The properties now, what are they originally, what are they zoned for right now?
RSA 5.
Okay, so.
That's single family development.
I got that. So even though there was commercial use, there was never zoned for the commercial use that was on that.
there was commercial use there was never zoned for the commercial use that was on that first
level correct so it was actually zoned before when it was used as a bar restaurant it just
hasn't been used in many many many years so it reverted back okay um and my other question was
and you said that it clarified this for me the window well um you were willing to remove the
window well in the back no no in the front they said trash accumulates in the front and um for
you know aesthetic purposes and to not have a pile up of trash um we're more than happy if
that's what you want to remove so the window well that you just showed us in that um diagram when
you circled it you said you it was relocated so it was originally in the front and you're saying
you relocated it to the back no i'm sorry we had one in the front and one in the back okay so now
you're saying it only be one window well instead of two yes okay and do you and would that be
there's any other type of lighting in the coming to the basement besides that back window well
um i believe in the front there's a little um area if you i don't know if my um diagram
is it still up on the screen it is right here you can get light into the um basement
miss three could you zoom in it's at like 25 it's very tiny okay i'll zoom out i'm sorry
Is that better?
Better.
I can make it bigger
or a little bit more.
Hold on.
Here you go.
Can you point to
what you were pointing to again?
That's on the first floor.
You just pointed to the first floor.
Yeah, this is the basement
and this is the first floor.
There's a
light well. Yes. Next to the stairs.
And my last question in your testimony, you mentioned that the neighborhood is in need of
development. Are you aware of any developments that are proposed for that area? The only thing
I could honestly say is that there are applications now in front of the zoning board for
the four properties to our right. The application says multifamily. I don't know exactly what it
is, and it hasn't been approved. I'm not aware there was a zoning permit for 3216. It looks like
it was abandoned, and I don't see any other active permits. I'm sorry, 3214, there's a application
for a zoning permit now that hasn't come before the board. And lastly, my concern is that there
there's no community participation at all?
Like, did your client do any type of petitioning or anything like that?
Like, there's nobody from the community?
No, we didn't do any petitioning.
We just circulated the flyers on two occasions.
All right. Thank you.
I also would like to say, though, there are a lot of vacancies, though,
right around that property.
And we did get a lot of letters to come back.
Other questions from the board?
yes i just want to confirm the floor plan is proposed to be relatively the same across all
three addresses just about identical except the 32
12 is a little larger property than the other two okay and then can you confirm
what is the height um from the ground plane to the top of the basement floor
um i couldn't read that wouldn't you let me just reduce that a little bit
so let's see so from the ground floor to the top that looks like let me just enlarge it a little
a little bit more. It's 22 plus, it looks like it's 28.6, but I do have the architect on the
line. He can confirm that for me. Mr. Holloman, can you tell me what the height of the property
is from the ground floor. I see
it as 20.
I asked just to the
ceiling of the basement, though. So it looks like
it's three feet above
ground plane, but Mr. Holloman
can confirm that.
Mr. Holloman.
Mr. Holloman, please.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Can you hear me?
I can, Mr. Holloman. Could you please state your name? It's spelled for the court stenographer.
Thomas Holloman. It's spelled H-O-L-L-O-M-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Please proceed, counsel.
Mr. Holloman, can you tell us the measurement from the ground floor to the ceiling? How much space it is? Is it above ground?
It's three feet above ground. We have the eight foot ceiling height, so it's five feet below grade.
Thank you, Mr. Holloman.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and board.
Other questions from the board?
questions or comments from our attorney
hillary emerson um i just wanted to clarify the record miss three your testimony that you gave
applies to all three of these properties provided that is applicable because i know there were some
some slight differences between the three just wanted to yes i can show you the plans for all
three i have i uploaded three separate presentations but they're basically identical except the
measurements of the plan
3212 is a little bigger
than the other two properties.
Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that for
our court reporter. Thank you.
Questions or comments for
the virtual audience?
I see.
I'm sorry, Chair.
I see no hands.
There's no one in the audience?
They just raised their hands again.
Strawberry Nation Community Service has been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Birkin, and the board.
My name is Bonita Cummings.
It's B as in boy, O-N-I-T-A-C-U-M-M-I-N-G-S.
Cummings, do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Please proceed.
um we in the community um particularly along that corridors is kind of mixed like it could be
commercial use and residential use and that particular uh those particular properties
3208 10 and 12 since i was been in that community oh you know like 60 years or more it's it's been a
It was a bar. It was a space that provided recreation and entertainment to the community, and it was really never identified necessarily of any above-use living.
Those lots are like 700 square feet lots. You might have maybe improvement area a little larger, but we're trying to put the low-grade,
bedroom use because a den is a bedroom and it can be used as a
bedroom with a kitchen. And we also
are, you know, like some of those bedrooms are not even big
enough for, you know, a queen size bed and a dresser.
So some of the dimensions don't address doors
that have to be open so you can't block those doors. So
a lot of the, some of the information is not what we considered as we
reviewed it um totally totally accurate in terms of the comfortability um of how families would be
living um in this space like we're trying to cram every single thing into this small space
lot size and improvement size there's no space for even a scooter children children have uh you
know scooters scooters now electric scooters things that have to be taken inside there's no
space to grow. So these are, in essence, very small units. The first floor of all three of
those properties was all open. It was all open space. It was, you know, because it was an
entertainment venue. So these properties are suitable, what we've assessed, and our community
has assessed these locations. They may not have been necessarily a lot of people on
the Zoom meeting, but our community is engaged in talking all the time. So we have our needs,
particularly along that corridor, that nobody ever even asks, you know, like people purchase
properties, but they don't really engage the community and or the community organizations
as to what is best use for our community and how we would like to develop those parcels.
for our community and how we would like to develop those parcels. And those parcels really
could have been developed in a way that was really more useful to our community than putting families
in properties where they cannot grow, where there's no space, where bare room sizes are very
small. You may have one room that has a larger size, but primarily they're not conducive to
what we feel is multi-family, multi-family use. So we have everybody saying what's going on in
our community. They used to live there or they come back there or, you know, but they never
engaged us. They never really said, well, you know, let's reach out. And it's a lot of
organizations in Storway Mansion, particularly for that geographical boundary, to see how we
all could really work it out, work together and make this, you know, a really formidable
product. But right now, it's no demonstrated hardship for them to put it in a way is very
useful to the community, which would be single family homes where families could be in those
homes with the proper space that they need to be comfortable. You have backroom entryways to
From the yard, you enter into bedrooms on the first floor levels.
So we just feel that, you know, at this time, that the best use for those properties will be single family.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Do you have any questions, Counsel?
No, I have not.
Other comments from the virtual audience?
Good morning.
i can't uh reverend please state your name it's spelled for the stenographer
good morning reverend tyrone williams tyrone t-y-r-o-n-e williams w-i-l-l-i-a-m-s
you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes i do reverend do you have anything to add do you have anything to add to what the last
witness presented well i i agree with miss cummings and that there is some um movement
and planning going on and i noticed in the picture she didn't go to the other side where they just
built a duplex or apartment type a building on 33rd and york and so you know that we don't want
to begin density there is a communication with the community uh there's current movement on
a plan for strawberry mansion and so that would not fit and um i agree that there is not enough
room up in those uh places and i've known that to be a bar i live down the street uh from the
properties. And I just
don't think it is a fit for
what is being discussed
in Strawberry Mansion at the time
for the future. I just don't
think it's a good fit, and
we oppose it.
Thank you. Counselor, do you have a
cross? I just have a question.
Mr. Williams, you said there's an apartment
building on the next corner. How many units
is in it? I don't
know. It looks like it's five,
four or five people are in there.
It has a beautiful John Coltrane mural that faces off to 33rd Street.
It's right across from the gas station there.
And like I said, you know, there's already movement along that area, particularly on 33rd Street.
And it's moving down towards York.
But, you know, yes, it is right down the street from York for your properties.
Thank you.
Other questions from the neighbors, virtual audience?
We have Strawberry Mansion with your hand raised again.
Would you like them to speak?
They have been allowed to speak.
I just wanted to...
Hold on, just say your name.
Thank you very much.
Please proceed.
I just wanted to state that the property at 33rd and York that's mentioned was done in error.
That property is a CMX2, which they violated using the space on the first floor as commercial space.
So I just wanted to note that because that property should not even have been multifamily units from the basement or from that first fuller level.
So you're trying to talk about apples and oranges, and it really was by acknowledgement of the Planning Commission that that property, there were some missteps in that.
that that property, there was some missteps, you know, in that property. So it's not a comparison
to what should be on York Street. If it was on York Street in the 3200 block, those would be
at best single family properties. Thank you. Council, do you have any questions?
I just like to note, I didn't mention the multifamily on 33rd Street. There are several multifamilies all up and down 33rd Street. I would like to say that my clients have thought about the community and they have thought about the need for housing.
They have thought about the aesthetics of the property and being consistent with the look of the properties around.
We haven't asked for an additional floor to make it an eyesore and to make it stand out from the other properties in the neighborhood or the new properties that are coming up on the block.