August 8, 2013 Honorable Members Board of Appeals 1650 Mission Room 304 San Francisco, CA 94103 RE: Letter

of Support for the Valencia Corridor Merchants Associations Jurisdiction Request Dear Honorable Board Members: We, the undersigned, are writing to request that the Board of Appeals grant the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association (VCMA) jurisdiction to appeal the Letter of Determination (LOD) for Kate Spade LLC. We believe that this jurisdiction appeal should be approved for the following reasons: 1. It is clear that Jack Spade grossly misrepresented itself as a small independent business and therefore not subject to the Formula Retail Use regulations, when by any reasonable standard it is the same company as Kate Spade LLC, which has nearly 200 stores in the U.S. alone. Had Jack Spade/Kate Spade been forthcoming about its corporate structure and store count, the Planning Department would have classified Jack Spade as formula retail and have required a public conditional use hearing. 2. The VCMA was not made aware of the LOD until after the specified window for appeal had passed. They have explained to us that this was due, in part, to the fact that information about the LOD was not shared with the members of the Mission Merchants Association (MMA), an organization to which some members of the VCMA also belong. The person in charge of relaying this kind of information to MMA members, Phil Lesser, is a paid consultant of Kate Spade LLC. We believe this is a conflict of interest, and its potential to affect when the VCMA learned of the LOD is an extenuating circumstance that warrants the granting of jurisdiction in this case. This is an issue more significant than a single store moving onto 16th Street. If Kate Spade/Jack Spade is able to flout the spirit and letter of the Formula Retail Use regulations by misrepresenting itself as a small business, other corporations will be encouraged to do the same, thereby preventing the larger community from having input into the development of its neighborhoods. As outlined in the San Francisco Planning Code, an influx of big businesses will have a significantly detrimental effect on the small businesses that make San Francisco unique.

We believe the public should have an opportunity to voice its opinion on the proposed Jack Spade store. Granting jurisdiction for the VCMA to file an appeal is an important first step in this process. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, The Undersigned Causa Justa :: Just Cause 2301 Mission Street Suite #201 San Francisco, CA 94110 (510) 763-5877 The Center for Political Education 518 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 863-9977 Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club 342 London Street San Francisco, CA 94112 president@milkclub.org La Raza Community Resource Center 474 Valencia Street Suite #100 San Francisco, CA. 94103 (415) 863-0764 PODER 474 Valencia Street Suite #125 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 431-4210 Shaping San Francisco 518 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 881-7579 Western Regional Advocacy Project 2940 16th Street Suite #200-2 San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 621-2533