopment and Resolution 2004-11 was adopted.

The motion (Burns/Lloyd) to adjourn the special meeting of the JPB was approved.

ADJOURNED: 9:35p.m.