but we can ask her no i'm fine uh and then these this is the the hair salon again just having the
furniture in there but you know again if you look at it this is the corner that you saw
a quintessential looking CMX property, hair salon, a couple of stations here, three stations it looks
like, a little waiting area, reception area, half bath. This is the entryway for the bakery.
I believe that the oven's right here. There's a bath here and there's a little, there's prep
prep stations, sink, and I believe this is the refrigerator.
We met with the community on July 16th at 6.30 p.m.
These are the addresses we sent it to, proof of mailing to those addresses, our application
for zoning variance, and then finally, well, the deed to the property showing that Farm
Opkin and company own it, and then the certificate of tax clearance.
um i would ask that uh sandra and uh stellios virtually raise their hand and they could be
sworn in thank you mr chairman can i ask a question before we start that who do you represent uh we
Who do you represent? We represent the the occupative potential occupants. Okay, we don't have any leases. All we have is the deed you provided, who is the owner. So we're going to maybe have to hold this till we get the leases. Okay, the two individuals, because I just double checked here because when you said names, I didn't recognize and I just checked. It's the lease that you provided that we for far far far.
We represent the ocular.
F-A-R-M-A-K-O-N.
Indeed, you have.
No leases were provided.
I think we do have some leases.
I think that this process is taking a little bit longer.
One of the leases, I think we passed that point, but I can give you the leases.
I mean, we can discuss about the whole thing here, but go forward.
But just so you know…
We'll get everything done and then we'll figure it out.
Got you.
So why don't we bring one of them on?
I'll be coming back
shortly, Mr. Chair.
i think there's a laurie who's virtually raising her hand yes hi could you please good morning
i mean good afternoon i'm sorry it's um could you please state your name and spell it for the
stenographer my name is sandra clark it's uh s-a-n-d-r-a-c-l-a-r-k two different people
came on yeah one of them's representing the hair salon and the other one okay all right okay so
miss clark i'll go with you first do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing
but the truth yes counsel uh sandra you heard everything i had to state about your zoning
matter today is that correct correct yes and what i stated was that true and correct yes
and do you adopt it as your own testimony yes thank you all right could you uh uh
laurie could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer
could you spell it please l-a-u-r-i-e last name she has in term s-i-n-o-n-t-i-g-e-s
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes i do cancel uh lori again you also heard everything i had to state today about this
zoning matter is that correct yes and when i stated was it true and correct
yes and do you adopt as your own testimony yes thank you questions from the board
yes what are the hours of operation for each business yeah so for the bakery it's nine to
four monday through friday and then nine to one on saturdays for the hair salon it's sunday and
monday by appointment and then tuesday uh through friday it's ten to five and then saturday uh
it's nine to three thank you other questions i'm sorry was there a floor plan that i missed oh
i can read yes i'll put it
and again it's what we prepared we're by way no we're not architects we just try to like
keep it simple and cost effective for the clients it's it's it's okay i just yeah
And so here, if you remember, we're at the corner of Newkirk and Master Street, so it's
a corner property right here, and this is where the hair salon, you come in.
There's a couple of stations here, reception area, a little sitting area for people who
are waiting, and a half bath.
And then if you come around here, if you remember, there's an entryway back here.
This is for the bakery.
come in. Well, a couple of prep stations. There's a half bath here. I believe this is where the
stove is. Sandra, am I right about that? The oven is actually against the wall where the
stairs are. Oh, right here. Okay. Gotcha. And then I think the chairman asked a question. There
was this other secondary appliance. Is that the refrigerator? The big one in the corner,
that's the fridge yes gotcha and then there's a little prep area here and then a little sink
yeah correct and this is all commercial equipment correct it's ventless it's just like sandra can
you explain the appliance no no no that's not my question my question is this is all commercial
about my question my question is this is all commercial equipment that's right in terms of it
is yes refrigerator and the stove and how is it ventless so can you uh sandra do you mind explaining
sure sure i'm talking with ellen i um it can be ventless if i don't have a stovetop it's just an
oven so i'm not dealing with grease i'm not dealing with fumes i'm not dealing with um
needing an outlet for vapors it's just a it's just a two-door oven so with that um i get um
i can stay away from ventilation it's a so you're okay so you're all right it it's just an oven it's
not a stovetop so i'm not going to be dealing with any fumes any mixing it's just a complete oven so
with the oven, you do get approval. Ellen and I said you won't need ventilation based on that,
just based on an oven. It is a two-door closure. Ventilation is not needed, so I didn't need to
get approval for that. Okay, interesting. So, I'm sorry, so you're a bakery and you're going to be
baking goods and you're using what kind of equipment is this is this what kind of oven is
this sure um it's it's just a simple um two shelf oven I think you saw the picture of it so it is a
commercial oven it has been approved by the city that it is indeed a commercial oven oh yep there
it is right there it's on the top the microwave is underneath but on the top that's all my oven
is it's just um it has two um two levels inside so one for each pan and and that's it and then if
you look i have to the left i have a commercial mixer to my right is where the oven i mean the
um the refrigerator is that big box you saw and then my fridge and those are all my appliances
that's it yep there's the there's the refrigerator right there and my sink and and that's it that's
all the um appliances that i have yeah and so what kind of what kind of output are we talking
about hearing what what what kind of variety of goods that you so my main that i have done i um
have worked for a catering company previously so um i do have a lot of people it's uh personalized
sugar cookies so for events like birthdays um weddings engagement parties so if you want
based on your theme i will make cookies i will make cakes cupcakes um there are cake pops they
are push cakes so um stuff personalized for um parties and different events that need themes
and they're personalized based on the events that and theme that they want
i have a picture of it and in that in that oh and you're gonna you're gonna be able to
yes produce enough uh yeah yeah so be profitable shall we say yeah so i was gonna say she's not
a bakery that you would be able to go into and just go grab cookies or a cake or something like
that if the proposed use is commissary and catering services so she does special events
why don't you show her the photos of the cake yeah i was trying to find it i don't know where
i couldn't remember where it was animals yeah exactly you had an elmo i think elmo cookie
monster she started out in her kitchen and she just needed more space um again i don't think
you know i i think that you know she's hoping to grow and if she grows she's gonna have to
you know find another space but she just needed i'm trying to find out where i put it i know i
saw it i saw it too yeah i mean that's what i'm saying it's only like three cakes i'm just trying
to figure out oh wait here it is there you go there you go look at that yeah so i don't think
you're going to have like a long line out the door that's not her business model it's not open
to the general public it's more about where you get word of mouth sandra is it like instagram
things like that how do you how do you get business i have instagram i have facebook hopefully um
clients that have have used me before or tasted my my desserts will will hopefully join me on this
adventure and spread the word as well okay yeah these aren't big spaces either the the two spaces
each one's 350 square feet another is 300 square feet well the hair salon and that you know that's
That's personal services and you catch them.
But if you were talking about doing, even if this is for some sort of events and things, I mean, that's an awfully small.
some sort of events and things i mean that's an awfully small oven well she's not having events
there she's just cooking for events i know what i mean is if she's providing this stuff for an event
these are that's an awfully small oven it seems to me not that i'm a baker but it's an awfully
small oven to be producing these kind of things that's that's my comment no i hear you i have a
question about deliveries yeah are they going to be primarily on the new kirk street side through
the rear entrance where the bakery is uh sandra how do you i i think the product is not big enough
that you're talking about deliveries how do you mean the people have to pick up i mean i mean oh
i thought you made deliveries in the sense of the people i mean yeah even amazon like i'm just
wondering like for the per for the materials and supplies she needs to do this as well as the
customers is the primary pickup going to be on new kirk street yeah well i are off the new kirk
street side it would be the new kirk street side but in terms of just getting your baking supplies
like do you anticipate actually having deliveries or do you plan to just bring it in yourself
first first question for now it's going to be myself picking up and and bringing myself in i
this is why i would like it i know it's a small space but i'm not a big you know this is my first
adventure of doing this so right now it's going to be myself hopefully as time grows and it picks
up we could again reassess the delivery but right now it's going to be me bringing and handling and
everything all right and in terms of customers how do you anticipate them picking up their orders
or it will be a pickup just like any other bakery you would you know come pick come pick them up um
i will be mostly working during the week getting all the um desserts and everything ready a lot of
events happen on fridays saturdays and sundays so um that's why i'm open a half day on saturday for
them to have a time to come pick up the stuff so during the week it'll be mostly baking cooking
getting everything ready for when you know people have their events so they could come and pick them
up and they'll be ready for them for friday saturday any other questions the only other
question i had was was the space um already split into two commercial spaces um and if not were
permits pulled to divide the yeah i don't know the answer to and if not would you be opposed to co
well i think either one would wouldn't you need a co for a business of any sort that's true
yes oh right so i think that we would have no opposition
yeah well we're not going to vote right um just so you know on your paperwork you've indicated
that you represent the owner and everything okay gotcha well that may just been uh yeah just let
you know okay all right are we gonna are you gonna so you bring the owner on or do you just
that's enough i know i think there's two occupants all right um how long will we talk i mean i think
we can just get the leases i just want to make sure i know there was one of the leases may have
left that's why i didn't bring either why don't we give it two weeks is that right i think we get
can we try one week because they want to open up and well we'll see if we can do it next week yeah
we can we'll see and we might need to clarify who you're actually representing
okay okay all right questions come on you want to come up yeah come on come on
you get to get to this year
hi i'm ellen at the end please say your name and spell put a stenographer ellen e-l-l-y-n
a-l-t-h-u-n-a-y-a-n do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but
the truth yes i do um are you a neighbor we are directly connected to this building on master
street 28 so you're okay please proceed um we first i got my pastry arts degree in 2001 what's
I got my pastry arts degree in 2001. So I understand the ovens that she's using. Yes,
they are ventless, but yes, they still, they still emit smell and baking and all of that.
And that's right on our property. It's right next to us. The hair salon, it's fine. She are,
you know, the hair salon and her clients take up our park, you know, take up parking during the day.
It's been fine. Her music is loud, comes right through our house. Some of the chemical smells
come through but we haven't said anything because she's out by she's out early her clients are now to
but we haven't said anything because she's out by she's out early her clients aren't out of control
but you can hear it but conversations verbatim through our wall so you're okay with her chemicals
and well no not really but we weren't trying to make an issue out okay we just don't because we
moved here two years ago yeah and i just want to put this in we're my husband i own a full
service moving business and for five years we broke our backs to be able to come in and buy this house
and to be able to be part of this community and rehab it yeah the people who own this building
they aren't in our community and my husband when we first moved here was nice enough with steleos
to go over and fix electric breakers that have broken water and all of that and then a little
bit later on he had the audacity to send us a text to say you guys should be good citizens so
we can all get along and now they want to put a kitchen not not these two people yeah and they're
not even here they're not part of our community we're the one i'm sorry and and this is this
putting this in who knows what it could turn into it depreciates our property value of breaking our
backs and our retirement fund so he's tried they're trying to squeeze every penny out of it
without being back in our neighborhood and being on our streets and taking care of our people we
don't have rat problems we don't mouse issues where we are and we don't want to smell it we
have our windows open all day we don't want to smell it we have a homeless shelter caddy corner
to them with kids who play out in the streets all the time it's for women and children and then the
parking on on master between dover and newkirk they just put up signs on both sides saying don't
park here to the corner we lost two more places right and our streets aren't permitted all of the
streets around us are permitted so we have cars that are left there for days or weeks so we just
would like to just we love our neighbor we like this the peace and not have more alan do you have
a question no i'll wait until everyone testifies i'll have some comments who else wants a test
I could you please
Could you please state your name and spell first
Yes sir
My name is Waleed Akhenayan
W-A-L-E-E-D
Akhenayan
A-L-T-H-U-N-A-Y-A-N
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth
The whole truth is nothing
Yes I do
And you live at the same location
That's my wife. We live in 2018-16.
Give me your comments.
I think with a commercial kitchen, it's like it's going to, it may turn into a bigger issue afterwards because there is no plans for waste collection because it's commercial now.
But they don't have any plans for commercial pickup for the waste.
And adding food in the backyard would eventually add, like bring rodents into the neighborhood.
and we just kind of start cleaning up the neighborhood and cleaning up around and we
started with working with the neighborhood from people on new curve and dover to clean up and
after the city just came in and finally cleaned up we have not had any issues and we would like
not to have that brought on after the food and um with the waste coming at us and unfortunately
it's very small like the plan unfortunately does not really give uh the visual um of how the how
big the room is it's very small and unfortunately the drywall and the rooms it's been the walls